Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Management

Mad[e] to Measure? Examining Customer Reviews of Mass-customized Menswear by Using Expectation-confirmation Theory

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine consumers’ mass customization experiences of menswear by using the expectation-confirmation theory applied as a theoretical lens. Specifically, this study used a web-content analysis approach and collected unsolicited consumer reviews from Trustpilot.com, and conducted a thematic analysis using NVivo. Eight retailers who specialized in mass-customized menswear were included and a total of 1565 review comments which were posted from November 2019-November 2021 with a rating score (1 = unsatisfied and 5 = completely satisfied) were collected. Three themes 1) Fashion Involvement, 2) Expectation/Confirmation of Mass-customized Products, and 3) Overcoming Barriers to Mass Customization System Limitations emerged from the data, and implications for fashion retailers were discussed. Theoretically, this study extended expectation–confirmation theory into a more complex consumption context that demands higher individual involvement and has more business-to-customer touchpoints.

Keywords: Mass customization, Menswear, Experience, Fashion knowledge

How to Cite:

Liang, Y., Bedford, S., Liu, C. & Lee, S., (2022) “Mad[e] to Measure? Examining Customer Reviews of Mass-customized Menswear by Using Expectation-confirmation Theory”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 79(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.15978