RELIGIOSITY AND RETAIL STORE CHOICES: EXPLORING US CHRISTIAN CONSUMERS’ APPAREL SHOPPING BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Although religion is a key component of culture that affects a society’s value system and human behavior, few have investigated how religion and religiosity influence consumers’ patronage and apparel shopping behavior. This study investigated the impact of religiosity on U.S. Christian consumers’ perceived importance of apparel store attributes. The findings reveal that among commonly used consumer demographics included in the study, religiosity is the most powerful factor affecting the importance of different apparel store attributes. The findings suggest that more committed U.S. Christians are more involved and demanding fashion consumers. Companies that ignore the influence of religion and religiosity in the retail market might find themselves suffering.