Thesis
Retail buyers' decision-making and the influence of pro-environmental attitudes on product choice
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104453
Abstract
Retail buyers are a major influence on what apparel products are sold on retail floors. They understand and interpret trends. One example is the recent apparel trend of proenvironmental apparel, which has become more relevant to the customer market. The purpose of this study was to apply the Hansen and Skytte (1998) updated Theory of Merchandise Buyer Behavior, to investigate retail buyers' decision-making and the influences of pro-environmental attitudes on apparel for resale in department stores. In addition, the role of buyer characteristics, merchandise requirements, information, and supplier accessibility was explored. A qualitative research design of semi-structured interviews with eight retail buyers at a major West coast apparel company was used. A thematic analysis method was used to analyze the interview data and draw conclusions. The study concluded that consumers' merchandise requirements, supplier accessibility, market research and company values contribute to retail buyer decision-making. Personal attitudes, specifically, attitudes toward the environment, and buyer characteristics were not determined to be important when purchasing products, such as pro-environmental apparel.
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Details
- Title
- Retail buyers' decision-making and the influence of pro-environmental attitudes on product choice
- Creators
- Georgina Victoria Dauer
- Contributors
- Joan L. Ellis (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525283601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis