This research examined whether perceived social/economic risk related to apparel products influenced attitudes about attributes of apparel catalog retailers, overall attitude toward apparel catalog retailers, and actual purchase of apparel from catalogs. Self administered questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of catalog shoppers resulting in 458 respondents. Data were collected on levels of economic and social risks perceived for purchasing apparel, the importance of various apparel shopping needs and wants, and the belief that catalog retailers possessed attributes that met apparel shopping needs and wants. Results revealed that level of social/ economic risk did influence attitudes toward catalog attributes of economic utility, home environment, merchandise assortment, catalog clientele, and interaction with catalog personnel. Levels of socialleconomic risk also influenced annual apparel expenditures from catalogs but did not affect overall attitude toward catalog retailers and number of annual apparel purchases from catalogs.
Berkowitz, E.N., Walton, J.R. & Walker, O.C. (1979). In-home shoppers: The market for innovative distribution systems. Journal of Retailing, 55(2), 15-33.
2.
Cox, D.F. & Rich, S.U. (1964). Perceived risk and consumer decision-making-the case of telephone shopping. Journal of Marketing Research;1, 32-39.
3.
Darden, W.R. (1979). A patronage model of consumer behavior. In R. Stampfl & E. Hirschman (Eds.) Competitive structure in retail markets: The department store perspective (pp. 43-52). Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association.
4.
Darden, W.R. & Dorsch, M.J. (1990). An action strategy approach to examining shopper behavior. Journal of Business Research, 21, 289-308.
5.
Direct Marketing Association. (1990). 1990-91 Statistical Fact Book. New York: Direct Marketing Association.
6.
Dowling, G.R. (1986). Perceived risk: The concept and its measurement . Psychology and Marketing, 3(3), 193-210.
7.
Festervand, T.A., Snyder, D.R., Tsalikis, J.D. (1986). Influence of catalog vs. store shopping and prior satisfaction on perceived risk. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 14(4), 28-36.
8.
Fishbein, M. & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
9.
Hansen, R.A. & Deutscher, T. (1977-78). An empirical investigation of attribute importance in retail store selection. Journal of Retailing, 53(4), 59-72; 95.
10.
Hisrich, R.D., Dornoff, R.J. & Kernan, J.B. (1972). Perceived risk in store selection. Journal of Marketing Research, 9, 435-439.
11.
Jacoby, J. (1972). The components of perceived risk. Advances in Consumer Research, 3, M. Venkatesan (Ed.), 382-393.
12.
Korgaonkar, P.K. (1982). Non-store retailing and perceived product risk . In B. J. Walker (Ed.), An assessment of marketing thought and practice (pp. 204-207). Chicago: American Marketing Association.
13.
Korgaonkar, P.K. (1984). Consumer shopping orientations, non-store retailers, and consumers' patronage intentions: A multivariate investigation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 12(1), 11-22.
14.
Kubes, D. (1981). Mail order: Why do people buy: Direct Marketing , 44(6), 132-136).
15.
Kwon, Y., & Paek, S.L., & Arzeni, M. (1991). Catalog vs. non-catalog shoppers of apparel: perceived risks, shopping orientations, demographics, and motivations. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10(1), 13-19.
16.
Lindquist, J.D. (1974-75). Meaning of image. Journal of Retailing, 50(4), 29-38.
17.
Locander, W.B. and Hermann, P.W. (1979). The effect of self-confidence and anxiety on information seeking in consumer risk reduction. Journal of Marketing Research , 16(2), 268-274.
18.
Lutz, R.J. & Reilly, P.J. (1973). An exploration of the effect of perceived social and performance risk on consumer information acquisition. In S. Ward and P. Wright (Eds.), Advances in consumer behavior, 1 (pp. 393-405), Chicago, IL: Association for Consumer Research.
19.
May, E.G. & Greyser, S.A. (1987). From-home shopping-where is it leading? (Working Paper DSWP-88-33). Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia.
20.
McCorkle, D.E. (1990). The role of perceived risk in mail order catalog shopping. Journal of Direct Marketing, 4(4), 26-35.
21.
Pironti, A.R., Vitriol, M.M., & Thurm, A. (1981). Consumer interest in mail-order purchasing. Journal of Advertising Research, 21, 35-38.
22.
Prasad, V.K. (1975). Socioeconomic product risk and patronage preferences of retail shoppers. Journal of Marketing, 39(3), 42-47.
23.
Roselius, T. (1971). Consumer rankings of risk reduction methods. Journal of Marketing, 35(1), 56-61.
Schiffman, L.G., Schus, S., & Winer, L. (1976). Risk perception as a determinant of in-home consumption . Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 4(4), 753-763.
26.
Sheth, J.N. (1983). An integrative theory of patronage preference and behavior. In W. R. Darden & R. F. Lusch (Eds.), Patronage behavior and retail management (pp. 9-28). New York: Elsevier Science Publishing.
27.
Shim, S. & Drake, M.F. (1990). Consumer intention to utilize electronic shopping . Journal of Direct Marketing, 4(2), 22-33.
28.
Simmons Market Research Bureau. (1986). Direct mail & other in-home shopping, yellow page, florists, telegrams, & greeting cards. In 1986 study of media & markets (P-12, p. 521). New York: Author.
29.
Spence, H.E., Engel, J.F., & Blackwell, R.D. (1970). Perceived risk in mail-order and retail store buying. Journal of Marketing Research, 7, 364-369.
30.
Summers, T.A. & Wozniak, P.J. (1990). Discount store patronage preferences of rural and urban women. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 8(3), 1-6.
31.
Tauber, E.M. (1972). Why do people shop?Journal of Marketing,36(4), 46-49.
32.
Westbrook, R.A. & Black, W.C. (1985). A motivation-based shopper typology. Journal of Retailing, 61(1), 78-103.
33.
Winakor, G., Canton, B., & Wolins, L. (1980). Perceived fashion risk and self-esteem of males and females. Home Economics Research Journal, 9(1), 45-56.
