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This study examines consumers' evaluations of product consumption values, purchase intentions and willingness to pay for fashion products designed using generative adversarial network (GAN), an artificial intelligence technology. This research investigates differences between consumers' evaluations of a GAN-generated product and a non-GAN-generated product and tests whether disclosing the use of GAN technology affects consumers' evaluations.

Sample products were developed as experimental stimuli using cycleGAN. Data were collected from 163 members of Generation Y. Participants were assigned to one of the three experimental conditions (i.e. non-GAN-generated images, GAN-generated images with disclosure and GAN-generated images without disclosure). Regression analysis and ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses.

Functional, social and epistemic consumption values positively affect willingness to pay in the GAN-generated products. Relative to non-GAN-generated products, willingness to pay is significantly higher for GAN-generated products. Moreover, evaluations of functional value, emotional value and willingness to pay are highest when GAN technology is used, but not disclosed.

This study evaluates the utility of GANs from consumers' perspective based on the perceived value of GAN-generated product designs. Findings have practical implications for firms that are considering using GANs to develop products for the retail fashion market.

This paper aims to investigate factors affecting the relationship between consumers’ brand trust and purchase intentions after exposure to targeted mobile app ads during holiday periods, including the mediating roles of consumers’ ad attitudes, different discount levels and their interactions; and the moderating roles of the anticipated gain (loss) (i.e. access to discounts) associated with mobile app usage (non-usage).

Data were collected from 559 respondents who were randomly assigned to six groups based on a 2 (ad type: new, holiday-themed vs regular product) × 3 (promotion level: 0% vs 20% vs 40%) between-subjects design. Regression analysis and structural equation modeling techniques are used to test the hypothesized mediators and moderators.

Consumers with high brand trust are likely to purchase both new and regular products. Consumers with low brand trust are most responsive to mobile app ads for regular products when offered a high discount. Ad attitudes across all discount rates and product types mediate the relationship between brand trust and purchase intentions; the anticipated gain associated with using a mobile app (i.e. access to discounts) moderates the effect of attitudes toward ads promoting regular products when a high discount is offered.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore how interactions among important factors in contexts involving mobile apps and holiday promotions influence and mediate the relationship between brand trust and purchase intentions. This study also reveals an important boundary condition that moderates consumers’ responses to targeted mobile app ads in the context of holiday marketing.

This paper explores the antecedents and consequences of consumers’ need for self-image congruence on their retail patronage of department (high-end) and discount (low-end) stores to purchase name-brand products in two product categories, apparel and home décor. It also compared online to offline shopping and considered two mediator variables, frugality and materialism.

The paper analyzed the hypothesized relationships using structural equation modeling (SEM) and MANOVA. Study 1 suggested the model using secondary data, and Study 2 measured and confirmed the relationships using scenario-based online survey data. An MANOVA test was used to compare the shopping behavior of consumers with high and low need for self-image congruence.

A strong causal link was found between concern with appearance and need for self-image congruence, and a positive relationship between need for self-image congruence and high- and low-end retail store patronage offline and online. While the group with high (vs low) need for self-image congruence was more likely to patronize department stores, unexpectedly, both the high and low self-image congruence groups were equally likely to shop at discount stores.

The findings suggest that marketing messages focusing on concern for appearance may succeed by tapping into consumers’ need for self-image congruence with brand product/retail store images. Results also showed that consumers with high self-image congruence often patronize discount retail stores, suggesting marketing opportunities for low-end retailers.

Because consumers with high need for self-image congruence patronize both department and discount stores, it is suggested that self-image congruity may be multi-dimensional. The current study is also the first to examine structural relationships to test patronage behavior between department and discount stores offline and online.