• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.245-276
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• 2008

Brand equity is one of the most important concepts in business practice as well as in academic research. Successful brands can allow marketers to gain competitive advantage (Lassar et al.,1995), including the opportunity for successful extensions, resilience against competitors' promotional pressures, and the ability to create barriers to competitive entry (Farquhar, 1989). Branding plays a special role in service firms because strong brands increase trust in intangible products (Berry, 2000), enabling customers to better visualize and understand them. They reduce customers' perceived monetary, social, and safety risks in buying services, which are obstacles to evaluating a service correctly before purchase. Also, a high level of brand equity increases consumer satisfaction, repurchasing intent, and degree of loyalty. Brand equity can be considered as a mixture that includes both financial assets and relationships. Actually, brand equity can be viewed as the value added to the product (Keller, 1993), or the perceived value of the product in consumers' minds. Mahajan et al. (1990) claim that customer-based brand equity can be measured by the level of consumers' perceptions. Several researchers discuss brand equity based on two dimensions: consumer perception and consumer behavior. Aaker (1991) suggests measuring brand equity through price premium, loyalty, perceived quality, and brand associations. Viewing brand equity as the consumer's behavior toward a brand, Keller (1993) proposes similar dimensions: brand awareness and brand knowledge. Thus, past studies tend to identify brand equity as a multidimensional construct consisted of brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand knowledge, customer satisfaction, perceived equity, brand associations, and other proprietary assets (Aaker, 1991, 1996; Blackston, 1995; Cobb-Walgren et al., 1995; Na, 1995). Other studies tend to regard brand equity and other brand assets, such as brand knowledge, brand awareness, brand image, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and so on, as independent but related constructs (Keller, 1993; Kirmani and Zeithaml, 1993). Walters(1978) defined information search as, "A psychological or physical action a consumer takes in order to acquire information about a product or store." But, each consumer has different methods for informationsearch. There are two methods of information search, internal and external search. Internal search is, "Search of information already saved in the memory of the individual consumer"(Engel, Blackwell, 1982) which is, "memory of a previous purchase experience or information from a previous search."(Beales, Mazis, Salop, and Staelin, 1981). External search is "A completely voluntary decision made in order to obtain new information"(Engel & Blackwell, 1982) which is, "Actions of a consumer to acquire necessary information by such methods as intentionally exposing oneself to advertisements, taking to friends or family or visiting a store."(Beales, Mazis, Salop, and Staelin, 1981). There are many sources for consumers' information search including advertisement sources such as the internet, radio, television, newspapers and magazines, information supplied by businesses such as sales people, packaging and in-store information, consumer sources such as family, friends and colleagues, and mass media sources such as consumer protection agencies, government agencies and mass media sources. Understanding consumers' purchasing behavior is a key factor of a firm to attract and retain customers and improving the firm's prospects for survival and growth, and enhancing shareholder's value. Therefore, marketers should understand consumer as individual and market segment. One theory of consumer behavior supports the belief that individuals are rational. Individuals think and move through stages when making a purchase decision. This means that rational thinkers have led to the identification of a consumer buying decision process. This decision process with its different levels of involvement and influencing factors has been widely accepted and is fundamental to the understanding purchase intention represent to what consumers think they will buy. Brand equity is not only companies but also very important asset more than product itself. This paper studies brand equity model and influencing factors including information process such as information searching and information resources in the fashion market in Asia and Europe. Information searching and information resources are influencing brand knowledge that influences consumers purchase decision. Nine research hypotheses are drawn to test the relationships among antecedents of brand equity and purchase intention and relationships among brand knowledge, brand value, brand attitude, and brand loyalty. H1. Information searching influences brand knowledge positively. H2. Information sources influence brand knowledge positively. H3. Brand knowledge influences brand attitude. H4. Brand knowledge influences brand value. H5. Brand attitude influences brand loyalty. H6. Brand attitude influences brand value. H7. Brand loyalty influences purchase intention. H8. Brand value influence purchase intention. H9. There will be the same research model in Asia and Europe. We performed structural equation model analysis in order to test hypotheses suggested in this study. The model fitting index of the research model in Asia was $X^2$=195.19(p=0.0), NFI=0.90, NNFI=0.87, CFI=0.90, GFI=0.90, RMR=0.083, AGFI=0.85, which means the model fitting of the model is good enough. In Europe, it was $X^2$=133.25(p=0.0), NFI=0.81, NNFI=0.85, CFI=0.89, GFI=0.90, RMR=0.073, AGFI=0.85, which means the model fitting of the model is good enough. From the test results, hypotheses were accepted. All of these hypotheses except one are supported. In Europe, information search is not an antecedent of brand knowledge. This means that sales of global fashion brands like jeans in Europe are not expanding as rapidly as in Asian markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea. Young consumers in European countries are not more brand and fashion conscious than their counter partners in Asia. The results have theoretical, practical meaning and contributions. In the fashion jeans industry, relatively few studies examining the viability of cross-national brand equity has been studied. This study provides insight on building global brand equity and suggests information process elements like information search and information resources are working differently in Asia and Europe for fashion jean market.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.83-98
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• 2006

With the subjects of male consumers in their 20s to 40s living in the Ningbo area in Zhejiang Province, this study aims to investigate into the reality of their purchase attitude and size fitness of ready-made suits. The results are as follows; Looking into their demographic characteristics, 70.6% of the subjects were twenties, 60.6% were single, and educational career stood in the order of college, middle school, and high school graduation. They were largely absorbed in free trade, followed by teaching, commerce and service industry. 59.6% of them were Zhejiang Province belongs. One to two thousand yuan was the greatest portion of their monthly income. As for their purchase attitude of ready-made suits, they thought higher of material, quality, activity, and solidity than of design. They preferred to buy clothes at a department store. There was significant difference between purchase frequency and purchase price according to monthly income and jobs. Concerning brand recognition, the Chinese subjects favored "Youngor." Though Korea's brands were very lowly recognized, Korean products received really high recognition. Compared with China's brands, they found foreign brands excellent in design, followed by material/matter, wear, and sewing. As to their physical satisfaction and the size fitness of clothes, most subjects felt happy with their sizes. Trousers and jackets were among the unfitting suit items, while the girth of waist was the least satisfactory size. Therefore, in order to raise the market occupation rate of Korean suit goods in China, more aggressive marketing strategies are required to utilize the current Korean-style entertainment and maximize concerning brand images. In particular, outstanding products in consideration of prices should be made through the proper patternmaking to reflect the body types of the Chinese.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-122
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• 2010

In this study, it is explored whether positive and negative emotions affected hedonic and utilitarian values experienced while shopping apparel in the Internet. In addition, the effect of hedonic and utilitarian shopping values on store approach behaviors was explored. For this study, Babin and Attaway's research model that was used for off-line shopping malls was adopted to investigate the relationships among research variables. Data obtained through experiments with 278 female college students were submitted for an analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with AMOS 6.0 were used to analyze data. Based on the model test, negative emotions negatively affected hedonic and utilitarian shopping value perception while positive emotions positively affected hedonic and utilitarian shopping value perception for the Internet apparel shopping site. Hedonic and utilitarian shopping values positively influenced attitude toward the Internet shopping site while only utilitarian shopping value affected revisiting Internet apparel shopping site. Managerial and academic implications were generated based on results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.22-39
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• 2017

This study intended to empirically verify the effect of message framing, cognitive need for closure, and type of fashion products on purchasing attitude of PB fashion products in discount stores. The design consisted of three-mixed design of 2(POP(Point of Purchase)message framing: benefit message vs. loss message) ${\times}2$(cognitive need for closure: high vs. low) ${\times}2$(PB fashion product type: utilitarian vs. hedonic). Survey of this study was conducted on 330 men and women in 20~50's in Seoul and Gyeong-gi, and a total of 287 data were analyzed. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0 program, and three-way ANOVA, simple interaction effects and simple main effects analysis were conducted. The results of this study are as follows: First, it was identified that the framing type of POP message of discount store, cognitive need for closure, and PB fashion product type had significant effect on preference and purchase intention. Secondly, it was identified that consumers with both high and low cognitive need for closure had high preference level and purchase intention when they encountered the benefit message framing than the loss message framing. Thirdly, the benefit message framing was more effective than the loss message framing for hedonic PB fashion products in discount stores, but utilitarian PB fashion products did not get affected by the message framing. Fourthly, it was identified that groups with both high and low cognitive need for closure preferred hedonic PB fashion products. Lastly, it was verified that benefit message framing POP advertisement on a group with high cognitive need for closure was effective for Hedonic PB fashion products in discount stores, and utilitarian PB fashion products showed no difference in purchase intention according to the POP message framing type and cognitive need for closure.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.147-151
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• 1976

A study was conducted during the period of August 13 to August 18, 1974 to obtain information on knowledge and attitude of the rural area housewife toward health care and antibiotics using. Interviewed 242 housewives dwelling in Soodong and Hwado Myun, Yangju Gun, Kyunggi Do, a typical rural area in Korea and the following results are obtained: 1. Of 242 housewives interviewed, 20.2% were illiteracy, 68.2% was graduated from primary school, 9.1% from middle school and 2.5% from high school. 2. Of those interviewed, 8.7% were Christian, 5.0% Bueldist, 2.9% Confucianism, and 83.4% of those were no religious preference. 3. Utility rate according with the kind of mass media in home was 85.1% of respondants possessed radio, 16.1% of magazine, 12.8% of newspaper, and 4.1% of television. 4. In the case of patients occure in a family, 13.0% out of 242 respondants had chosen physician's clinics for inicial medical care place, 58.4% drug stores, 0.9% herb medicine and 27.7% of those had chosen folk medicine at home. 5. Antibiotics effective complaints listed by the respondants were skin diseases with 43.8%, suppurated wound 30.0%, URI like symptoms 18.2%, diarrhea 14.5%, low back pain 12.9%, fever 6.2%, loss of appetite 3.3%, all kind of diseases 2.5%, urethral discharge 2.1% and tuberculosis 0.8% respectively. 6. Only 14.7% of respondants had obtained antibiotics for medical care from physician's clinics and 85.3% of the respondants had obtained antibioties from drug store (70.7%), village shop (10.4%), and salesmen in street market without any physician's prescription. 7. Eighty-nine percent of the respondants were understanding on patient care activity as the local health subcenter but only 11.0% of those on M.C.H., 29.0% of those on family planning, 21% on vaccination, and only 6.6% on tuberculosis control activity. 8. Utility rate of the local health subcenter was 71.9% out of the patients indicated medical care of medical facilities.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to offer a base line data to facilitate entrance of a Korean fashion company into the Uzbekistan market by conducting a survey of the Uzbekistan students in Korea. This is done in order to gather data on their clothes wearing condition and factors affecting the purchase intention for Korean fashion products. In this study, a survey was conducted to 260 Uzbekistan students in Korea. The results of the study were as follows: 1) Uzbekistan students bought clothes mainly from road shops and the Internet. They bought a lot of pants, shirts, jackets, jumpers, and preferred to wear black, white, blue, and red color. The dissatisfactory parts were shown in order of the width of trousers, the length of the sleeve, and the shoulder. The most unsatisfying products were the pants and T-shirt. 2) They considered the aesthetics of the fashion products evaluation criteria, the human source and the internet advertisement of the fashion information source, and the customer service of the store selection criteria. These students showed very favorable attitude towards Hallyu and Korea. In addition, their preference and purchase intention for KFP were high. 3) The level of satisfaction on 'quality', 'color', and 'care' of KFP were very high, but lowest on the 'size' and 'price' of the clothes. 4) It was revealed that the attitude toward Hallyu and Korea, the satisfaction and preference of KFP, and demographics have a significant impact on the intention toward purchasing fashion products.

• Proceedings of the Korean DIstribution Association Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.35-56
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• 2006

The objective of this research is to identify the factors affecting the quality perception of consumer about the private brand and to investigate how the monetary utility of the private brand affects the consumer's preference. The main finding can be summarized in three points. The consumer's usage experience with PB have a positive but store image has no significant effect on the quality perception of PB. The perceived quality and monetary utility of PB has a significant effect on the quality perception while the perceived quality has stronger effect. The competitiveness of the national brand in the same store, post-usage attitude, the perceived quality, and perceived value have significant effect on the preference toward PB but monetary utility does not. The perceived effect has the strongest effect. This result suggests that even the value-seeking consumers prefer PB only when the perceived quality exceeds a certain limits. This study provides the strategic implications for retail managers and theoretical implication for the researcher studying PB.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.73-80
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• 2017

Purpose - Since Korean distribution market was opened, the domestic environment in department stores has been changed by the pattern of consumption and consumer need based on income classes. As multilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) accelerates opening markets, the scale of circulating capital has become bigger. Large-scale commercial facilities have developed quickly as a form of a large shopping center, thus, the matter of choice and securing market area became an important valuable in this trend. Moreover, multi-complex space has been proposed as the goal of successful business with promoting the public benefit. Research design, data, and methodology - This research studied consumer behavior using data about the life style and sales of consumers, not statistical data or survey as previous studies. This research tried to find the differentiation in complex cultural space with consumption behavior of department store. Results - As the structure of society and culture was getting diverse and complex, economic growth and development with such diversity and complexity improved consumers' quality of life. The changes of consumer life style are quite natural like human instinct. Department stores have activated retail business with the products of accumulated technology. Moreover, they have created the space of consumption and culture. Because of these social and environmental changes, department stores are being developed as Multi-functional spaces as well as sale places considering the strategies of department and the changes of consumers' purchasing behaviors. Conclusions - Urban culture complex is a landmark standing for the culture era of 21st century. It has provided an opportunity for consumers to enjoy culture, and has been an important factor to improve company images. Based on these roles and needs, expectancy effects are related with consumer preference and space preference, and the attitude toward companies. Moreover, the expectancy effects from those relationships are getting bigger and bigger. We should respect nature, a characteristic of Korean architecture, maintain visual continuity that harmonies with nature in the development of the complex space of the domestic department stores, and should take significance in the development of the complex cultural space in the direction of feeling the hierarchy of the space to obtain the visual pleasure with the artificial structure.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 2011

1. Introduction: Contrast to the offline purchasing environment, online store cannot offer the sense of touch or direct visual information of its product to the consumers. So the builder of the online shopping mall should provide more concrete and detailed product information(Kim 2008), and Alba (1997) also predicted that the quality of the offered information is determined by the post-purchase consumer satisfaction. In practice, many fashion and apparel online shopping malls offer the picture information with the product on the real person model to enhance the usefulness of product information. On the other virtual product experience has been suggested to the ways of overcoming the online consumers' limited perceptual capability (Jiang & Benbasat 2005). However, the adoption and the facilitation of the virtual reality tools requires high investment and technical specialty compared to the text/picture product information offerings (Shaffer 2006). This could make the entry barrier to the online shopping to the small retailers and sometimes it could be demanding high level of consumers' perceptual efforts. So the expensive technological solution could affects negatively to the consumer decision making processes. Nevertheless, most of the previous research on the online product information provision suggests the VR be the more effective tools. 2. Research Model and Hypothesis: Presented in