Searching for Sustainability in the Fashion Clothing Industry; The Rise of Slow Fashion

Öz

In the context of growing environmental concerns, slow fashion has become an alternative to the fast fashion business model as a recipe of improving sustainability in the fashion industry. But it is still largely unknown whether slow fashion can produce a sustainable profit margin. Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the factors affecting consumers' purchase intention of slow fashion products and their willingness to pay premium. Method: This study tested a structural model that identifies slow fashion attributes that contribute to creating perceived customer value and then increases the consumer's desire to buy slow fashion products and their willingness to pay a price premium. Findings: An analysis of 282 Turkish consumer data reveals that delivering authentic product value is significantly critical to creating perceived customer value for slow fashion, and that perceived value positively influences consumers' purchase intentions. Other analyses also reveal that different slow fashion characteristics significantly affect perceived customer value. These results could help slow fashion companies identify potential strategies on which they can focus to secure an economically sustainable business model. Originality: When the literature is examined, it is seen that the studies on whether the Slow Fashion business model can produce an economically sustainable profit throughout Turkey are limited. This situation is thought to be the feature that makes the research different.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• slow fashion
• fast fashion
• sustainability
• perceived customer value

MODA GİYİM SEKTÖRÜNDE SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİK ARAYIŞLARI; YAVAŞ MODA’NIN YÜKSELİŞİ

Öz

Artan çevresel kaygılar çerçevesinde, hızlı moda iş modeline alternatif olarak yavaş moda, moda endüstrisinde sürdürülebilirliği artırmanın bir yolu olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Ancak yavaş modanın sürdürülebilir bir kâr marjı üretip üretemeyeceği hala büyük ölçüde bilinmemektedir. Amaç : Bu çalışmanın amacı, tüketicilerin yavaş moda ürünlerini satın alma arzusuna ve bu ürünler için gerekirse daha fazla fiyat ödeme niyetlerine etki eden unsurları incelemektir. Yöntem: Bu çalışma ile algılanan müşteri değeri yaratmaya katkıda bulunan yavaş moda özelliklerini belirleyen ve daha sonra tüketicinin yavaş moda ürünleri satın alma arzusunu ve bu ürünler için daha fazla fiyat ödeme niyetlerini artıran yapısal bir model test etmiştir. Bulgular: 282 Türk tüketicisi verileri üzerinde yapılan analizler, Özgün ürün değeri sunmanın yavaş moda için algılanan müşteri değeri yaratmada önemli ölçüde kritik olduğunu ve algılanan değerin tüketicilerin satın alma arzularını olumlu etkilediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Yapılan diğer analizler, farklı yavaş moda özelliklerinin müşteri değerini belirgin şekilde etkilediğini de ortaya çıkarmaktadır. Bu sonuçlar, yavaş moda şirketlerinin ekonomik olarak sürdürülebilir bir iş modelini güvence altına almak için odaklanabilecekleri potansiyel stratejileri belirlemesinde yardımcı olabilir. Özgünlük: Literatür incelediğinde, Yavaş Moda iş modelinin Türkiye genelinde ekonomik olarak sürdürülebilir bir kar üretip üretemeyeceğine yönelik yapılan çalışmaların sınırlı olduğu görülmüştür. Anılan bu durumun araştırmayı farklı kılan özellik olduğu düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• yavaş moda
• hızlı moda
• sürdürülebilirlik
• algılanan müşteri değeri

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