Ethiopian Consumer’s Behavior towards Purchasing Locally Produced Apparel Products: An Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

Consumers in developing countries, particularly Africans, are strongly criticized for their unfavorable feeling about locally produced apparel products. With this concern, this paper explores the determinants of Ethiopian consumers’ purchasing behavior towards locally produced apparel products by using the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model. A self-administered questionnaire which consists of open and closed-ended questions was developed based on the literature. Cross-sectional data were collected from 478 Ethiopian consumers by following the convenience sampling technique and were analyzed by structural equation modeling with AMOS V.26.0. The ethnocentric tendency of Ethiopian consumers was found at a moderate level. The consumers had a very high purchasing intention towards locally produced apparel products but had a low actual purchasing behavior. The result also showed that Ethiopian consumers use price, garment fitness, comfort, and color as the most important attributes, while the country of origin and notions were found to be the moderate important attributes. Moreover, consumers’ attitude towards locally produced apparel products was found as the most influential factor, while perceived behavioral control and subjective norms were the least influential factors in affecting consumers’ purchasing intention. The study’s findings provide insight into domestic apparel consumption as well as the factors affecting consumer purchasing intentions and behavior in the Ethiopian context. The study incorporates product attributes and ethnocentrism into the TPB model to investigate their impact on consumer purchasing intentions which are rarely investigated together.