| dc.description.abstract | The fashion industry is constantly changing due to new technology and changes in consumer behavior. A new trend in online retail known as "bracketing" has emerged, where customers order multiple versions of an item and return the ones that do not meet their expectations or preferences. Although there is limited literature on bracketing, the authors suggest that lenient return policies of retailers and uncertainty regarding size and preference when ordering online are factors that contribute to this behavior. When customers order an excessive number of items with the intention of returning some of them, they essentially turn their homes into fitting rooms and resulting in excessive returns that negatively impact retailers and the environment.
Given the lack of literature on bracketing in online retail, this study took a unique approach. It involved delving into various relevant research on consumer behavior, which then led to the research question: What are the underlying psychological and contextual factors of bracketing? This study aims to offer a broader perspective about the bracketing behavior, beyond the scope of existing literature that focuses primarily on size uncertainty. I created a conceptual framework with 12 hypotheses based on other related consumer behavior, such as opportunistic behavior.
A questionnaire was created on Qualitrics and uploaded to Amazon Mechanical Turk, where the participants received compensation for participating, resulting in 458 valid participants. Due to the research model's complexity and the dataset's characteristics, I used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to investigate the relationships between the multiple dependent and independent variables. This enabled me to either reject or confirm the theories and hypotheses, answering this study's research question. Several intriguing findings emerged, where the data revealed that some of the dimensions of ethical belief and ethical judgment had a significant relationship with bracketing. High levels of customer entitlement and individuals with an oppositional cultural model showed a higher propensity to engage in bracketing. This research contributes to the growing body of literature about bracketing behavior and provides valuable insights for retailers dealing with high return rates. | |
