Purpose Based on the lens of Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework, this study examines how Instagram stimuli, namely perceived post quality (PPQ) and user-to-user interaction (UTU), influence intention to purchase (ITP) and intention to recommend (ITR) sustainable fashion brands through positive emotions (PEM) and psychological ownership (PO). Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-sectional approach was used to test the hypotheses. This study collected primary data from 373 active Instagram users through purposive sampling. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse these data. Findings The results indicate that UTU has a more consistent influence than PPQ on PEM and PO. PEM significantly influences ITP but does not significantly influence ITR, while PO significantly influences both ITP and ITR. The mediation results show that PPQ influences ITP through PO, whereas its indirect effects on ITR are not supported. UTU influences ITP through PEM, PO and the sequential PEM–PO pathway, and influences ITR through PO and the sequential PEM–PO pathway. Originality/value This study adds nuance to the use of the SOR framework in Instagram-based sustainable fashion consumption by differentiating the roles of PEM and PO as organismic responses. The study highlights the importance of user interaction and ownership-based responses in explaining sustainable fashion purchase and recommendation intentions on Instagram.
PurposeThis article aims to examine how responsibility for sustainable fashion governance is distributed across corporate, societal and governmental actors within existing sustainable fashion research and what this distribution reveals about the structure and coherence of sustainable fashion governance frameworks. Design/methodology/approachFollowing Siddaway et al. (2019), the systematic review analyzed 92 studies selected through a transparent screening process, including 72 articles, 11 book chapters, 2 policy reports and 6 conference papers. FindingsFindings show that sustainable fashion literature is predominantly shaped through market-centered and consumer-oriented governance perspectives. Corporate actors are positioned as primary sustainable fashion drivers, while societal actors are increasingly responsibilized within sustainable fashion transitions. In contrast, governmental involvement remains comparatively underdeveloped, with policy discussions centered on isolated regulatory instruments rather than integrated governance frameworks. These patterns reveal a broader coherence gap within sustainable fashion governance discussions, where sustainability transitions are frequently framed through voluntary market participation without equivalent attention to governance across the broader fashion ecosystem. Originality/valueThis review advances a governance-oriented interpretation of how sustainable fashion responsibility is distributed across corporate, societal and governmental actors within sustainable fashion scholarship. By combining descriptive and thematic analysis and drawing on a service-dominant logic perspective (Vargo and Lusch, 2016), the study demonstrates how dominant sustainable fashion discussions remain structured around fragmented and market-oriented governance approaches, contributing to broader coherence gaps in sustainable fashion governance. The review further outlines recommendations for more integrated governance-oriented research across sustainable fashion systems.
Purpose This study aims to develop an extended model of goal-directed behavior (MGB) to explain consumers' sustainable clothing purchase behavior and the attitude–behavior gap by incorporating perceived risk into the original MGB framework. Design/methodology/approach Based on the MGB, an extended research model was developed by incorporating perceived aesthetic risk and perceived performance risk as moderating variables. Data were collected from 597 Chinese consumers through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 4.0. Findings Attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, anticipated emotions and frequency of past behavior significantly influence consumers' desire, which in turn predicts purchase intention. Perceived aesthetic risk positively moderates the relationship between desire and purchase intention, whereas perceived performance risk has no significant moderating effect. Originality/value This study extends the MGB by distinguishing between perceived aesthetic risk and perceived performance risk as separate moderating variables and demonstrates the joint roles of cognitive, emotional and habitual processes in explaining sustainable clothing purchase behavior.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how investors' motivation to gain information relating to sustainability in the fashion industry predicts their communicative behaviors and investment intentions. Drawing on the public relations theories of situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) and organization-public relationship (OPR), fashion companies' relationships with investors are also incorporated in the analysis.Design/methodology/approach Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were utilized to distribute a questionnaire via Qualtrics to a niche audience of individual investors (n = 75) interested in the fashion industry. Weighted regression analysis was used for data analysis.Findings The findings show that problem recognition, involvement recognition, constraint recognition, referent criterion and situational motivation effectively impact investors' communicative actions relating to the fashion industry. Among the three communicative actions, only information acquisition influences investment intentions. With regard to OPR, commitment influenced both investment intention and communicative actions, while control mutuality only influenced the latter. Trust and satisfaction seem to have no impact on the three communicative actions and investors' intentions.Originality/value This study applies public relations theories to examine how investment information impacts individual investors' willingness to invest in the fashion industry. The environmental impact of manufacturing provides a relevant application for the study of investors' decision-making process, as it relates to the fashion industry and the role of communication in this process.
Purpose We explored female-identifying consumers' experiences of engaging with the wool& 100 Day Dress Challenge, including their motives for and reflections upon their participation in the Challenge and the brand's social media communities. The Challenge is rooted in voluntary simplicity and requires participants to wear the same wool& dress for 100 consecutive days.Design/methodology/approach We adopted a qualitative, longitudinal approach, interviewing 12 participants in the Challenge across three data collection points spanning approximately three months, for a total of 35 interviews. Data were analyzed using constant comparison processes.Findings Participants shared four key motives to engage in the Challenge and five motivations to engage with the wool& social media brand-based communities, fulfilling both functional and hedonic needs and frequently reflecting sustainable values. The experience of engaging in the Challenge supported positive self- and body image for many participants, sparked in part by the realization that others did not notice what they were wearing. Participants took away many lessons from the Challenge, several of which related to values of voluntary simplicity and minimalism. Many of these practices endured beyond the end of the Challenge.Originality/value This work extends the application of the voluntary simplicity framework - traditionally examined in controlled, non-commercial settings such as among university students or within nonprofit initiatives - into a brand-sponsored consumption challenge.
Purpose The purpose of this research was to consider the future of sustainability within the fashion industry from the perspectives of high-level industry professionals. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 industry executives representing 21 global companies. Participants had an average of 26 years of industry experience and held titles ranging from president and CEO to senior vice president. Findings Thematic analysis of the data through the conceptual lens of the natural resource based view of the firm theory revealed five emergent themes, which, when posed as questions, offer critical and reflective insights into the issues that inhibit industry change. The first theme – Where to begin? – reflects conflicting views about whether demand or supply is at the root of the industry's unsustainable pace. Differing views on what sustainability means are presented in the theme ‘What, exactly, are we talking about?’ The theme ‘Who, exactly, is in charge?’ reflects on where the power to create necessary change actually rests. The theme ‘How can I?’ highlights the dominant role that profit margins play in companies' decisions, thereby inhibiting potential investment in sustainability-related strategic initiatives. The final theme of ‘What future?’ reveals how participants struggled to envision a better future for the industry. Originality/value Based on the findings, white space opportunities for transitioning the fashion industry and marketplace are discussed, highlighting pathways for meaningful and transformative change.
Purpose This study investigates consumer identity and brand value changes within luxury rental consumption. The research provides early-stage insights on how rental consumption impacts both consumer leadership identity development and luxury brand equity through the early adoption of luxury rental consumption. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was utilized. Study 1 employed a netnographic approach to investigate the development of leadership identities among rental engaged consumers who shared their experiences in social contexts. Study 2 implemented a within-subject design to examine how the renting impacted the evaluation of luxury brand equity. Findings The consumption, communication and development process of early engaged adopters in rental experiences revealed five distinct themes representing consumers' leadership identity development in Study 1. Study 2 results indicate that rental consumption decreased brand awareness, association and credibility; however, brand leadership and brand loyalty remained unaffected. The findings suggest that individual leadership identity developed through rental consumption is connected with the maintenance of brand leadership and brand loyalty. Research limitations/implications This research shows how leadership identity development and innovative status, for both consumers and engaged brands, are drivers that can nudge stakeholders toward sustainable consumption. This study does not account for potential agreements rental companies may have with the brands offered for rent. Practical implications The study provides insight for constituents at all levels of consumption related to circular consumption innovation. The study provides information on how luxury brands can adapt to changing modes of consumption. The study provides information on how early adopter rental consumption engagement influences their perceptions of brand equity. Social implications Understanding the relationship between identity development, consumption innovation and brand perception can further promote sustainable consumption practices. This study highlights the influential role of early adopters in promoting diffusion through identity development work and social system engagement. Originality/value This research contributes insights into the intersection of consumer identity development and brand equity in the context of luxury rental consumption. It demonstrates how consumer leadership development through rental experiences connects with brand perception maintenance, offering new perspectives on circular consumption innovation in traditionally exclusive industries.
Purpose This study aims to examine how various sociopsychological factors influence consumers' intention to switch from unsustainable mass-market fashion to sustainable fashion consumption, using the Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) framework. Specifically, it investigates the roles of consumer fatigue and perceived guilt (push factors), product knowledge and moral concern (pull factors), and materialism and willingness to pay (mooring factors), providing insight into why the intention-behavior gap persists in sustainable fashion contexts.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 401 U.S. fashion consumers using an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses and moderation effects.Findings The results showed that moral concern and willingness to pay significantly predicted sustainable consumption intention, while product knowledge and perceived guilt had no direct effect. Surprisingly, consumer fatigue negatively impacted intention, contradicting its hypothesized push role. Materialism and willingness to pay moderated several push-pull relationships, revealing that sociopsychological traits and economic capability can strengthen or weaken sustainability intentions.Originality/value This study extends the PPM model to the underexplored context of sustainable fashion consumption by incorporating various sociopsychological variables. It contributes to theory by illustrating the complex interplay between emotional fatigue, ethical concern, materialistic values, and economic readiness. Practical implications are offered for fashion marketers to better segment and target consumers with sustainability messages tailored to their values, motivations, and willingness to pay.
Purpose This study examines how product culture shapes brand perception, how personal values influence consumer acceptance, and the mediating role of mindfulness in this process to uncover the drivers of purchasing decisions in sustainable luxury fashion.Design/methodology/approach This study employed a two-stage approach. Study 1 conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 Chinese luxury apparel consumers recruited through purposive sampling to identify key personal values and product cultural dimensions associated with sustainable luxury apparel. Study 2 empirically tested the proposed stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework using survey data from a sample of 407 Chinese luxury apparel consumers.Findings The results demonstrate that consumers' intention to purchase sustainable luxury apparel is influenced by product culture (status and uniqueness) and personal values (altruism and biospheric values), with mindfulness serving as a cross-level cognitive regulatory mechanism mediating brand perception and value-driven decision-making.Originality/value This study innovatively introduces mindfulness into the study of sustainable luxury apparel consumption, highlighting the impact of personal values and product cultural aspects in shaping consumer behavior, and provides an innovative approach for luxury apparel brands to use mindfulness to enhance consumer awareness and brand loyalty.
Purpose This study elucidates the affective, cognitive, and value-based mechanisms underlying sustainable fashion content marketing. It proposes an integrated Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) and Uses & Gratifications (U&G) framework to investigate how informative, entertainment, and emotional content values drive purchase intention through perceived value and brand preference.Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey was conducted with 745 consumers in China who actively engage with sustainable fashion content. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping procedures.Findings The results reveal a dual-pathway persuasion mechanism. Surprisingly, informative value strongly drives perceived value but fails to directly influence brand preference. Conversely, entertainment and emotional values directly enhance both constructs. Confirming a cognition-to-affect hierarchy, perceived value acts as a critical bridge, translating content stimuli into rational utility, which then reinforces emotional brand preference and ultimate purchase intention.Practical implications Marketers must abandon "information-first" strategies. Success requires embedding factual sustainability information within entertaining and emotionally resonant narratives. By highlighting personal utility and reducing decision-making friction, brands can position sustainable fashion as a smart purchase decision rather than a sacrificial moral obligation.Social implications Aesthetically engaging and relatable digital narratives can actively dismantle the visual stereotypes and greenwashing skepticism surrounding eco-fashion. This approach transforms sustainable consumption from a niche duty into an aspirational digital lifestyle, cultivating a supportive online subculture that aids in bridging the attitude-behavior gap.Originality/value This study challenges the traditional information-deficit model by demonstrating that, in value-driven consumption, rational value assessment must precede emotional brand attachment.
Purpose The transition of the fashion and textile supply chain towards circularity faces persistent challenges, particularly in achieving traceability, transparency and accountability across complex global networks. This study investigates the key barriers to circular supply chain adoption and examines the potential role of blockchain as a trust-enabling technology to support circular practices.Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a mixed-method research design, combining survey data with in-depth semi-structured interviews involving fashion and textile industry stakeholders and technology experts. The data are analysed thematically to identify and categorise barriers across regulatory, economic, societal, informational, technological, organisational and market-related dimensions. To enhance the generalisability of the findings, results are also compared with barriers reported in other industries and geographical contexts.Findings The findings reveal that barriers to circular supply chains are highly interconnected rather than isolated, with governance, information quality and digital infrastructure emerging as critical enabling factors. Inadequate data standards, limited information sharing and weak accountability mechanisms restrict traceability and undermine sustainability efforts. Blockchain is identified as having strong potential to support trusted data frameworks, provided it is implemented strategically and aligned with governance structures, data standards and stakeholder incentives.Originality/value This study contributes to the limited empirical research on blockchain-enabled circular supply chains within the fashion and textile sector by offering stakeholder-informed insights into systemic adoption barriers. It positions immutable traceability as a foundational requirement for circularity and sustainability and frames blockchain not merely as a technical tool, but as part of a broader collaborative infrastructure necessary for industry-wide transformation.
Purpose This study aims to examine how fashion small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria strategically integrate online and offline channels within a resource-constrained emerging market context. Guided by the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework, the study explores how retailers combine low-tech digital tools and physical store practices to enact hybrid omnichannel strategies that support sustainable business growth amid infrastructural, organisational and environmental constraints.Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design was adopted, using 20 semi-structured interviews with fashion SME owners and managers. Data were analysed thematically and interpreted through the TOE framework to examine the interaction between technological readiness, organisational capabilities and environmental conditions in shaping omnichannel adoption.Findings The findings reveal a pattern of aspirational adoption, where retailers express strong digital ambitions but lack the infrastructural and managerial capabilities required for full integration. Technological adoption is slow and constrained by unreliable digital infrastructure, limited financial resources and skills shortages.Originality/value This study offers a context-rich empirical contribution by examining omnichannel integration among fashion SMEs in Nigeria, an under-researched Sub-Saharan African market. It provides a context-sensitive application of the Technology-Organisation-Environment framework, introducing the analytical distinctions of "technological aspiration versus operational reality" and "improvisational capability development" to explain hybrid, progressive digital practices in resource-constrained environments.
Purpose This study categorizes consumers in social fashion resale marketplaces based on engagement behaviors and investigates four distinct motivational drivers of participation. It also examines fashion innovativeness (FI) and introduces circular fashion innovativeness (CirFI) as a circularity-oriented extension of FI to compare differences across consumer groups.Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted with consumers who had experience trading in social fashion resale marketplaces. Consumer engagement behaviors were used for cluster analysis to identify user segments, and subsequent analyses compared differences in motivations, FI and CirFI. Hierarchical logistic regression was further conducted to identify key predictors of highly contributive segments. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS.Findings Cluster analysis revealed four consumer segments: circular fashion advocates, with purchase engagement and advocacy; circular fashion networkers, recognition-driven in content consumption and generation; dedicated influencers, highest in all consumer engagement behaviors and FI/CirFI with diverse motivations and detachers, lowest in engagement and innovativeness. Hierarchical logistic regression further showed that recognition, altruism, FI and CirFI-disposal predicted membership in the most contributive segment.Originality/value By segmenting consumers through a multidimensional consumer engagement behavior framework, this study captures the hybrid nature of social fashion resale marketplaces, where social interaction and transactional participation coexist. It further introduces CirFI as a new construct that embeds circularity into innovativeness and complements FI in the circular fashion context. Finally, it identifies Dedicated Influencers as the most contributive segment and demonstrates that recognition, altruism, FI and CirFI-disposal significantly predict membership in this group.
PurposeThis study examines the micro-factory model as a sustainable alternative to conventional fashion manufacturing. Focusing on a Korean fashion micro-factory, it explores how localized production, skilled labor, and sustainability-oriented practices are mobilized to address environmental and operational challenges associated with globalized supply chains and fast fashion systems.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a qualitative single case study methodology informed by the resource-based view (RBV). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and photographic documentation to examine how physical, human, and organizational resources are configured within a fashion micro-factory to support slow fashion production.FindingsThe findings show that Korean fashion micro-factories leverage co-located production infrastructure, multi-skilled labor, and flexible organizational routines to enable small-batch, on-demand manufacturing. While financial constraints and scalability limitations persist, the case demonstrates how micro-factories enhance resilience and sustainability by optimizing internal resources and strengthening localized supply chain relationships.Practical implicationsThe study offers practical insights for fashion entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and policymakers seeking sustainable production alternatives. It highlights the value of investing in localized manufacturing, skill development, and flexible production systems to support resilient and resource-efficient fashion supply chains.Originality/valueThis research contributes empirical evidence to the underexplored micro-factory literature within fashion studies. By integrating slow fashion principles with the RBV, the study demonstrates how small-scale, localized production systems can function as strategic resources that support sustainability and competitive advantage.
PurposeThis study aims to illuminate the consumption of secondhand branded children's clothing focusing on economic, sustainability, and good parenting motivations of mothers who purchase secondhand items on peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms. Furthermore, the study analyzes how sociodemographic variables are associated with different motivations.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a convenience sample of Finnish mothers from branded children's clothing P2P groups on social media. An online survey gathered 210 responses, and descriptive frequency and regression analysis were used to study motivations and demographic factors.FindingsEconomic, sustainability and good parenting motivations were all significant drivers of mothers' purchasing. Younger participants were more influenced by financial factors. Respondents who were not on parental leave and those with higher education exhibited a stronger inclination towards sustainability, whereas those on parental leave were more inclined towards purchase incentives related to good parenting.Originality/valueThis article provides insights into an under-researched consumer segment, highlighting the unique dynamics of the children's secondhand clothing market. By introducing good parenting as a motivational factor and integrating parenting perspectives on sustainability and economic motivations, this study deepens our understanding of how parenting ideals influence consumer behavior.
PurposeThe study presents an exploratory literature review on the Live Shopping Streaming (LSS) phenomenon to map the evolving landscape within the broader context of digital transformation in fashion retail. The aim is to offer an integrated perspective on how LSS, alongside related innovations like gamification and immersive technologies, is reshaping business models, consumer experiences, and value creation mechanisms.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory literature review was conducted on peer-reviewed articles sourced from Scopus and Web of Science, spanning 2017 to 2025. Selection criteria prioritized contributions addressing digital transformation, omnichannel strategies, immersive retail technologies, and consumer behavior in fashion commerce. A qualitative synthesis was performed to extract thematic insights and identify conceptual frameworks.FindingsStarting from the results emerging from the exploratory literature review, the study proposes a conceptual framework that captures the multi-layered impact of LSS and related digital innovations on fashion retail. It highlights emerging trends, reshaped business models, and offers strategic insights to guide future research and practice in digital and omnichannel transformation.Practical implicationsThis study supports managers and practitioners in the fashion to better face digital transformation through LSS and related innovations. It supports the development of omnichannel business models, enhances consumer engagement, and identifies emerging trends. The insights can guide managers to catch the evolving needs of the fashion retail ecosystem.Originality/valueThis study addresses a relatively underexplored area in academic literature by offering an exploratory literature review on the LSS phenomenon within the context of fashion retail. By connecting LSS with emerging technologies such as gamification and immersive experiences, the study provides a novel conceptual lens to understand the digital transformation of the sector and opens new avenues for research and strategic application.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate the role of fashion influencers in shaping consumer behaviour within an omnichannel retail environment using the Malaysian market.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected with a sample size of 298. To study trustworthiness, perceived expertise, similarity and attractiveness as predictors of consumer purchase intention, this study employed SmartPLS 4.0's structural equation modelling tool to analyse the data. Other than the usual reliability and validity tests, this study explores consumer attitudes as an important mediator in the structural model.FindingsThe results of the structural model indicate that the trustworthiness, perceived expertise, similarity and attractiveness of the fashion influencers had positive and significant effects on consumer purchase intention, with perceived expertise showing the strongest effect. The study also showed that consumer attitude plays a complete mediation role in the effect of trustworthiness on the purchase intention, as well as attractiveness on the purchase intention. Nonetheless, the effect of perceived expertise and similarity on purchase intention passed partially through consumer attitude.Research limitations/implicationsThis study found that consumer attitude plays a crucial role in mediating influencer attractiveness and trustworthiness on purchase intention. We highlight the importance of this dynamic in fashion marketing for the firms that are engaging fashion influencers.Originality/valueIn this study, we propose that fashion influencers serve as a key driver in shaping consumer preferences and purchasing behaviour. By employing empirical data and the partial least squares structural equation model, the study offers actionable insights for marketing strategists and fashion brand managers. The findings highlight effective strategies for leveraging fashion influencer marketing within the omnichannel retail framework to enhance consumer engagement and drive sales.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the effect of consumer self-monitoring on brand-related user-generated content (UGC) and positive electronic word of mouth (eWOM). It investigates how high self-monitors create content and positive eWOM about luxury brands to express social identity and self-identity.Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 was a between subject experiment design with 2 condition brand types (luxury vs. non luxury brand), self-monitoring as an independent continuous variable, social-adjustive function and value-expressive function as mediators and brand-related UGC and positive eWOM creation as dependent variables. Study 2 was another experiment using different brands to validate the first findings. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk in the United States.FindingsImpression management theory is applicable to understand why high self-monitors create UGC and positive eWOM about luxury brands to display social identity and self-identity.Practical implicationsMarketers could target high self-monitoring consumers and create platforms where they can express social identity and self-identity through displaying luxury brands on social media.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this research is the first to highlight the role of impression management theory that sheds light on the interplay among self-monitoring, luxury brands, social-adjustive function, value-expressive function and the intention to create brand-related UGC and positive eWOM. By doing so, this research attempts to resolve the conflicted findings on the relationship between self-monitoring, social-adjustive function (Lee and Hwang, 2021; Wallace et al., 2020) and value-expressive function (Ajitha and Sivakumar, 2019; Bian and Forsythe, 2012; Cronje et al., 2016; Graeff, 1996; Kauppinen-R & auml;is & auml;nen et al., 2018). In addition, the current research offers better understanding of the mixed results in the effect of value-expressive function on brand-related UGC creation (Daugherty et al., 2008; Muntinga et al., 2011).
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to adopt an ethical perspective to examine the institutional logics of slow fashion firms and how they inform firm behaviour. We aim to understand whether firms that self-identify as slow fashion are "walking the talk" and to discuss the potential ethical implications for the sustainable fashion movement of any misalignment between a slow fashion firm's "talk" and its "walk".Design/methodology/approachWe examined the Instagram accounts and websites of five firms that self-identified as slow fashion to capture their messaging and their practices. We used pattern inducing to analyse, categorise and interpret the qualitative data.FindingsIn applying a deontological ethical perspective to our findings we suggest that, in some cases, unethical implications can arise when a slow fashion firm's "talk" is misaligned with its "walk". This misalignment may have negative consequences for the legitimacy of the sustainable fashion movement.Originality/valueIn integrating institutional theory with Kantian deontology, our exploratory study offers a novel perspective on slow fashion within the field of fashion marketing and sustainability studies.
PurposeThis study investigates how experiences generated in digital environments - specifically perceived personalization and brand sensory experience - impact the experiential value of physical in-store interactions within the fashion industry. Additionally, it examines the extent to which consumer sensory orientation modulates these effects in omnichannel contexts.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research design was employed, structured around an experiment combining a simulated digital shopping journey, in-person exposure, and the administration of a standardized questionnaire. The sample, consisting of 445 participants, was recruited through Prolific. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA), hierarchical regression models, and interaction tests with bootstrapping, ensuring psychometric robustness and external validity.FindingsThe results reveal that digital personalization, when lacking coherent sensory alignment, may diminish the perceived value of the in-store experience. Conversely, the online brand sensory experience significantly enhances such valuation. Furthermore, consumers with high sensory orientation amplify these effects: they exhibit greater positive responsiveness to sensory stimuli and lower receptivity to personalizations perceived as generic or intrusive.Originality/valueThe primary contribution of this study lies in integrating, within a single explanatory model, the effects of digital experiences on physical evaluations through a sensory and personalized lens. By introducing consumer sensory orientation as a moderating variable, this research advances understanding of omnichannel behavior and offers a more nuanced perspective on the design of effective hybrid experiences in the retail sector. It provides both theoretical insights and managerial implications in a landscape increasingly shaped by technological convergence.
