Adolescents' clothing motives and store selection criteria

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to compare South Korean (SK) and United States (US) adolescents' clothing motives and their store selection criteria, examine whether adolescents with different primary clothing motives would have similar or different store selection criteria, and examine an interaction effect of country of residency and clothing motives on store selection criteria. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 307 US students and 297 SK students participated in the study. The convenience sampling method was used to recruit teachers who volunteered to help with the study and administer the survey. Findings – Results showed that clothing motives and store selection criteria differed significantly between SK and US participants. Participants with different primary clothing motives had significantly different store selection criteria. SK and US participants with the same primary clothing motive did not have significantly different store selection criteria. Research limitations/implications – Participants were recruited using a convenience sampling method and, therefore, they could not represent adolescents generally in either country. Practical implications – Based on the findings, suggestions for store positioning, service management and international marketing strategies for apparel companies that target adolescents were provided. Originality/value – Limited studies have examined adolescents' motives behind the clothes they purchase and wear, and their store selection criteria.