Title: Country of origin of manufacture - perceived image and its competitive advantage with a focus on the Indian apparel sector

Authors: Aastha Garg; Sibichan K. Mathew

Addresses: School of Retail & Fashion Merchandise, FDDI, FDDI Campus, A-10/A, Sector 24, Noida, Uttar Pradesh-201301, India ' Fashion Management Studies, NIFT, NIFT Campus, Hauz Khas, Near Gulmohar Park, New Delhi-110016, India

Abstract: Globalisation has paved the way for many apparel brands to seize the opportunities of selling their goods not only to worldwide consumers but also reap the competitive advantage of manufacturing globally. Disclosure of country of origin (country where apparel is manufactured/where substantial part of manufacturing takes place) information has now become mandatory in the majority of the prominent retail markets. COO thus becomes a visible cue and fundamental in explaining the consumer's behaviour in a globalised marketplace. COO acts as a surrogate of mark of quality, which would then influence the consumer's predisposition towards these products. The study offers theoretical and managerial implications, as apparel brands can gauge in better understanding of consumer preferences for apparels manufactured in different countries based on consumer's perceived country images. Using this study, brands can develop their strategy based on the differentiating factors and use them as a leverage to enter the Indian market.

Keywords: country of origin; manufacturing country image; apparel; Indian consumer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2023.135319

International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 2023 Vol.30 No.3, pp.385 - 397

Received: 14 Feb 2022
Accepted: 27 Jun 2022
Published online: 05 Dec 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article