International Buyers’ Perception of Fashion Brands Designed and Manufactured by Chinese Firms
J. Wu
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed the emergence of China as a “global factory.” This emergence has been driven mainly by the country’s production of various products. In particular, wholesalers’ and retailers’ perception of Chinese products play an important role in the marketing of these products because their purchase decisions determine which products, including fashion items, are presented to consumers. This study examines retailers’ attitudes toward fashion brands designed and manufactured by Chinese companies. According to the results, the respondents generally had favorable attitudes toward Chinese fashion brands. The respondents with some prior experience importing fashion brands from China were significantly more likely to be interested in importing Chinese fashion brands than those without such experience. The respondents emphasized price as the most important factor in terms of importing Chinese fashion brands, followed by brand awareness. The results have important practical implications.
Keywords: International Buyers, Fashion, Brand, Design, Manufacturing, Chinese Firms