Effects of imported fashion products' use of an ecolabel, product category, and country of origin on consumers' perceived physical risk, attitude towards the products, and purchase intention

Some consumers question the safety of imported fashion products. We examine the effects of the use of an ecolabel, product category, and country of origin on consumer responses such as perceived physical risk, attitude towards a product, subjective norm, and intention to purchase imported fashion products. A sample of 508 adults in their 30s to 40s participated in online survey experiments. The survey experiments used 2 (the use of the ecolabel vs no label) x 4 (country of origin: China, Dominican Republic, Norway, and the United States) betweensubjects and 4 (product category: men/women's wear, children's wear, underwear, and accessories) within-sub-j ects factorial design. A total of 32 product-catalog images (stimuli) and eight versions of the questionnaire were developed. The use of the ecolabel is identified as having a significantly lower perceived physical risk than the no-label. The consumers' perceived physical risk also differs depending on product category and country of origin. Consumers perceive a higher physical risk about children's wear and underwear than other product categories as well as fashion products sourced from developing countries than from developed countries. The reduction of physical risk is found to facilitate consumers' purchase decision-making process.