• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.45-61
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• 2020

As consumers have transformed into the influential entities in the recent consumption environment, it needs a new concept to describe their characteristics. Drawn on the notion of smart consumer experience, this study views the multiple traits of new consumers as consumer smartness. Therefore, elaborating the concept of consumer smartness, this study aims to develop its measurement and validate it by examining the relationship with external variables. Two online surveys were conducted by a professional survey company that had nationwide consumer panels. A total of 531 adult consumers who had purchased fashion goods online completed a self-administered questionnaires. A series of exploratory and confirmative factor analysis generated 21 measuring items with six underlying constructs of consumer smartness such as innovativeness, opinion leadership, self-disclosure, marketing literacy, dissatisfaction, and technology sophistication. In order to validate the measurement, this study conducted a Pearson's correlation test and structural equation modeling analysis with consumer smartness and external constructs. The result shows that there was a significant positive relationship between consumer smartness and behavioral intentions online. In addition, consumer smartness influenced their shopping and sharing intention which supported the validity of new measurement of consumer smartness. This study provides a theoretical and empirical ground of understanding consumer smartness as new consumer characteristics in the changing environment of fashion retailing.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.149-158
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• 2019

Due to the rapid development of IT (information technology) and internet, products become smart and able to collect, process and produce information and can think of themselves to provide better service to consumers. However, research on the characteristics of smart product is still sparse. In this paper, we report the systemic development of a scale to measure the perceived product smartness associated with smart product. To develop product smartness scale, this study follows systemic scale development processes of item generation, item reduction, scale validation, reliability and validity test consequently. And, after acquiring a large amount of qualitative interview data asking the definition of smart product, we add a unique process to reduce the initial items using both a text mining method using 'r' s/w and traditional reliability and validity tests including factor analysis. Based on an initial qualitative inquiry and subsequent quantitative survey, an eight-factor scale of product smartness is developed. The eight factors are multi-functionality, human-like touch, ability to cooperate, autonomy, situatedness, network connectivity, integrity, and learning capability consequently. Results from Korean samples support the proposed measures of product smartness in terms of reliability, validity, and dimensionality. Implications and directions for further study are discussed. The developed scale offers important theoretical and pragmatic implications for researchers and practitioners.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.5-15
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• 2020

Purpose : Today's retailers are integrating new VR technology into their new marketing strategies. Thus, this research aims to understand the role of virtual experiences in the circumstance of sales channels. Research design, data and methodology : Our model hypothesizes that five key factors determine the consumer experience of VR in the virtual retailing context: smartness, vividness, interactivity, playfulness, escape. Information access and flow are mediating variables that connect key drivers and VR satisfaction. Information access and flow then give influence to satisfaction towards VR. Satisfaction serves as a mediator that determines changes in consumer's dual intention: intention to revisit VR and intention to visit the real site. Results : According to the test results, every path except the relationship between information access and satisfaction of VR is accepted as expected at the significance level of 0.05. Conclusions : This research emphasizes the potential importance of VR and continue VR marketing research as an advent research area. Through the dual-path model, this study found that the primary function of VR is information access and flow experience. This result shows that most VR users value emotional benefits rather than rational benefits provided by VR. Finally, the satisfaction of VR can stimulate both the intention to use the VR and the intention to visit real mall.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.71-90
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of currently targeted consumers of the fashion enterprises. It also aims to assess the value of consumer-related variables that are related to market segmentation. In order to identify the characteristics of targeted consumers, the contents of brand concept and target of 143 brands for women's clothing, and 79 brands for men's clothing were qualitatively analyzed. The results are as follows. First, the demographic characteristics of both male and female included the desire to appear younger, and be more youthful in sensibilities than their actual age. In terms of occupation, male had more variety and concreteness than female. Male and female were above middle class, with an emphasis on being a part of the new generation, one that is young, free, healthy, and leisurely. Second, the psychological and behavioral characteristics of both male and female consumers included the benefit sought of the following: rationality, economy, practicality, functionality, individuality, fashionability, and aesthetics. Their fashion orientations were found to be practical, rational, fashionable, expressive of individual style, and aesthetic sensibilities. Their lifestyles were characterized by elements such as rationality, smartness, urban, active, healthy, young, leisurely, and stable. In terms of the spirit, female had a tendency to be intelligent, elegant, and sensitive, while also being self-reliant, self-disciplined, and unafraid of challenging situations. The male consumers had a tendency to be rational, progressive, passionate, and embracing change, with emphasis on legitimacy, honor, success, pride, and affluence. Third, the usefulness of consumer-related variables in targeting consumers was different according to male and female. These results show that there is a need for these variables to be looked at more closely during market segmentation process. This research may be used as base material in setting up the brand concept and the target market.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.62
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• pp.5-29
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• 2013

This study criticizes the neoliberal dominance in social web popular culture from a feminist perspective. A key question is to identify the nature of the social web popular culture-is it the repercussion or recapturing of feminism in relation to the social context of the prevalence of popular cultural practices of neoliberalism and how to challenge against neoliberal ideology with the critical positioning of feminism? In dealing with these questions, four celebrities' twitter discourses are analysed. The emphasis of smartness in digital mediascape, neoliberal imperative to be competitive, autonomous, positive and affirmative, and desire and fantasy brought by postfeminist lifestyle industries are embedded in the present popular culture. The critical account of neoliberal postfeminism suggests the necessity of an critical feminism which brings about alternative values to the current neoliberal demand for the active subject and consumer freedom of choice as the standard of ideal women.