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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the fashion retail industry. The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) is the home of family-centric shopping malls and brick and mortar stores (B&M). This article aims to provide a critical look at the business strategies which the fashion retail companies need to adopt to provide consumers with an integrated...
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... the pandemic, they used Zoom to book appointments with consumers to showcase products in real time. Landmark Group uses interactive 'Magic Mirrors' another technology based on AR to create a digital trial room and enhance customer experience for its high street fashion brands such as Figure 2 highlights the benefits and challenges of a digital transformation journey for a fashion retailer. Digital transformation incorporates all the trans-formational and transitioning endeavours in which retailers will implement digital technology, practices and a digital culture, but it is not just a technology implementation project (Hoberg et al., 2017). ...
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... As an increasing number of individuals gravitate towards gig work, conventional employment models witness a wane in popularity, heralding a transformative shift in the dynamics between businesses and workers. Lastly, the gig economy finds itself at the intersection of evolving political, cultural and business landscapes, including the impacts of digitization, evolving flexibility requirements, generational effects and the reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic (Rao et al., 2021;Arora et al., 2023). The gig economy stands as a multifaceted and intricate phenomenon, swiftly evolving under the influence of economic, social and technological determinants. ...
This chapter intricately explores the ever-changing terrain of the gig economy, delving into the intricate facets of knowledge management and its profound impact on bolstering the efficacy of business models. The chapter systematically scrutinizes the nuanced advantages and disadvantages of knowledge management within the gig economy, elucidating its potential to refine operational efficiency, stimulate innovative practices, and elevate the overall customer experience.The chapter culminates with a comprehensive synthesis of its findings and proposes avenues for future research, encompassing cross-cultural studies, longitudinal analyses,experimental methodologies, and the investigation of hybrid business models.Serving as an indispensable resource, this book chapter caters to the needs of researchers, corporate leaders,and policymakers, providing a holistic comprehension of the pivotal role played by knowledge management in navigating challenges and optimizing the myriad opportunities presented by the ever-evolving gig economy landscape.
... Some of these have focused on airlines (Hussain et al. 2015), healthcare (Karami et al. 2016;Polsa et al. 2013), banking (Hussain et al. 2015), department stores (Gong and Yi 2018) and fashion retail (Islam et al. 2012;Cheung and Leung 2009). Over the last decade, the fashion industry has changed significantly due to fluctuating purchase behaviours from groups ranging from Millennials to Generation Z, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and consumers seeking to meet different fashion requirements due to changing lifestyles and mindsets (Kim and Woo 2021;Rao et al. 2021). Fashion plays an important role in the effectiveness of the apparel industry, and is fraught with typical characteristics such as short product life-cycles, transient consumer behaviours, unpredictable demand, impulsive purchases, high price competition and a global sourcing pattern (Mehrjoo and Pasek 2016). ...
Service quality is an important determinant of customer brand experience, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, with cross-cultural differences leading to varied expectations of service from consumers. Our research aims to understand the influence of the service quality expectations and cultural factors that influence customer satisfaction and loyalty, and the moderating role of cultural values on the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty of international fashion apparel brand purchasing of young consumers in India. Data collected across 142 young consumers in India via questionnaire are analysed using PLS_SEM structural modelling. The findings indicate that the service quality parameter tangibility has a significantly positive relationship with customer satisfaction while both reliability and formality positively influence customer loyalty. The cultural value self-transcendence depicts a significant positive relationship with customer loyalty, while the moderating effect of conservation on the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is also significantly positive, validating the role of cultural values as both a predictor and moderator of customer purchase motivation.
... Due to lockdown and social distance restrictions, consumers learn to adapt and form new habits (P. H. N. Rao et al., 2021). ...
Purpose: The study aims to explore the factors that have led to a significant shift in consumer behavior from traditional shopping methods to e-shopping in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seeks to identify and analyze the various elements that contribute to consumers' growing preference for online shopping and to understand how this trend is reshaping the retail landscape in the GCC region. Theoretical Framework: The research is anchored in the theory of consumer behavior and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), like perceived usefulness, consumer psychology, ease of payment, budget considerations, health issues, and cultural and traditional values which helps in understanding the factors influencing consumers' acceptance and use of technology, in this case, e-shopping platforms. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data from structured online consumer surveys and qualitative insights from expert interviews. The authors used the PLS-SEM approach to investigate the survey of 380 responses to examine the impact of various factors on e-shopping behavioral intention among consumers in the GCC countries. Findings: The findings reveal that perceived usefulness, consumer psychology, ease of payment, budget considerations, health issues, and cultural and traditional values significantly and positively impact the e-shopping behavioral intention of consumers. However, product variety does not significantly influence the e-shopping behavioral intention in the GCC region. Research, Practical & Social Implications: The study opens new avenues for research in consumer behavior and e-commerce, especially in the context of unforeseen global events like pandemics. The insights are valuable for retailers, e-commerce platforms, and marketers in the GCC region for strategizing and aligning with changing consumer preferences. It aids in developing targeted marketing strategies and enhancing the online shopping experience. Originality/Value: This research offers original insights into the shift towards e-shopping in the GCC region post-COVID-19. It contributes to the broader discourse on consumer behavior in the context of pandemics and technological acceptance, providing a region-specific perspective that enhances understanding in this field.
... Due to lockdown and social distance restrictions, consumers learn to adapt and form new habits (P. H. N. Rao et al., 2021). ...
Purpose: The study aims to explore the factors that have led to a significant shift in consumer behavior from traditional shopping methods to e-shopping in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seeks to identify and analyze the various elements that contribute to consumers' growing preference for online shopping and to understand how this trend is reshaping the retail landscape in the GCC region. Theoretical Framework: The research is anchored in the theory of consumer behavior and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), like perceived usefulness, consumer psychology, ease of payment, budget considerations, health issues, and cultural and traditional values which helps in understanding the factors influencing consumers' acceptance and use of technology, in this case, e-shopping platforms. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data from structured online consumer surveys and qualitative insights from expert interviews. The authors used the PLS-SEM approach to investigate the survey of 380 responses to examine the impact of various factors on e-shopping behavioral intention among consumers in the GCC countries. Findings: The findings reveal that perceived usefulness, consumer psychology, ease of payment, budget considerations, health issues, and cultural and traditional values significantly and positively impact the e-shopping behavioral intention of consumers. However, product variety does not significantly influence the e-shopping behavioral intention in the GCC region. Research, Practical & Social Implications: The study opens new avenues for research in consumer behavior and e-commerce, especially in the context of unforeseen global events like pandemics. The insights are valuable for retailers, e-commerce platforms, and marketers in the GCC region for strategizing and aligning with changing consumer preferences. It aids in developing targeted marketing strategies and enhancing the online shopping experience. Originality/Value: This research offers original insights into the shift towards e-shopping in the GCC region post-COVID-19. It contributes to the broader discourse on consumer behavior in the context of pandemics and technological acceptance, providing a region-specific perspective that enhances understanding in this field.
... Omnichannel provides consumers with a buying experience that incorporates the benefits of numerous channels into a single customer journey [264,265]. The variety of consumer gadgets makes this task increasingly challenging for retailers. ...
Many industries, including healthcare, banking, the auto industry, education, and retail, have already undergone significant changes because of artificial intelligence (AI). Business-to-Customer (B2C) e-commerce has considerably increased the use of AI in recent years. The purpose of this research is to examine the significance and impact of AI in the realm of fashion e-commerce. To that end, a systematic review of the literature is carried out, in which data from the Web Of Science and Scopus databases were used to analyze 219 publications on the subject. The articles were first categorized using AI techniques. In the realm of fashion e-commerce, they were divided into two categories. These categorizations allowed for the identification of research gaps in the use of AI. These gaps offer potential and possibilities for further research.
... In their study, "Reimagining the Fashion Retail Industry through the Implications of COVID-19 in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries", (Prakash, Narayan , Vihari, & Shazi, 2021) sought to offer a critical look at the business strategies that were deemed ideal for fashion retailers so as to extend integrated online business and service solutions after COVID -19. The study adopted secondary data from industrial experts regarding business strategies by key fashion retailers in the region to address the effects of the pandemic. ...
The study investigated how the invention of e-commerce shapes customer behavior towards purchasing decisions within the fashion industry before and after the pandemic. The study was guided by two objectives namely, to examine the effect of Business to Business (B2B) platforms and to assess the impact of Business to Customer (B2C) platforms on customer behavior at ICONIC Fashion Stores. Built on a cross-sectional design, the study utilized a sample of 384 participants and collected data using Google forms. Data was processed using SPSS software and analyzed using inferential statistics. Results indicate that ecommerce, together with its dimensions of B2B and B2C are weak and insignificant in predicting customer buying behavior. The researcher concludes that ecommerce through the platforms of B2B and B2C is weak and insignificant in explaining customer buying behavior and probably. Accordingly, ecommerce platforms can't single handedly guarantee sustainable customer behavior unless they are accompanied by other factors such direct marketing, routine advertisement, sales promotion and favorable terms as well as branding among others. The researcher recommends that guarantee sustainable customer behavior, e-commerce platforms should be accompanied by other factors such as direct marketing, routine advertisement, sales promotion and favorable terms as well as branding among others. This is because ecommerce platforms adopted in the current study are weak and insignificant in explaining customer buying behavior and thus supporting such efforts with augmented customer stimulating yet centric in promoting sales would go a long way in informing customer buying behavior.
... The fashion industry is expanding (Wood, 2021). Customers' changing attitudes toward fashion have contributed to the rapid expansion of the fashion industry (Neumann et al., 2020;Rao et al., 2021). Customers are more fashionconscious and keep abreast of fashion trends (Dhiman et al., 2018). ...
The study was conducted to identify the role of consumer personality in influencing fashion consumption; the study tries to establish a relationship between personality, fashion involvement, innovativeness, and purchase intention. Data were collected from 512 generation Z participants (born after 1997) and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling to demonstrate multivariate relationships using descriptive and causal research. The study concludes that a consumer’s personality positively correlates with fashion involvement. The present study strengthens the finding that apparel expresses an individual’s personality by stating that consumers’ personalities are positively associated with fashion innovativeness. Once personality leads to a positive association with fashion involvement and innovation, the latter two traits show a positive association with purchase intention. Among the innovativeness and involvement, the latter has a more influential role in shaping the customer’s purchase intention. The examination of the effect of consumer personality on fashion consumption-related variables, involvement, and innovativeness has contributed to a better understanding of the mechanism that underlies the operation of an individual purchasing a product.
... Furthermore, technological pressures also need to be responded to by the fashion industry by strengthening the three disruptor aspects, namely producing strong digital brands, demand forecasting and product design based on artificial intelligence, and collaborative consumption (Jin and Shin, 2020;Rao et al. 2021;Kaushik et al. 2020). ...
The fashion industry is growing rapidly along with technological developments so that it is able to support Indonesia's economic growth. However, at the start of the pandemic, this industry experienced a slowdown due to decreased purchasing power. Sixtrees as a new local fashion brand has also been affected. Since 2021, Sixtrees has stopped operating due to limited capital. Future analysis and development of the Sixtrees brand business strategy are required. The purpose of this study was to identify the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and threats of Sixtrees and to develop alternative strategies to be implemented from 2022 to 2023. The survey was conducted by distributing online questionnaires to collect data from 100 respondents who are fashion enthusiasts. The analysis was carried out by examining the company's external and internal factors and alternative business strategies were obtained using SWOT analysis and the TOWS matrix. The results of the study show that the company is still behind compared to its competitors, so it is necessary to implement alternative strategies in order to gain opportunities and minimize existing risks. Sixtrees needs to strengthen product and digital marketing advantages in order to reach a wider market and achieve profitability.
Keywords: business strategy, fashion, online, SWOT analysis, TOWS matrix
This study aimed to investigate cultural differences in the design of e-commerce websites by undertaking a semiotic analysis. The study utilized semiotic analysis methods to examine the relationships among signs, symbols and their meanings on e-commerce websites. Specifically, six popular e-commerce websites from two culturally distinct countries, Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), were selected for analysis. The semiotic analysis of the e-commerce websites revealed significant differences in design attributes between the two countries. Specifically, the findings showed that UAE websites emphasize visual elements such as graphics and layout to engage users aesthetically, whereas Australian websites prioritize text-based content to ensure clear and direct communication. This divergence can be attributed to cultural disparities, with Arab culture valuing additional context and Australian culture favouring a more straightforward approach. This implies that different interface designs may be necessary to effectively communicate with and cater to the diverse cultural groups within each country.
