Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Management

Lack of Diversity in Sale Associates As Stigmatized Identity Threat to Female Customers in an Apparel Store

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Abstract

Stereotype threats in the retail setting can arise through any combination of factors, including gender and ethnicity (Arndt et al., 2019). he external manifestations of self-objectification lead to conformity (Fredrickson et al., 1998). In the brand literature, warmth and competence have been studied as the key processing mechanism in the brand stereotype literature (Fiske et al. 2012). Therefore, consumers’ actual body image and self-concept provide a lens with which they perceive a brand’s image (Abel et al., 2013). This study utilizes experimental design to explore the effect of sales associates and stigmatized identity threats on customers' perception of self and welcomeness in a retail store. The findings of this study seek to elucidate the relationships between lack of diversity in employee appearance and customers’ self-concept in the retail setting.

Keywords: diversitybrand stereotype, physical appearance, stigmatized identity threat, self-objectification, diversity, brand stereotype

How to Cite:

Jones, D. & Lim, H., (2022) “Lack of Diversity in Sale Associates As Stigmatized Identity Threat to Female Customers in an Apparel Store”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13477