FACTORS INFLUENCING PURCHASE INTENTION OF FOREIGN 

APPAREL AMONGST MILLENNIALS IN SOUTH AFRICA 

 

 

MAGGIE CHANG 

2484940 

 

 

SUPERVISOR: DR FANNY SARUCHERA 

 

 

 

A research project submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and 

Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial 

fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of the Master of  Management in 

the field of Strategic Marketing (MM-SM). 

 

 

 

 

AUGUST 2023



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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Abstract .................................................................................................... v 

Chapter 1: Introduction and Background of the Study .............................. 1 

1.1 Introduction .............................................................................. 1 

1.2 Purpose of the Study ................................................................ 1 

1.3 Context of the Study ................................................................. 1 

1.3.1 Political and economic factors affecting foreign apparel brands 
in South Africa .......................................................................................... 3 

1.3.2 Social and technological factors affecting foreign apparel 
brands in South Africa .............................................................................. 4 

1.4 Problem Statement ................................................................... 6 

1.5 Research Objectives ................................................................ 7 

1.6 Research Questions ................................................................. 7 

1.7 Delimitations ............................................................................. 7 

1.8 Contribution of the Study .......................................................... 8 

1.9 Definitions of Terms ................................................................. 8 

1.9.1 Millennials ................................................................................ 8 

1.9.2 Disposable Income ................................................................... 8 

1.9.3 Sustainable Fashion ................................................................. 9 

1.9.4 Ethnic Differences .................................................................... 9 

1.9.5 Social Media Influence ............................................................. 9 



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1.9.6 Brand Experience ..................................................................... 9 

1.10 Chapter Summary .................................................................. 10 

2.1 Introduction ............................................................................ 11 

2.2 Millennials’ Buyer Behaviour .................................................. 11 

2.3 Hypotheses Development and Factors Influencing Millennials’ 
Purchase Intention ................................................................................. 12 

2.3.1 Effect of Disposable Income on Purchase Intention and 
Behaviour .............................................................................................. 12 

2.3.2 Effect of Sustainable Fashion on Purchase Intention and 
Behaviour .............................................................................................. 14 

2.3.3 Effect of Ethnic Differences on Purchase Intention and 
Behaviour .............................................................................................. 16 

2.3.4 Effect of Social Media Influence on Purchase Intention and 
Behaviour .............................................................................................. 17 

2.4 Influence of Purchase Intention: Self-Determination Theory 
(SDT) 21 

2.5 Motives of Purchase Behaviour: Theory of Planned Behaviour 
(TPB) 22 

2.6 Study Conceptual Model ........................................................ 24 

2.7 Chapter Summary .................................................................. 25 

Chapter 3: Research Methodology ........................................................ 26 

3.1 Introduction ............................................................................ 26 

3.2 Research Philosophy ............................................................. 26 

3.3 Research Methods ................................................................. 26 



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3.4 Research Design .................................................................... 27 

3.5 Research Time Horizon .......................................................... 27 

3.6 Research Techniques and Procedure .................................... 28 

3.6.1 Population .............................................................................. 28 

3.6.2 Sampling Technique ............................................................... 30 

3.6.3 Procedure for Data Collection ................................................ 30 

3.6.4 Sampling Size ........................................................................ 31 

3.6.5 Research Instrument .............................................................. 32 

3.7 Reliability and Validity ............................................................ 32 

3.7.1 Reliability ................................................................................ 32 

3.7.2 Validity ................................................................................... 33 

3.8 Data Analysis and Interpretation ............................................. 34 

3.9 Ethical Considerations ............................................................ 34 

3.9.1 Ethical Factors .............................................................................. 34 

3.9.2 Steps Taken to Ensure Confidentiality .......................................... 35 

3.10 Limitations of the Study .......................................................... 36 

3.11 Chapter Summary .................................................................. 36 

Chapter 4: Presentation of Results ........................................................ 37 

4.1 Research Setting and Data Collection .................................... 37 

4.2 Reliability and Validity ............................................................ 39 



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4.2.1 Reliability ................................................................................ 39 

4.2.2 Validity ................................................................................... 40 

4.3 Regression Analysis ............................................................... 42 

4.4 Chapter Summary .................................................................. 47 

Chapter 5: Discussion of Findings ......................................................... 48 

5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 48 

5.2 Discussion of the Findings from Hypothesis Testing ........................ 48 

5.3 Chapter Summary .................................................................. 51 

Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations .................................... 52 

6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 52 

6.2 Conclusions ..................................................................................... 52 

6.3 Implications ..................................................................................... 53 

6.4 Limitations ....................................................................................... 54 

6.5 Recommendations ........................................................................... 54 

Appendix A: Questionnaire .................................................................... 66 

Appendix B: Ethical Clearance Certificate ............................................. 72 

Appendix C: Language Editing Confirmation ......................................... 73 



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Abstract 

 

South Africa's clothing and fashion industry is perceived to be quite profitable, with 

over 800 apparel retailers nationwide. Most of the retailers sell apparel imported 

from various countries across the globe. Meeting the basic need of clothing trends 

is the most important factor driving this country's fashion and clothing industry. 

Millennial tastes and preferences mostly drive fashion trends. This   study, therefore, 

has a particular interest in investigating how millennials in South Africa, in 

particular, respond to foreign apparel and what factors influence them to choose 

imported apparel as opposed to local retailers by identifying the South African 

factors that millennial customers use to decide whether or not to buy from foreign 

clothing brands, assessing the impact of this decision on millennial customers' 

purchasing behaviour, and examining the drivers behind millennial customers' 

purchase behaviour. This paper used a sample of 797 anonymous respondents, 

and descriptive and quantitative analyses were carried out on the survey results. 

The results described the factors that affected the choice of foreign clothing brands 

by South African millennials, mainly focusing on the consumption group of South 

African millennials. The relevance and impact of various factors on millennials' 

purchase intention and purchase behaviour were shown through the data analysis 

of several factor variables. The purpose was to determine the influencing factors 

of millennials' purchase intention to buy foreign clothing brands in South Africa, 

and the analysis results proved consistent with the theoretical framework. This 

study found that disposable income, sustainable fashion, social media influence, 

and brand experience strongly impact purchase intention. Ethnic disparities 

adversely affected the purchase intention greatly. Purchase Intention also had a 

major positive impact on purchase behaviour. This study recommended that 

marketers and brand owners identify diverse client needs based on various 

customer attributes to satisfy South African consumers' varying and ever-changing 

wants for foreign apparel products. 

 

Keywords: foreign apparel; millennial; purchase intention; purchase behaviour



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Chapter 1: Introduction and Background of the Study 

 

1.1 Introduction 

 

This chapter highlights the purpose of the study and then introduces the context of 

the study, which was the current economic background of South Africa, the fashion 

industry status and development in South Africa. Subsequently, it made a problem 

statement. Then it elaborates on research objectives, questions, delimitations, 

definitions of terms and hypotheses.  

 

1.2 Purpose of the Study 

 

This research investigated the determinants of millennials' propensity to buy 

international clothing in South Africa. This study researched different customer 

characteristics, different customer needs, and a few factors that caused impacts 

to provide just the right supply and improve efficiency, reduce waste of resources, 

give advertisers and brand runners the necessary information they require, and 

meet South African consumers’ dynamic and different demands on foreign apparel 

products. 

 

1.3 Context of the Study 

 

More restrictions and uncertainty than ever before are being applied to foreign 

clothing businesses and retailers (McKinsey & Company, 2021). They have to deal 

with rapidly evolving trade and tax policies, as well as adjust to shifting consumer 

preferences and needs, by making the supply chain more sustainable, 

transitioning customer demographics from baby boomers to the millennial and Z 

generations, and meeting consumers' growing demands for digitalization while 

simultaneously contending with new forms of international competition (McKinsey 

& Company, 2021). All of these elements call for better informed and timely 

business decisions. An indirect tax known as VAT is primarily targeted at domestic 

consumption of goods and services as well as at imported commodities into South 



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Africa. The tax is intended to be primarily paid by the final customer or buyer in 

South Africa. It is assessed at two rates: the standard rate and the zero percent 

rate (0%). Since that time, the standard VAT rate has increased from the previous 

14 to 15%. There are very few business transactions that take place in South Africa 

that are exempt from VAT. On all taxable supplies along the production and 

distribution chain, enterprises that have registered with SARS as "vendors" are 

responsible for collecting the tax. VAT is not applied to purchases or supplies made 

by non-vendors (PwC, 2023).  Tax implications and custom duties generally affect 

the import and export business in South Africa including the fashion and apparel 

business. For instance, when custom duties are higher consumers pay higher 

prices for purchased goods compared to when they buy locally manufactured 

items which do not incur such tax implications. However in some cases consumers 

are prepared to incur such costs for various reasons such as the need to have 

unique fashionable styles that are not similar to others’ that buy their clothes from 

retail stores across the country (Mandarić, Hunjet, & Vuković, 2022).  

 

In some cases consumers are lucky enough to have their favourite foreign brands 

readily available in the country however for others, they have to be the main 

importers and order the clothes online which has its perks such as convenience 

and time saving, however it also has its own disadvantages of high custom duties 

and very long delivery times or waiting periods before they have their items 

delivered (Kasuma et al, 2020). Moreover, there is the risk of not having seamless 

returns and refunds systems in the case that a customer prefers a different size, 

colour or item (Rose Sutton, 2022). When setting up a foreign apparel business in 

South Africa, these are some of the elements alongside understanding the needs 

of the targeted consumer that call for better informed and timely business 

decisions. 



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1.3.1 Political and economic factors affecting foreign apparel brands 

in South Africa 

 

Most garments in the South African market are originally made in China, 

Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia (The International Labour 

Office, 2017). South Africa is a country where commodities rely heavily on 

imports. South Africa experiences significant demand for ready-to-wear 

garments in the winter and summer, but the capability for manufacturing and 

technology limits the local textile industry, so the market demand for apparel 

products cannot be met fully. Consequently, every year, a sizeable volume of 

textiles and clothing from other countries is imported (Xia, 2022). Commercial 

complexes in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth are where China makes most of 

its textile and apparel investments in South Africa (China Africa Trade Research 

Centre, 2021). 

 

People’s disposable income has decreased yearly in South Africa due to the 

over two years pandemic, unsatisfying GDP, increasing CPI and inflation, and 

increasing unemployment rate. However, South Africa's GDP increased by 4.9% 

in 2021 as opposed to declining by 6.4% in 2020 (Maluleke,2021). On March 8, 

Statistics South Africa's statistician general asserted that the country's 

expansion resulted from its 2021 recovery from the pandemic outbreak. 

Although these figures are optimistic, real GDP has not yet reached the levels 

observed in the 2nd quarter of 2021, when civil unrest disrupted the economy 

and harsher closure restrictions in the 3rd quarter (BULBULIA, 2022). Moreover 

the recent floods in Durban which is the main port hub of the country, majorly 

affected the country’s economic performance with not only importers of fashion 

apparel but also importers of all other major economic goods suffering from 

loses and backlogs at the port that was led by the damage to the infrastructure 

and electricity caused by the natural disaster. This resulted to the country’s 

economy shrinking by 0.7 per cent by the second quarter of 2022 (News24, 

2022). 

 

 



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The import tax on finished clothing by South African Customs is very high; the 

import tax rate on garments in South Africa is 40%, yarns 15%, fabrics 22%, 

and fibres 7.5% (South Africa - Import Tariffs, 2021). These high costs are 

ultimately incurred by the final buyer. In addition, the high cost and danger of 

establishing a garment factory in South Africa also contribute to the high cost of 

apparel there; for instance, the price of a coat in South Africa can purchase two 

or three coats in China, which can also greatly decreases customers' purchase 

intention. 

 

1.3.2 Social and technological factors affecting foreign apparel 

brands in South Africa 

 

Social factors affect people when they choose products and services, including 

purchasing patterns, demographics, opinions and attitudes, brand preferences 

and culture (Lautiainen, 2015). Despite the economic downturn and increasing 

unemployment rate since the pandemic, the urbanisation process in South 

Africa has never stalled, and it has promoted the growth of the fast fashion 

consumer market, encouraged the entry of international brands, and increased 

market competition (Market Line, 2021). In recent years, online shopping has 

become increasingly popular, and online clothing retailers can provide 

consumers with convenience, variety and lower prices. According to the 

estimated data released by Statista (2021), South Africa's fashion industry would 

bring in over $120 million  in 2022, with a  compound annual growth rate of over 

19% from 2023 to 2025. The number of users in the fashion sector is anticipated 

to reach more than 20 million  by 2025. Internet sales reached 23% in 2020, and 

this market will expand throughout the ensuing years. According to a report 

published by Market Line (2021), fast fashion from China is also becoming 

increasingly popular locally, especially with fashionable and low-cost clothing. 

One of the most popular Chinese fashion brands in South Africa is Shein which 

is a global fast-fashion giant that supplies and sells affordable clothing to more 

than 150 countries and appeals mostly to young fashion-conscious consumers. 

Although the brand is very popular in South Africa, the company has triggered 

numerous complaints from local manufactures for selling items at very low prices 



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and therefore undermining the country’s objective of the 2019 textile master plan 

whereby the retail sales of clothing, textiles, shoes and leather goods must be 

increased to R250 billion within the country by 2030 (Peyper, 2023). 

 

 

 

Figure 1.1: Average Revenue Per User by Segment Source: Statista.com 
 
 

Fashion retailers are speeding up their migration from offline stores to e-

commerce after COVID-19; as expenses rise, consumers cut back on their 

spending, and businesses fall out of business (Parker & Kuo, 2021). Enhancing 

the experience with mobile shopping and browsing is critical as more users 

transition from desktop to mobile (Fashion in South Africa, 2021). Although 

Internet usage is on the rise in South Africa, it still accounts for only 55% of the 

total population, and the South African government will increase investment in 

satellite communications and broadband expansion in the next few years, which 

means that online shopping is still unlimited for growth (Monzon, 2022). The 

increased security of online payments has led more consumers to shop online 

which brings a lot of convenience and saves time which further indicates 

expected growth in establishment of online stores as they are becoming the 

norm. 

By examining the variables that impact international fashion brands in South 

Africa, this study's practical outcome could be to increase millennials' 

purchasing intentions.  



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1.4 Problem Statement 

 

There is a fair amount of literature that studies the evolution of fashion in South 

Africa, stimulates customers' purchase intention by improving their brand 

experience (Kekana, Chuchu, Venter de Villiers & Van den Berg, 2019), 

stimulate buying behaviour through social media marketing (Parker & Kuo, 

2021), sustainable fashion (Moreno-Gavara & Jiménez-Zarco, 2019), ethics in 

the apparel industry (Anna, 2022), South African customers’ consciousness of 

ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism towards imported products (Muposhi, 

Dhurup & Shamhuyenhanzva, 2018). Besides, South African women's body 

characteristics have also been researched in terms of clothing patterns and 

sizing (Pandarum, Hunter & Harlock, 2017). However, there     are still research 

gaps in the existing literature on the purchase attention of South    African 

millennial consumer groups towards foreign apparel in the South African market 

(Mbumbwa, 2016). 

 

Therefore, this study aimed to gain insights into how factors affect millennials’ 

purchase intention, including millennials’ disposable income, sustainable 

fashion consciousness, ethnic difference, social media influence and brand 

experience. Then it explained how to purchase intention influences purchase 

behaviour. This research focused on the customer group of millennials and 

foreign brands in South Africa. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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1.5 Research Objectives 

 

The broad objectives of this study were to assess customers’ purchase intention 

towards foreign apparel among millennials and to find the contributing elements 

that influence the fashion consciousness of apparel brands. The objectives 

were: 

1. To determine the factors influencing t h e  purchase intentions of 

millennial clients for international clothing brands in South Africa. 

2. To evaluate the influence of millennials’ purchase intention of foreign 

apparel on their purchase behaviour. 

3. To examine the motives of millennial customers’ purchase behaviour 

towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

1.6 Research Questions 

 

1. What factors are influencing millennial customers’ purchasing intentions 

for international clothing brands in South Africa? 

2. How does millennials’ purchase intention of foreign apparel influence their 

purchase behaviour? 

3. What are the motives of millennial customers’ purchase behaviour 

towards  foreign apparel brands? 

 

1.7 Delimitations 

 

The research was not only limited to the factors related to consumer behaviour 

but also included objective factors such as politics, economy, and social culture, 

as well as factors related to company marketing activities and business models. 

These factors also affected the consumption behaviour of millennials in South 

Africa. The focus of this study was the characteristics of South African millennial 

consumers, factors influencing their purchase intention, and marketing tactics a 

foreign apparel brand can use. The scope of this study included South African 

millennials who have purchased foreign apparel products or have interests in 



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fashion but have not tried to buy foreign apparel products. In addition, the study 

was limited to the young population living in South Africa. 

 

1.8 Contribution of the Study 

 
This research provided suggestions for the survival and development of foreign 

clothing brands in South Africa and theoretical perspectives for the South African 

clothing industry. Through the analysis of factors of South African millennials' 

purchase intentions of foreign clothing brands, it is beneficial for industry 

practitioners to formulate appropriate marketing strategies. It provided 

references  for policymakers to regulate and promote the apparel market and 

relevant research results in the academic field. 

 

1.9 Definitions of Terms 

 

1.9.1 Millennials 

 

Commonly referred to as Gen Y, it is the generation that precedes Generation 

Z and follows Generation X, which refers to people who were born between 1980 

and 2000, aged from 26 to 40 years old (Kekana, Chuchu, Venter de Villiers & 

Van den Berg, 2019). 

 

1.9.2 Disposable Income 

 

Disposable income is the money an individual can earn from wages after paying 

personal income tax, in the quantity of goods and services purchased or the 

amount spent (CFI Team, 2021). 

 

 

 

 

 



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1.9.3 Sustainable Fashion 

 

Sustainable fashion is a component of the growing sustainability movement and 

design philosophy, which aims to create a durable system considering social 

responsibility and its effects on people (Gardetti & Torres, 2017). In a field that 

moves quickly, like fashion, sustainability is a concept that designers should 

investigate, pioneering new ground in terms of the environmental effects of the 

manufacturing supply, final use, or product lifespan (Seock & Shin, 2020). 

 

1.9.4 Ethnic Differences 

 

The ethnic differences include ethnic body differences, cultural differences, 

consciousness of ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism due to different nations' 

backgrounds. Consumers with different ethnic characteristics show different 

preferences when selecting apparel products or hold different attitudes towards 

foreign apparel brands (Pentz, 2011). 

 

1.9.5 Social Media Influence 

 

Social media platforms include websites, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Tik 

Tok, Twitter, WhatsApp, and examples of social media advertising are paid 

search advertising, display advertising, search engine optimization (SEO) and 

content strategy. 

 

1.9.6 Brand Experience 

 

Brand experience is related to the feeling, emotions, cognition and behaviour 

response caused by the brand (Kekana, Chuchu, Venter de Villiers & Van den 

Berg, 2019). Customers' brand experience mainly comes online and offline. On 

the one hand, online shopping websites, social platforms and other pre-sales 

and after-sales services, web page aesthetics, fluency and functionality; on the 



10 
 

other hand, offline clothing stores, including store design and decoration, 

waiter's attitude and professionalism, and so on. 

 

1.10 Chapter Summary 

 

This chapter established that the study aimed to investigate the factors 

influencing the purchase intention of foreign apparel among millennials in South 

Africa. This study expanded the background of political, economic, social and 

technological aspects, allowing readers to see factors affecting foreign apparel 

brands in South Africa. There were three research objectives: to determine the 

factors influencing millennial customers’ purchase intention, to evaluate the 

influence of millennial purchase intention, and to examine the motives of 

millennial customers’ purchase behaviour towards foreign apparel brands. To 

further research this subject, definitions of millennial, disposable income, 

sustainable fashion, ethnic difference, social media influence, and brand 

experience were offered for better understanding. The study’s conceptual 

Model was established according to research objectives and guided formulation 

of hypotheses. 

 

 

  



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Chapter 2: Literature Review 

 

2.1 Introduction 

 

This chapter first introduced millennials’ buyer behaviour through Organismic 

Integration Theory (OIT), then elaborated on factors influencing millennial 

customers’ purchase intention: disposable income, sustainable fashion, ethnic 

difference, social media influence and brand experience. Following was the 

influence of purchase intention by above mentioned factors through Self-

determination theory (SDT). Then it introduced the motives of millennial 

customers’ purchase behaviour with the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). 

The chapter concluded with Study Conceptual Model and a chapter summary. 

 

2.2 Millennials’ Buyer Behaviour 

 

Millennials are young people with stable jobs and sufficient disposable income; 

the growing middle class's thirst for low-cost clothing maintains "Made in China" 

clothing in strong demand. In the context of the economic downturn, millennials 

tend to choose more affordable imported clothing (Naidoo, 2018). Millennials, 

who were born around the same time as computers, and grew up with the 

Internet, can be adept at using high-tech tools, self-assured, unrestricted, 

upbeat, and unafraid of change, making them different from other generations 

in terms of purchase intention (Vogels, 2023). These characteristics and 

consumption concepts also influence personality traits. In the meantime, this 

consumer group has a strong social and environmental awareness, so it often 

takes sustainability as the basis of purchase intention. Fashion and how their 

peers see them are incredibly important to millennials. They provide a crucial 

societal purpose by using their purchases of items to demonstrate their 

individuality and personal preference through clothing as identifying symbols 

(Dabija & Băbut, 2019). Even people without high income are prepared to spend 

a lot of money on things that can improve their appearance, despite millennials 

being highly concerned about clothing prices。 



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Each generational classification serves as a concise summary of people's 

opinions, motivations, and historical occurrences from the previous 20 years. 

They are practical buzzwords for marketers and tend to gradually penetrate 

common usage (Williams & Page, 2022). The objective is to communicate 

marketing information according to people's stages of life, regardless of the 

language or categorization employed. The age range does not imply any fixed 

definition of the group features. For instance, the objectives of millennials will 

alter in six or ten years, needing a timely adjustment to marketing techniques. 

However, we must remember that younger generations frequently adopt new 

technology and services first, followed by older generations gradually (Williams 

& Page, 2022).  

 

According to the Organismic Integration Theory (OIT), people voluntarily engage 

in behaviours and activities that they are not interested in, because external 

motivators influence them to do so (James et al., 2019). Extrinsic motivations 

come in a variety of forms and can help an individual become more socially 

integrated. This theory proposes external regulation, introjected regulation, 

identifiable regulation, and integrated regulation as the four categories of 

extrinsic incentives (Zamarripa et al., 2018).Therefore, millennials’ buyer 

behaviour can be influenced by a lot of internal and extrinsic motivations, which 

are discussed following in this study. 

 

 

2.3 Hypotheses Development and Factors Influencing Millennials’ Purchase 

Intention 

 

2.3.1 Effect of Disposable Income on Purchase Intention and Behaviour 

 

Disposable income refers to the amount left over after fixed expenses are 

deducted, or after covering basic expenses, is typically seen as a key variable 

determining purchase intention (Jin-Long, Ying-Yu, & Yi-Shiang, 2013). 

Consumer demand is significantly influenced by disposable income, which 

controls consumers' everyday spending (Wilmers, 2017). There will be a 



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significant reduction in discretionary income in the event of financial challenges 

such as an economic downturn and unemployment (CFI Team, 2021). However, 

due to the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, fuel prices increased in all 

countries, including South Africa (Magome, 2022). Fuel prices are closely related 

to people's necessities like living, eating, and travelling, while the increasing 

number of petrol and diesel makes people’s life more expensive in South               Africa 

when people’s salaries stay the same. As the cost of living is now high, it is 

difficult for people to manage their budgets, therefore fuel price rises have a 

significant impact on consumers' wallets (Pillay, 2022). In this case, the negative 

economic factors would negatively impact millennials’ purchase intention 

towards foreign apparel products. The effect of income growth on current 

consumer expenditure was shown to be positive. The changes in the exchange 

rate and the price of gasoline have little impact on household consumption 

spending. Therefore, to improve household expenditures and long-term 

outcomes, authorities must assure exchange rate stability and household 

income growth (Habanabakize, 2021). 

 

Clothes are necessities in people’s lives, but fast fashion is not. Fast fashion is 

quickly transferred from runway to retail outlets. Fast fashion makes it possible 

for regular people to affordably buy the hottest new style or the hottest new trend 

(Hayes, 2022). Cheap and trendy clothing is available in fast fashion, but 

collections change quite quickly. Once per week, fast-fashion retailers like H&M, 

Zara, Topshop, and others update their lines. Factories compromise quality in 

an effort to lower costs. As a result, clothing degrades more quickly, causing 

consumers to purchase new items much more frequently. When it comes to 

excessive consumption,  Over time, buying clothes has become more of a 

passion than a need (Komazova, 2022). Nowadays millennials tend to resell the 

clothes they wear only for once and no longer wear in the future. Young people 

who are active on social media platforms cannot take another picture in the 

same one piece of clothes after they already posted it for once (Kale, 2021).  

 

It can be seen from above that the millennials' willingness to buy fashion 

products is still strong with limited disposable income, and their purchasing 



14 
 

behaviour has never stopped. The consumer's disposable income affects their 

purchase frequency and quantity of apparel products in the purchase behaviour, 

but at the same time, the apparel products change in order to adapt to the 

change of consumers' disposable income. The change of social consumption 

behaviour from slow fashion to fast fashion is an example.  

 

Based on above literature review, the following hypothesis was proposed:  

H1: Disposable income positively influences millennial customers’ purchase 

intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

 

2.3.2 Effect of Sustainable Fashion on Purchase Intention and Behaviour  

 

The second-highest emitter of pollution in the world is now the fashion sector 

(McFall-Johnsen, 2019). An industry that uses a lot of chemicals is the textile 

manufacturing sector. Due to preparation, dyeing, finishing, cutting, synthetic 

fibres, and other processing steps, textile materials use many water resources 

and produce much waste and wastewater. According to a South African apparel 

company survey, the textile industry generates approximately half of the landfill 

waste (Gam, Cao, Farr & Heine, 2009). Textile production has high pollution 

levels, which endangers the continent's environmental sustainability. The 

environmental sustainability movement, called slow fashion, serves as a manual 

for eco-friendly consumerism and sustainable shopping practices (Jung & Jin, 

2016). It typically manifests as, for instance, purchasing fewer but more 

expensive products, purchasing recycled clothing, repurposing and recycling old 

clothing, and creating clothing out of garbage, among other things (Seock & 

Shin, 2020). 

 

Generation Y customers are rapidly supporting the concept of green fashion and 

sustainable consumerism, and clothing products made of natural and safe 

materials and chemicals can benefit consumers' health. Young customers are 

"creating their style" through customization and do-it-yourself craft, a developing 

trend in sustainable design. Many users post images of their reimagined apparel 



15 
 

on Pinterest (Wang, 2021). Identifying and resolving environmental problems 

brought on by a lot of pollution is a tough task for business runners and 

customers worldwide (Winter & Lasch, 2016). Corporate social responsibility 

and image impact consumers' impressions of them and their willingness to 

purchase their products. Today's fashion brands differentiate themselves mostly 

via sustainability (Seock & Shin, 2020). Nowadays, many manufacturers and 

merchants pursue sustainable development, create corporate sustainable 

development strategies, and generate profits by conserving the earth's finite 

resources, cutting pollution, and safeguarding the environment (Winter & Lasch, 

2016). 

 

The expansion of regional industries, spearheaded by regional business people 

with strong ties, sustainability, and employee development, is key to the future 

of fashion in Africa (Moreno-Gavara & Jiménez Zarco, 2019). Consumers are 

becoming more aware of where their apparel is produced and how the 

manufacturing process is conducted. According to Marshal Cohen, a retail 

analyst at the NPD Group, shops will pay a 10 to 15% premium for ethically 

produced clothing (SEGRAN, 2017). Many fashion start-ups have opted to 

manufacture their goods domestically in recent years to provide consumers with 

more transparency (Monroe, 2021).  

 

Millennials' preference for clothing companies is frequently impacted negatively 

by aggressive Western media coverage of ethical difficulties in factories in the 

country of origin's east (Landrum, 2017). Some people are avoiding clothing 

made in China. However, quick, inexpensive, widespread production is no 

longer associated with China. Because the scope of quality, skill, respect for 

labour laws, and environmental preservation is so broad, brands must select 

factories that manufacture high-quality goods while being ethical and 

environmentally conscious (Colleges & Managers, 2018). Nowadays, both fast 

fashion brands and high-end brands are manufactured in China. Consumers 

should strive to use clothing more thoughtfully by observing the tools and 

materials employed and who manufactured them at a time when fashion has 

serious negative effects on the environment (Anna, 2022). 



16 
 

 

Based on above literature review, the following hypothesis was proposed:  

H2: Sustainable fashion would positively influence millennial customers’ 

purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

2.3.3 Effect of Ethnic Differences on Purchase Intention and Behaviour  

 

Consumers with different ethnic characteristics hold different attitudes towards 

foreign apparel brands. Because buying imported goods might hurt the local 

economy, generate unemployment, and be perceived as contempt for their 

nation, highly ethnocentric consumers consider doing so morally wrong 

(Bandhumasuta, 2017). Consumers who value cosmopolitanism progressively 

select from a greater variety of foreign brands and goods as living standards 

rise, preferences become more sophisticated, and international trade is 

strengthened (Fota, 2022). In addition to offering a wider variety of items and 

more affordable prices, these primarily imported clothing products generally 

offer (Muposhi, Dhurup & Shamhuyenhanzva, 2018). 

 

Consumer ethnocentrism is the propensity to favour domestic over imported 

goods (Ma, Abdeljelil, & Hu, 2019). Consumers with ethnocentrism personality 

trait appears to be more inclined to emphasize the advantages of domestic 

goods while downplaying those of imports. There is evidence from several 

studies that consumers' interest in a product is less sophisticated the more 

ethnocentric they are (Trisatya & Absah, 2022). It was discovered that elderly 

consumers exhibited greater ethnocentrism than younger consumers. The level 

of customer ethnocentrism, according to demographic data, varies with income 

level, age, gender, education, travel abroad, social and regional economic 

factors, the value of the product, and general hostility toward the foreign country 

(Sehgal, 2021). 

 

Consumers with different ethnic characteristics show different preferences when 

selecting apparel products. Consider women's clothing items as an example. 



17 
 

Most of these items were originally manufactured in Asian nations like China, 

Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia, and Asian women and women 

from South Africa have extremely distinct body types (Blomberg, 2020). 

Pandarum, Hunter and  Harlock (2017) revealed the differences in body sizes 

among blacks, whites, and people of other colours, while international clothing 

brands do not make clothing that fits South African women's current body 

measurements. According to the author, there are no separate apparel size 

systems in South Africa or Africa, and the size chart that is now in use is faulty 

using anthropometric information that South African ladies are currently 

studying. He believes the size standards and measurements of garment 

products need to be improved to solve the sizing and fitting issues faced by 

South African customers, provided the most recent statistics on the physique 

and body type for the South African clothing manufacturing and retailing 

industries (Pandarum, Hunter & Harlock, 2017). 

 

Based on above literature review, the following hypothesis was proposed:  

H3: Ethnic differences would negatively influence millennial customers’ 

purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

2.3.4 Effect of Social Media Influence on Purchase Intention and Behaviour  

 

Social media marketing refers to advertising on social networks (SMM). To 

realize the interaction between consumers and brands, stimulate purchase 

intention, and ultimately promote purchase behaviour, brands draw users to 

social media websites by improving search rankings, cutting overall marketing 

costs, increasing website traffic, and increasing the number of subscribers. 

Electronic word of mouth refers to customers spreading product links on social 

media (e-WOM) (Parker & Kuo, 2021). Negative online word-of-mouth (e-WOM) 

is more powerful than good e-WOM and is thought to be the most direct and 

successful channel in brand marketing operations. Fashion brands need to work 

to stop or avoid negative social media comments, encourage and promote good 

e-WOM, and increase buy intent. Social media is a more common online 



18 
 

communication method for Generation Y. Social media is a significant venue for 

brand engagement. Fashion businesses encourage customers to share products 

on their preferred social networks through interpersonal marketing initiatives and 

sponsored advertising (Parker & Kuo, 2021). 

 

An omnichannel approach will be important to ensure seamless and unified 

interactions with customers regardless of their channel of engagement (Payne, 

Peltier, & Barger, 2017). Social media influencers shape audience attitudes 

through creating content and posting on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, 

blogging, tweeting, and using other social media. Influencers are also known as 

Key Opinion Leader (KOL), which is an important force in the rise of foreign 

apparel brands; internet celebrity brings traffic, products get the greatest 

exposure, and a profitable ROI can be achieved. On the other hand, Paid search 

is the process of placing bids to get your advertisement to show up in the search 

results pages of most search engines. Banners, simple text, rich media, static 

graphics, audio, in-stream movies, and skippable video adverts are among the 

display advertising formats (Mialki, 2021). 

 

South African businesses must be more visible on social media platforms due 

to the growing popularity of social media to boost sales. Social media sites are 

used by almost 75% of internet users. More than 90% of young people and 

teens, who account for 25% of all internet traffic, are drawn to Facebook, Twitter, 

and YouTube (Killian & McManus, 2015). In South Africa, it is estimated that 61 

percent of millennials between the ages of 24 and 40 will use social media every 

day in 2021, with 88 percent of this demographic using a mobile device or a 

computer to access it (Duffett & Wakeham, 2016). All social media platforms aim 

to persuade users to visit the companies' websites for comprehensive product 

and service information. Most social networks have global appeal, like TikTok 

did start out as a pure Gen Z platform, but statistics show that is no longer the 

case. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent blockade, TikTok has 

gone from an open social network that originally provided creative expression 

for Generation Z to a place where most middle-aged and even elderly people 

can find happiness (Tien, 2023). Almost every brand now has a TikTok account 



19 
 

because of the platform's massive traffic, in an attempt to connect consumers 

with the brand using clever marketing techniques and polished visuals. One of 

the ways to increase brand influence and participation is to show consumers 

behind-the-scenes things through TikTok short videos, such as the story of the 

founder behind the brand, so that consumers can understand the uniqueness of 

the brand (Hartshorne, 2022). 

 

Based on above literature review, the following hypothesis was proposed:  

H4: Social media positively influences millennial customers’ purchase intention 

towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

 

2.3.5 Effect of Brand Experience on Purchase Intention and Behaviour  

 

Compared with generation X, generation Y pays more attention to service and 

brand experiential satisfaction (Parker & Kuo, 2021). Many clothing brands 

simultaneously rely on offline and online existence, adopting a multi- channel 

approach to achieve appropriate differentiation and promote sales through 

distribution channels (Dabija & Băbut, 2019). Customers' experiences with a 

brand online and in-store are one cohesive brand experience that cannot be 

separated. Customers should be able to expect the same degree of information, 

product variety, and customer service online as they would in a physical store. 

Customers should have a single, seamless brand engagement rather than two 

different ones by connecting the online and offline brand experiences (Glance, 

2022).  

 

Returns and refunds are part of the brand experience. There are many reasons 

why customers are dissatisfied with their orders, such as damage upon arrival, 

improper size ordered, or quality not meeting expectations. Based on a "easy" 

or "very easy" return experience, 96% of customers said they would return to a 

particular retailer (Rose Sutton, 2022). Return policies might vary depending on 

the logistics used by the company and the type of product, but they should all 

address some fundamental principles. For instance, the policy should be explicit 



20 
 

about what things and when they may be returned and exchanged, such as 

whether they have a 14-days or 30-days return window with a receipt (Gordon, 

2022). If final sale items cannot be exchanged or returned. Which conditions are 

acceptable for returns, if items must be in their original packaging and in unworn, 

lightly used condition. Whether goods can be exchanged for shop credit, a cash 

refund, or a product of equivalent value. What is the duration until customers 

obtain a refund, a replacement item, or shop credit. Additionally, any shipping 

charges the buyer will be liable for (Findlaw, 2019). 

 

Online shopping application designers need to design effective applications to 

increase the response of Gen Y to e-WOM and encourage the use of mobile 

shopping apps (Parker & Kuo, 2021). For example, generation Y consumers 

prefer large or celebrity images and can search for desired products with the 

least keywords. Apps for fashion brands should be clean and easy to search 

because smartphones have limited and small screens. App designers usually 

need to provide consumers with the following four types of information: product 

information (such as size, fabric, and colour), store information (such as address 

and business hours), account details and seasonal sales information. Enhance 

product details, set up more shopping convenience functions, provide easy 

navigation of store addresses, provide persuasive clothing matching 

combinations of different styles, and create videos that reflect style inspiration. 

These measures will make shopping more interesting and interactive. For 

example, fashion show videos or models showing products, music, or videos will 

encourage them to buy and may prolong their browsing time on the app. At the 

same time, discounts and exclusive hot goods are important tools for product 

promotion (Parker & Kuo, 2021). 

 

Through the application of the space aesthetics of the store, improve the 

atmosphere of the clothing store to affect customers' purchase behaviour at the 

cognitive, emotional and behavioural levels. Store atmosphere and the elements 

of the environment (lighting, temperature, room size, layout, cleanliness, etc.) 

greatly impact choosing a store (Dabija & Băbut, 2019). At the same time, store 

design will also affect consumers' preferences and price perception. Under 



21 
 

psychological cues, consumers often associate beautiful environments with high 

quality. In addition to creating an atmosphere in the clothing store, clothing 

retailers should focus their attention on salespersons, train competent and polite 

salespersons, give appropriate help and advice to customers, improve the 

shopping experience of millennials in the store, and attract and obtain customer 

loyalty. The quality of a salesperson, such as being careful, friendly, polite, 

skilled, knowledgeable and helpful, may affect the patronage behaviour of 

consumers. Therefore, salespersons should be more polite and be able to 

provide customers with appropriate information about stores and goods (Dabija 

& Băbut, 2019). Finally, clothing retailers should pay more attention to the 

categories that should conform to the new fashion trend, catch up with the 

fashion trend, improve the speed of updating, and improve brand exposure 

through advertising.  

 

Based on above literature review, the following hypothesis was proposed:  

H5: Brand experience positively influences millennial customers’ purchase 

intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

2.4 Influence of Purchase Intention: Self-Determination Theory (SDT) 

 

Purchase intention refers to the possibility that consumers consciously decide 

to buy a certain product or service in the future (Kekana, Chuchu, Venter de 

Villiers & Van den Berg, 2019), it is usually related to consumers' behaviour, 

cognition, emotion, needs, wishes, thinking mode and attitude (Mirabi, 

Akbariyeh & Tahmasebifard, 2015). Purchase intention is characterized as a 

favorable attitude toward an item that encourages individuals to attempt to 

acquire it by spending money (Trisatya & Absah, 2022). The customer purchase 

decision is a complex process, and a purchase intention is an effective tool for 

predicting the purchase process. Purchase intention will be affected by the price 

or perceived quality and value (Mirabi, Akbariyeh & Tahmasebifard, 2015); 

attitude, impulsive consumption, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour will 

also control it. Consumers will be affected by internal or external factors in the 



22 
 

purchase process. Internal factors include consciousness, knowledge, interest 

and preference, and external factors such as advertising and promotional 

activities, so businesses often establish emotional contact with customers 

through advertising (Mirabi, Akbariyeh & Tahmasebifard, 2015). Purchase 

intention can predict consumers' purchase behaviour and test new distribution 

channels' implementation (Pena- García, Gil-Saura, Rodríguez-Orejuela & 

Siqueira-Junior, 2020). Because markets are effective, buyers and sellers serve 

as meeting points. A well-known finding states that homogeneous commodities 

should cost the same everywhere (Wolf, 2016). Consumers intend to buy 

particular fashion products or brands to create a group identity that speaks for 

the reference group and has a corresponding style. Emotional attachment may 

strongly support Brand loyalty and buybacks (Grisaffe and Nguyen, 2011). 

 

Self-determination theory (SDT) is a method of studying human motivation and 

personality, emphasizing the significant impact of individual freedom and 

intrinsic motivation on a person's choices and actions (Kendra Cherry, 2022). 

Under the theory of self-determination, a person's choices and behaviours 

depend on their own will and willingness, tending towards self-motivation rather 

than external motivation. Once they receive external motivation or expect 

external rewards, the results of their behaviour will be negative and negative 

(Widyarini & Gunawan, 2018). For example, some customers prefer to choose 

and try on clothing in the shops on their own, and dislike the salesperson's 

promotional behaviour. If the salesperson does not observe and blindly 

recommend and promote, the sales behaviour will have the opposite effect, 

reducing consumers' purchasing intention, and even suppressing potential 

purchasing behaviour. 

 

 

2.5 Motives of Purchase Behaviour: Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) 

 

The research questions mentioned above are related to South Africa's millennial 

market for overseas clothing creation and marketing, theory of Planned 

Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) will be applied, and social media will be utilized 



23 
 

as a marketing strategy to increase customer happiness and improve 

communication with the target market's consumers. According to the theory of 

planned behavior, purchase intentions influence customer behaviour in the 

beginning, and attitudes influence it in the end, consumers' initial mindset before 

to making a purchase is their purchasing intention. Consumer behaviour is 

product evaluation, where consumers compare the attributes of numerous items 

and choose which one to buy (Trisatya & Absah, 2022). Purchasing behaviour 

can be understood as the way, frequency and amount of products or services 

consumers purchase (Pena- García, Gil-Saura, Rodríguez-Orejuela & Siqueira-

Junior, 2020). Purchase intention is the reason for purchase behaviour resulting 

from purchase intention. Consumer behaviour analysis can effectively detect the 

orientation of consumer behaviour. Purchasing behaviour is a turning point for 

consumers to obtain products, experience products and provide feedback 

(Mirabi, Akbariyeh & Tahmasebifard, 2015). 

 

According to the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), It is possible to anticipate 

purpose using attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour control and 

then predict behaviour. The theory of Planned Behaviour is determined by three 

variables: personal attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour control. 

Different dimensions or qualities of people's intentions impact how well those 

intentions can forecast actual behaviour. Although some specific actions may not 

be translated into actual behaviour, attitude can only sporadically predict actual 

behaviour. A chasm must be filled between their goal and behaviour, 

specifically,  between their intention and what they do (Rausch & Kopplin, 2020). 

The link between intention and conduct contains four successive action stages, 

which explains why the gap needs to be closed: 1) the pre-decision phase: the 

desire or desire's release stage (2) After making a choice, but before taking any 

action, a solid strategy is created. After making a decision, such situational 

considerations or environmental circumstances may significantly influence the 

intention and even prevent the successful realisation of the intended conduct. (3) 

the stage of action, and (4) the evaluation stage (Rausch & Kopplin, 2020). In 

this case, for example, even though millennial customers have generated 

purchase intention from the influence of Social Media or because of great brand 



24 
 

experience, it will not necessarily lead to purchase behaviour due to insufficient 

disposable income or ethnic difference or even controlled by sustainable fashion 

consciousness. 

 

Based on above literature review, the following hypothesis was proposed:  

H6: Millennial customers’ purchase intention positively influences their purchase 

behaviour. 

 

 

2.6 Study Conceptual Model 

 

 

Figure 2.1: Conceptual Study Model 
 
Source: Developed for this study 
 
 
It can be seen from Figure 2.1, the Study Conceptual Model of this article, five 

factors disposable income, sustainable fashion, ethnic difference, social media 

influence and brand experience, are influencing millennial customers’ purchase 

intention towards foreign apparel brands. Furthermore, millennial customers’ 

purchase intention also influences their purchase behaviour. 

 

 
H6 

Purchase 

Behaviour 

 

millennial’ 

Purchase 

Intention 

H1 

H2 

H3 

H4 

Social Media Influence 
H5 

Brand Experience 

Ethnic Differences 

Sustainable Fashion 

Disposable Income 



25 
 

2.7 Chapter Summary 

 

This chapter reviewed the literature and reflections on the core factors related  to 

this study. The objectives and goal of this study were to understand the purchase 

intentions for foreign apparel in a South African context amongst millennials. 

Even though these structures were researched in a Western context, the 

theoretical underpinnings of earlier studies on the African market have 

suggested themes, considering the elements influencing the developing South 

African millennial market to completely comprehend the goals of fashion brand 

buyers. Literature reviews provide a theoretical framework for the research 

object.  

 

  



26 
 

Chapter 3: Research Methodology 

 

3.1 Introduction 

 

This chapter first introduces the research philosophy and then explains the 

study's methods, which was quantitative research. Then it introduces the 

research design and time horizon. Furthermore, it elaborates on research 

techniques and procedures, including population, sampling technique, data 

collection sampling size process and research Instrument, data analysis and 

interpretation. Moreover, validity and reliability issues are explained in the 

chapter. The chapter concludes with ethical considerations and the specific 

steps taken to ensure participant confidentiality, followed by the study's 

limitations. 

 

3.2 Research Philosophy 

 

Market research includes different classification methods, including quantitative 

research, qualitative research, social media, surveys, sampling techniques, 

customer site visits, ethnography, crowdsourcing, and big data analysis (Burns, 

Bush & Veeck, 2017). In terms of philosophies, research shows there is   

Pragmatism, Positivism, Realism and Interpretivism, among others (Collins & 

Stockton, 2018).  Given the quantitative nature of this study, the research 

adopted the positivism philosophy as it sought to derive the perceptions of 

millennials towards their intention to purchase foreign apparel, their reasoning 

and logic emanating from their sensory experiences. 

 

3.3 Research Methods 

 

The research used the quantitative approach to verify the hypothesis in a global 

clothing business from South Africa. Quantitative research employs observation, 

experimentation, investigation, statistics, and other techniques to examine 

phenomena. It also establishes strong criteria for the research's rigorousness, 



27 
 

objectivity, and value neutrality to produce factual results (Burns, Bush & Veeck, 

2017). Examples of quantitative research techniques are applied statistics in 

social sciences, experimental design, sampling surveys, incorporated classed 

data analysis, multivariate analysis, trend analysis, and applied linear regression 

models (Antwi & Hamza, 2015). 

 

3.4 Research Design 

 

The procedures and strategies researchers employ inside a framework are called 

research design. The design would enable researchers to focus on the relevant 

research procedures, and configure their studies for efficiency, in accordance 

with Boru (2018). Data gathering, measurement and analysis are the three 

principal categories of study designs. Three main categories of study designs 

include data gathering, measurement, and analysis (Question Pro Survey 

Software, 2022).  

 

This study investigated how millennials in South Africa respond to foreign apparel 

and what factors influence them to choose imported apparel instead of local 

brands. The participant groups in South Africa were millennials (26 to 41 years). 

A sample of 797 participants was recruited based on convenience from 

professional and social media platforms.  Data were collected through self-

administered questionnaires to be posted online through Qualtrics.  Data was 

analysed through descriptive and inferential statistical analysis using SPSS V.27. 

Linear regression analysis was done to test the conceptual framework proposed 

for the study. 

 

3.5 Research Time Horizon 

 

Because this research paper had a one-year time limit, this study was a cross- 

sectional study, that is, a study of specific objects at a specific time. Moreover, 

most researchers spend more time on research than planned (Saunders, Lewis 

& Thornhill, 2009). Besides, data collection is usually completed at one time, so 



28 
 

the time of data collection can usually be predicted for accurate arrangement 

(Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2009). 

 

3.6 Research Techniques and Procedure 

 

3.6.1 Population 

 

With a total population of 60 million in South Africa, and a population of 14 million 

millennials (Bizcommunity, 2020), this study targeted individual customers aged 

from 18 to 40 residing in Gauteng's big cities, particularly Johannesburg, Pretoria, 

Cape Town, and Durban, which act as the nation's commercial centres and serve 

as perfect models for the acceptance of the international garment market. 

 

As reflected in the Study Conceptual Model, ethnic difference was one of the 

factors that affected millennials’ purchase intention. Therefore, this study 

specifically discussed the population of South Africa according to its 

demographics characteristics by ethnic groups. Besides, based on the Millennial 

target customer group, the table below discusses demographic characteristics 

by age and geography. 

 

Figure 3.1: Total population of South Africa, 2021 by ethnic groups (in 000s) 
Source: Statista (2021) 



29 
 

Table 3.1: Total population of South Africa in 2021 by ethnic, age and 

geography groups 

 

 
Ethnic 
groups 

 
Population 
(million) 

 
Age 

 
groups 

 
Population 
(million) 

 
Geography 

 
groups 

 
Population 
(million) 

 
Black 
Africans 

 
48.6 

 
Under 
the age of 
19 

 
21.95 

 
Gauteng 

 
11.5 

 
coloured 
people 

 
5.7 

 
Age 
range 
20–40 

 
20.5 

 
Cape Town 

 
4.8 

 
white 
people 

 
4.7 

 
Above 
age 40 

 
18.09 

 
KwaZulu
- Natal 

 
3.7 

 
Indian or 
Asian 

 
1.54 

    

 Source: Statista (2021) 

 

After investigation, most foreign apparel brands cater to sizes more white 

people, Indian and Asian people who share similar figures, with 6.24 million 

population in total, taking up merely 10.4% of 60 million people. The size 

differences have limited the expanding of foreign apparel brands in South Africa. 

According to the demographics data Published by Saifaddin Galal in March 2022 

on Statista, 20.5 million people were in the 20–40 age range. The population 

comprises roughly 48.9% men and roughly 51.1% women, or about 30,75 million 

female people overall (Galal, 2022). As fast fashion is more popular amongst 

female customers, with a larger population of women, apparel brands would have 

a bigger market. In the meantime, with the 20.5 million population of millennials, 

which is 34.1% of the total population in South Africa, there is a huge market 

potential for foreign apparel brands to explore (Galal, 2022). It also provided hints 

to foreign apparel brands that Gauteng is the first option chosen as a showroom 

site when a showroom is needed, then Cape Town before Durban. 

 



30 
 

3.6.2 Sampling Technique 

 

In quantitative research, many sampling techniques can be utilized to select 

participants; for example, the most common sampling technique is called 

convenience sampling, which finds individuals who are available easily and 

conveniently to approach at a public location and with convenient resources 

(Freund, Wilson & Mohr, 2010). This research focused on the millennial group in 

South Africa, a sample of 797 participants was selected based on convenience 

from online. In this case, marketers can investigate consumers’ purchase 

intention by recruiting participants from professional platforms or social media 

such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and emails. In this study, convenience 

non-probability sampling method was applied, because the participants were 

easier to find and approach in a limited time period, and there was little variation 

among the participants. 

 

 

3.6.3 Procedure for Data Collection 

 

The first way to collect data and use surveys or questionnaires to gather 

information (Jones, Baxter & Khanduja, 2013). The data for quantitative 

approaches must always be current, but acquiring fresh data may be expensive 

or time-consuming. By choosing samples and researching them, the second 

way of gathering data yields an estimate for the full research object (Jones, 

Baxter & Khanduja, 2013).  

 

The target population's applicability must be considered with this methodology. 

Data indicators can be gathered from expert data research websites, e-

commerce sites, international consumer surveys, unbiased databases and third-

party sources of market data, examination of important macroeconomic and 

industry indicators, historical developments, present-day trends, conversations 

with industry specialists and analyses on significant market participation 

performance (University of Minnesota, 2021).  

 



31 
 

This study collected data through a self-administered questionnaire that were 

distributed online through Qualtrics, and the survey link was shared through the 

Wits student emails, social media platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat, 

Instagram and Facebook. The participants were selected based on convenience 

sampling method, all participants had the freedom to choose to take part in the 

study and they have the opportunity to stop the survey at any point as they 

wished. 

 

3.6.4 Sampling Size 

 

The study of inferring quantitative characteristics of a population from sample 

data is known as inferential statistics (Marino, 2018). Based on the sample data, 

it produces probabilistic judgments about unknown statistics population 

quantitative features (Williams, Sweeney & Anderson, 2022). Inferential 

statistics come in various forms, each appropriate for the kind of design and 

features of the sample selected (Marino, 2018). Saturation is the principle that is 

most  frequently used to calculate the size of the dug sample and evaluate its 

sufficiency. The grounded theory was the source of the saturation notion. The 

study expanded to include multi-site and cross-cultural research, emphasising 

more heterogeneous samples (Vasileiou, Barnett, Thorpe & Young,   2018). The 

bigger the sample size, the more statistical data likely show group variations 

(Kuhar, 2010). As a result, the statistical data is stronger when the sample size 

is bigger. A significant sample population had to be used for this study. This was 

necessary to test the research hypotheses in a way that would have a high 

degree of generalizability. Meaning to what degree the report's conclusions 

could be extrapolated to apply to the complete research population.  

 

To obtain this sample size, this study collected 1013 responses, out of which 

only 797 responses could be used to make analysis for the study, because the 

remaining 216 responses were considered inaccurate  and incomplete to make 

any conclusions for this study.  

 

 



32 
 

3.6.5 Research Instrument 

 

This study adapted questionnaires as the research Instrument; the 

questionnaire method is one of the research methods in the descriptive study 

(Koh & Owen, 2000). In order to accurately explain the variables that influence 

study objectives based on the peculiarities of various regions, eras, and people, 

descriptive research uses current or specialized survey data. The benefit of this 

design method is that it is inexpensive, easy to use, and quick, and it collects 

data from many people using various variables than the original method. 

Drawbacks are that there are many influencing factors and differences between 

different groups, these differences come from the unique special experience of 

individuals, and there is no mechanism to verify these data under most 

circumstances. To design the questionnaires, millennials' willingness to 

purchase apparel from foreign brands was measured using a five-point Likert-

style scale ranging from "Very Not" (1) to "Very" (5). There are 14 evaluation 

items in the questionnaire, which respectively evaluate the consumption 

preferences, economic ability, national style and characteristics, fashion 

awareness and aesthetic needs of the respondents, namely the millennial 

generation, and their resistance to or support foreign brands. 

 

3.7 Reliability and Validity 

3.7.1 Reliability 

 

The consistency of a research method's or tool's output from one analysis to the 

next is referred to as reliability (Dossey, Schaub & Luck, 2014). It is difficult to 

conduct scientific research with high reliability because there are too many 

variables, researchers cannot control every detail of scientific research, and it is 

very difficult to model and measure the impact on the final results. This includes 

factors such as the ranking of survey questions, the time to participate, and even 

environmental and background factors (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2009). 

 

 



33 
 

3.7.2 Validity 

 

External validity describes the extent to which research conclusions can be 

extended to other people, situations and time (Andrade, 2018). These three 

components can be subdivided into ecological validity, overall validity and 

historical validity. Researchers must consider the environmental requirements 

and participant differences that differ from the research objectives and note that 

the study sample and environment may affect the results (Andrade, 2018). Any 

research conducted by participants in a controlled environment rather than a 

natural environment will almost always produce attractive results (Attwood, 

Deeb & Danz-Reece, 2004). Second, any problem seen in the controlled 

environment, no matter how small it seems, will aggravate the impact on the 

results once additional environmental requirements and the variability of 

participants are added (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2009). Therefore, 

researchers need to fix these design problems before further testing. Otherwise, 

they will risk getting the same feedback from all participants. 

 

Internal validity describes how much the experimental procedure contributes to 

the observed impact (Clark & Middleton, 2010). Or, to put it another way, it is 

the intensity of the causal connection between the independent and dependent 

variables. Experts frequently employ significance tests in research due to the 

type of validity they provide. The significance test aids in identifying whether or 

not the outcomes are the product of independent variables, often known as 

experimental manipulation or chance and contingency. Our significance test will 

often be smaller if our internal validity is not high (Mindrila & Balentyne, 2013). 

Usually, in social science research, the significance test (good or bad) is based 

on the study's effect size and the p-value of the effect size (Saunders, Lewis & 

Thornhill, 2009). The effect size illustrates the “strength" of the relationship 

between the independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV). The 

larger the effect, the stronger the relationship. 

 

 

 



34 
 

3.8 Data Analysis and Interpretation 

 

The analytical method depends on the research question and objectives 

(Shaheen, Ahmad, Waqas, Waheed & Farooq, 2017). Data was analysed 

through descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. When a research 

objective has multiple variables, the research can use the structural equation 

model in quantitative analysis and use computer software such as SPSS V.27 

to do a linear regression analysis to determine the correlation between each 

influencing factor and the research objective (Shaheen et al., 2017), and to test 

the conceptual framework proposed for the study. In this study, a structural 

equation model was utilized. Millennials’ purchase intention is the dependent 

variable, and it can be affected by a few independent variables, such as 

disposable income, the consciousness of sustainable fashion, ethnic 

differences, social media influence and brand experience that millennials have 

received. 

 

3.9 Ethical Considerations 

 

When doing research, ethical concerns are crucial. This study adhered to all 

ethical guidelines and regulations regarding data collecting, obtained 

participants' agreement before beginning the study, and ensured that none of 

the respondents was coerced or forced to participate (Health Ethics & 

Governance, 2011). The data's privacy and anonymity were also considered.  

 

3.9.1 Ethical Factors 

 

All the ethical factors this study considered are listed in the points below. 

 

1. A letter was obtained from Wits Business School to make the statement 

in the study's goal that the information gathered through surveys or 

questionnaires would only be used for research. 

2. The findings of the study are available for any interested party. 



35 
 

3. No individual was forced to participate in the research. Informed consent 

stipulated that individuals had to explicitly agree to participate in the study 

(Manti & Licari, 2018). 

4. No participation was influenced through persuasion or deception. The 

study also ensured that individuals clearly and fully understood the 

relevant information to make informed decisions about whether to 

participate (Largent & Lynch, 2017). 

5. Participants did not have to reveal their identities because anonymity and 

confidentiality of information provided by the participants were kept (Manti 

& Licari, 2018). 

6. Participants were not at risk of any injury. 

7. Throughout the study, moral integrity was upheld through transparency, 

and the data collected was used only for this study. 

 

3.9.2 Steps Taken to Ensure Confidentiality 

 

Confidential information is any information about the private sector that a person 

does not want to share with others. Participants in study preserve their right to 

privacy and are not required to share certain details, which is increasingly 

recognized in the academic community and is subject to stringent legal 

restrictions (Bos, J. 2020). The fundamental ethical principle of confidentiality in 

research is on researchers to be responsible for making sure that any information 

collected from or shared with human subjects is used in a way that respects their 

autonomy and dignity and does not jeopardize the rights of individuals or 

communities (Research Ethics Board, 2017).  

 

There are some specific steps taken to ensure participant confidentiality. 

Researchers first need to provide participants with a brief introduction to the 

research objectives or objectives, survey methods, and who can access the data. 

Secondly, it is necessary to obtain the active consent of participants without being 

forced to participate, and even after the completion of the study, participants still 



36 
 

reserve the right to withdraw their cooperation at any time (Bos, J. 2020)..The 

study ensured the confidentiality of the participants by ensuring that no personal 

information such as names, contact details, home addresses or any other 

information that could reveal their identities. The only information collected from 

the participants were their age, gender and nationality solely for the purpose of 

demographic data collection.  

 

3.10 Limitations of the Study 

 

Because this research used a cross-sectional approach, the information 

gathered in a specific time may not apply to other periods, the questionnaire 

survey results collected in a specific area were only applicable to South Africa, 

and the research objects were limited to the millennial generation. 

 

3.11 Chapter Summary 

 

From this chapter on research methodology, it could be identified that a 

quantitative research approach was used to test the hypothesis in South Africa's 

international clothes brand. A purposive sampling technique was proposed in 

this study. Furthermore, this research adapted questionnaires as the research 

Instrument. Data was collected through questionnaires among the millennial 

generation in South Africa. A structural equation model was utilized as the 

analytical method, validity and reliability was the two important dimensions to test 

the results. Besides, ethical  issues were considered seriously, the specific steps 

taken to ensure participant confidentiality on ethical considerations have 

elaborated. 

 

  



37 
 

Chapter 4: Presentation of Results 

 

4.1 Research Setting and Data Collection 

 

The study was conducted in South Africa, a significant emerging market with a 

thriving retail sector and a significant presence of national and international 

clothing brands. Understanding how consumers use international apparel brands 

and identifying the elements influencing millennial customers' purchase intentions 

and, ultimately, their purchasing behaviour is useful for brand marketers and 

business managers.  

 

This study generated online questionnaires on “https://docs.google.com/forms”, 

distributed via Wits students' emails, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and 

WeChat to millennial respondents. To determine the purchase intention of the 

selected research subjects for foreign clothing brands, the author of this paper 

used a multi-item method when developing the questionnaire, and each item was 

based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly 

agree" measurements. The author conducted an online questionnaire survey in 

South Africa, the study country, between January 2023 and February 2023 and 

received 1013 questionnaire results. Ethical guidelines for all data collection, 

informed consent, and related disclaimers were reviewed and approved by the 

Wits Ethics Committee. It was rigorously supervised to prevent the possibility of 

sample selection bias. One thousand thirteen people responded by clicking the 

email-provided survey link out of the 20000 online questionnaires Wits gave. 

Some of them did not accurately or completely complete the survey. To do further 

data analysis, 797 compelling cases were kept after the incomplete and irrelevant 

responses were eliminated. 

 

In this paper, data from 1013 questionnaire responses were cleaned and 

processed by deleting incomplete responses and obtained 797 valid surveys. The 

sample profile consisted predominantly of women (64.99%), predominantly of 

black ethnicity (75.91%), most of the participants lived in Johannesburg (84.19%), 

and was between the ages of 19 and 39 (68.89%). 



38 
 

Table 4.1: Descriptive statistics of the respondent profile (N=797) 

Measure  Items  Frequency  % 

Gender Male 263 33.0% 

 
Female 518 65.0% 

 
Other 16 2.0% 

Age Under 19 190 23.8% 

 
19-28 431 54.1% 

 
29-39 118 14.8% 

 
Over 39 58 7.3% 

City Johannesburg/ Pretoria 671 84.2% 

 
Durban 22 2.8% 

 
Cape Town 12 1.5% 

 
Other Cities 92 11.5% 

Race Black 605 75.9% 

 
White 76 9.5% 

 
Asian 24 3.0% 

 
Indian 61 7.7% 

 
Other 31 3.9% 

Monthly Income <R10000 534 67.0% 

 
R10K-20K 82 10.3% 

 
R20001-R40K 56 7.0% 

 
R40001-R60K 50 6.3% 

 
> R60K 75 9.4% 

Annual Budget on Clothes R1,000-R5,000 a year 516 64.7% 

 
R5,001-R12,000 a year 182 22.8% 

 
R12,001-R19,000 a year 60 7.5% 

 
R19,001-R28,000 a year 14 1.8% 

 
Over R28,000 a year 25 3.1% 

Annual Purchase Frequency 1-3 times a year 428 53.7% 

 
4-6 times a year 208 26.1% 

 
Over 6 times in a year 161 20.2% 

Factors on  

Purchase Behaviour Disposable Income factor 599 35.6% 

 
Brand Experience factor 422 25.1% 

 
Fashion Sustainable factor 312 18.5% 

 
Social Media factor 189 11.2% 

 
Ethnic Difference factor 161 9.6% 

Source: Survey  

 



39 
 

4.2 Reliability and Validity 

4.2.1 Reliability 

The correctness and consistency of answers to questions involving attitude 

scales are particularly important to examining quantitative data and are subject 

to reliability analysis. The reliability is high if the coefficient is greater than 0.8; 

good if the coefficient is between 0.7 and 0.8; acceptable if the coefficient is 

between 0.6 and 0.7; and low if the coefficient is less than 0.6. It is considered 

to have poor reliability if it is less than 0.6. The item may be deleted and re-

analysed if the "alpha coefficient of deleted item" value is higher than the alpha 

coefficient. Regarding the "alpha coefficient of deleted item", after any item is 

deleted, the reliability coefficient will not increase significantly, so it means that 

the item should not be deleted. 

 

The reliability coefficient value of 0.653, which is higher than 0.6, can be 

observed in Table 4.2, suggesting that the reliability quality of the study data is 

acceptable. When an item is removed, the reliability coefficient does not 

significantly increase, indicating that the item should not be deleted, according 

to the coefficient for "items deleted". For the "CITC value", the corresponding 

CITC value of Disposable Income is between 0.2 and 0.3, indicating a weak 

correlation with other analysis items. The CITC value corresponding to 

Sustainable Fashion is between 0.2 and 0.3, indicating a weak correlation with 

other analysis items. The CITC value corresponding to Ethnic Difference is less 

than 0.4, which can be fixed before gathering official data. This item can be 

eliminated or kept if it is a formal data study and the CITC value for social media 

influence is less than 0.4. Brand Experience's CITC value ranges from 0.2 to 

0.3, showing a modest association with other analytical components. In 

conclusion, the study data's reliability coefficient value is greater than 0.6, 

indicating that the data's quality and reliability are acceptable. 

 

 

 

 

 



40 
 

Table 4.2: Cronbach Alpha of Reliability 

Reliability Statistics (Cronbach Alpha)  

Items 

Corrected Item-

Total 

Correlation 

(CITC) 

Cronbach Alpha if 

Item Deleted 

Cronbach 

α 

Disposable 

Income 
0.233 0.628 

 

 

 

0.653 

Sustainable 

Fashion 
0.278 0.627 

Ethnic 

Difference 
0.303 0.614 

Social Media 

Influence 
0.322 0.612 

Brand 

Experience 
0.242 0.627 

Cronbach α (Standardized): 0.638 

 

Cronbach Alpha  

N of Items N Cronbach α 

5 797 0.653 

 

 

4.2.2 Validity 

 

When analysing quantitative data, validity analysis is particularly useful for 

examining the validity of the attitude scale item designs (Saunders et al., 2009). 

There is a need to analyse the KMO value first; if it is greater than 0.8, it indicates 

that the research data are highly suitable for information extraction and that the 

validity is excellent; if it is between 0.7 and 0.8, it indicates that the research data 

are suitable for information extraction and that the validity is better; and if it is 

between 0.6 and 0.7, it indicates that the research data are more suitable for 



41 
 

information extraction, and the validity is average; if the value is less than 0.6, it 

means that the data is not suitable for extracting information. If the validity is not 

good, the relationship between the factor and the item is seriously inconsistent 

with the expectation (Fidler, 2005). When the correlation between an analysis 

item and a factor is significantly off, or when the commonness value for an 

analysis item is less than 0.4, sometimes 0.5 is chosen as the benchmark, it can 

be said that the item should be deleted. 

 

The p-value of the effect size refers to the "probability value" of the effect amount. 

The effect size may be due to the relationship between IV and DV (Fidler, 2005). 

A smaller p-value indicates that other factors, such as randomness, are unlikely 

to cause the observed relationship. For example, p = 0.05 means there is a 

95% possibility that the manipulation of variables causes this relationship. That 

is to say, although the internal effectiveness is assumed to be accurate, there is 

still a 5% chance it is inaccurate. 

 

All of the research items' commonness values in Table 4.3 are higher than 0.4, 

demonstrating that it was possible to successfully extract the information 

contained in each research item. The validity analysis requires passing the 

Bartlett test. The corresponding p-value needs to be less than 0.05. Table 4.3 

shows that the KMO value is 0.654, between 0.6 and 0.7, the data could be 

effectively extracted, and the research data was more suitable for extracting 

information. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



42 
 

Table 4.3: KMO value of Validity 

Validity Analysis  

Items 
Factor Loadings 

Communalities 
Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3 Factor 4 Factor 5 

Disposable Income 0.001 0.073 0.863 0.057 0.011 0.754 

Sustainable Fashion -0.015 0.086 0.126 -0.134 0.753 0.608 

Ethnic Difference 0.809 0.054 0.078 -0.012 -0.023 0.664 

Social Media Influence 0.077 0.753 0.099 0.091 -0.027 0.592 

Brand Experience -0.060 0.085 -0.003 0.795 0.056 0.646 

Eigenvalues (Initial) 2.518 1.958 1.431 1.216 1.147 - 

% of Variance (Initial) 16.788% 13.053% 9.540% 8.110% 7.645% - 

% of Cum. Variance (Initial) 16.788% 29.841% 39.381% 47.491% 55.136% - 

Eigenvalues (Rotated) 2.164 1.719 1.518 1.457 1.413 - 

% of Variance (Rotated) 14.425% 11.458% 10.119% 9.714% 9.420% - 

% of Cum. Variance 
(Rotated) 

14.425% 25.883% 36.002% 45.715% 55.136% - 

KMO 0.654 - 

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity 
(Chi-Square) 

1672.760 - 

df 105 - 

p-value 0.000 - 

 
 
  

4.3  Regression Analysis 

 

Regression analysis is performed to determine whether there is a link between 

the independent and dependent variables and their direction and magnitude. 

First, to determine whether the model has a collinearity problem, assess the 

model fitting scenario, specifically the situation related to the R square and VIF 

values. If there is collinearity, it means that the item is repeated. Then analyse 

the significance of the independent variable. If the p-value is less than 0.05, it is 

significant, indicating that the independent variable significantly impacts the 

dependent variable. The regression model's significance is examined using the F 

test. If the model passes the F test (p<0.05), it means that the model is meaningful 

and that at least one independent variable will impact the dependent variable. If 



43 
 

the model fails the F test (p>0.05), the model architecture is useless, and none 

of the independent variables will impact the dependent variable (Fidler, 2005). 

 

From Table 4.4, it can be seen that disposable income, sustainable fashion, 

ethnic difference, social media influence, and brand experience are used as 

independent variables, while for linear regression analysis, the dependent 

variable is purchase intention. The model formula is, as shown in Table 4.4, 

Purchase Intention=0.727+0.220 * Disposable Income +0.045 * Sustainable 

Fashion -0.097 * Ethnic Difference +0.089 * Social Media Influence +0.068 * 

Brand Experience, and the R-squared value of the model is 0.213 When 

conducting F-test on the model, we found that the model passed the F-test 

(F=14.067, p=0.000<0.05), which means that disposable income, sustainable 

fashion, ethnic difference, social media influence, and brand experience can 

explain the 21.3% chance of purchase intention, which means that at least one 

of them will have an impact on purchase intention. Additionally, it was discovered 

that it is possible to examine the multicollinearity of the model. There is no 

collinearity problem because all of the VIF values in the model are below 5. 

Furthermore, the D-W value is near 2, demonstrating that the model has no 

autocorrelation and no connection with the sample data, making it a better model. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



44 
 

Table 4.4: Structural model results of regression analysis 

Parameter Estimates 

 Coefficients 95% CI VIF 

Constant 
0.727** 

(4.206) 
0.388 ~ 1.065 - 

Disposable 

Income 

0.220** 

(10.640) 
0.180 ~ 0.261 1.078 

Sustainable 

Fashion 

0.045* 

(1.986) 
0.001 ~ 0.090 1.130 

Ethnic 

Difference 

-0.097** 

(-3.146) 
-0.158 ~ -0.037 1.410 

Social Media 

Influence 

0.089** 

(3.495) 
0.039 ~ 0.139 1.265 

Brand 

Experience 

0.068* 

(2.552) 
0.016 ~ 0.121 1.197 

n 797 

R 2 0.213 

Adj. R 2 0.198 

F Value F (15,781)=14.067,p=0.000 

Dependent Variable: Purchase Intention 

D-W: 1.900 

* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 t statistics in parentheses 

 

ANOVA 

 
Sum of 

Squares 
df 

Mean 

Square 
F 

p-

value 

Regression 106.259 15 7.084 14.067 0.000 

Residual 393.294 781 0.504   

Total 499.553 796    

 

 

 

The final specific analysis shows that the correlation between disposable income 



45 
 

and purchase intention is 0.220 (t=10.640, p=0.000<0.01), which indicates a 

substantial positive impact. According to the regression coefficient value of 0.045 

(t=1.986, p=0.047<0.05), sustainable fashion will significantly have a favourable 

impact on purchase intention. Ethnic differences will negatively impact purchase 

intention considerably, as indicated by the regression coefficient value of -0.097 

(t=-3.146, p=0.002<0.01). Social media influence has a regression coefficient of 

0.089 (t=3.495, p=0.001<0.01), indicating that it will strongly impact purchase 

intention. 

 

The regression coefficient value of brand experience is 0.068 (t=2.552, 

p=0.011<0.05), indicating that brand experience will significantly positively impact 

purchase intention. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4.1: Summary of the structural model results 

 

Summary analysis shows that disposable income, sustainable fashion, social 

media influence, and brand experience significantly impact purchase intention. 

And ethnic differences will have a significant negative impact on purchase 

intention. 

 

 

 

 

 

0.220 

0.045 

-0.097 

0.089 

Social Media Influence 

0.068 

Brand Experience 

Ethnic Differences 

Sustainable Fashion 

Disposable Income 

 
Millennials’ 

Purchase 

Intention 



46 
 

Table 4.5: Structural model results of regression analysis 

Parameter Estimates (n=797)  

 

Unstandardize

d Coefficients 

Standardized 

Coefficients 

t p VIF 

B 

Std. 

Erro

r 

Beta 

Constant 
1.13

9 

0.05

0 
- 

22.8

31 

0.0

00*

* 

- 

Purchase 

Intention 

0.33

8 

0.02

7 
0.400 

12.3

12 

0.0

00*

* 

1.00 

R 2 0.160 

Adj R 2 0.159 

F F (1,795)=151.574,p=0.000 

D-W  1.868 

Dependent Variable: Purchase Behaviour 

* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 

 

 

ANOVA 

 
Sum of 

Squares 
df 

Mean 

Square 
F 

p-

value 

Regression 79.993 1 79.993 151.574 0.000 

Residual 419.561 795 0.528   

Total 499.553 796    

 

 

From Table 4.5, it can be seen that using purchase intention as the independent 

variable and purchase behaviour as the dependent variable for linear regression 

analysis, it can be seen that the model formula is: Purchase 

Behaviour=1.139+0.338 * Purchase Intention and the model's R-squared value 



47 
 

is 0.160, which indicates that the 16.0% change in buying behaviour may be 

attributed to purchase intention. The model passed the F-test (F=151.574, 

p=0.000<0.05), indicating that the model's architecture is meaningful and that buy 

intention must affect behaviour while making purchases.  

 

 

 

Figure 4.2: Summary of the structural model results 

 

The final particular analysis reveals that the regression coefficient value for buy 

intention is 0.338 (t=12.312, p=0.000<0.01), showing that purchase intention will 

significantly positively influence purchasing behaviour.  

 

4.4  Chapter Summary 

 

The statistical findings of this study's data analysis were presented in this chapter. 

The process of gathering data was described, and a detailed descriptive analysis 

of respondents was also covered. The findings and outcomes of the data analysis 

validated six hypotheses. This study discovered that purchase intention is 

significantly positively impacted by disposable income, sustainable fashion, social 

media influence, and brand experience. Additionally, the purchase intention is 

significantly harmed by ethnic differences. Purchase behaviour is also 

significantly influenced favourably by purchase intention. The conclusions of this 

report are covered in the next chapter. 

 

 

  



48 
 

Chapter 5: Discussion of Findings 

 

5.1 Introduction 

 

In addition to providing insight into the study's six hypotheses, this chapter covers 

the study's results in great depth. Based on the findings described in the prior 

chapter, an all-encompassing evaluation is given. 

 

5.2 Discussion of the Findings from Hypothesis Testing 

 

The data analysis method of correlation analysis was applied to verify the 

hypotheses mentioned above in this study. Correlation analysis was used to study 

whether there was a relationship between quantitative data and the degree of 

closeness of the relationship (Kumar & Chong, 2018). Guided by the literature, 

the study specifically analysed whether there was a correlation between each 

independent and dependent variable and whether the correlation was positive or 

negative.  

 

5.2.1 H1: Disposable income positively influences millennial customers’ 

purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

According to the data analysis in chapter four, it was proven that disposable 

income positively affects purchase intention (β=0.220, t=10.640, p=0.000<0.01). 

Therefore, the first hypothesis was tested as valid. This result is also supported 

by Habanabakize (2021), that current consumption expenditure was found to 

benefit from income growth. Petrol and exchange rate short-term dynamics have 

little effect on consumer spending. It was also confirmed by CFI Team (2021) that 

disposable income positively influences purchase intention. If financial difficulties, 

like an economic downturn and unemployment, there will be a large fall in 

discretionary spending. In addition, the high pricing of South African apparel has 

a negative impact by decreasing purchase intention, while this study discovered 

that millennial customers are willing to pay a premium amount for value-added 



49 
 

parts of the product, which requires apparel quality, trendy styles and more 

(Francis & Hoefel, 2018). For example, most participants in the survey accepted 

premium apparel products, with a premium rate between 11% and 15% (Zhao, 

2020). As a result, retailers should ensure that their fashion products' prices are 

not 15% more expensive than similar ones. 

 

5.2.2 H2: Sustainable fashion would positively influence millennial 

customers’ purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

The second hypothesis focused on the relationship between purchase intention 

and sustainable fashion. The specific regression analysis in chapter four shows 

that sustainable fashion positively affects purchase intention (β=0.045,t=1.986, 

p=0.047<0.05). This result is similar to the findings of some previous studies, 

which suggest that corporate social responsibility and brand perception affect 

how customers see companies and whether or not they are eager to buy their 

products (Araújo et al., 2023). Sustainability is the current marketplace's main 

differentiator for fashion brands (Seock & Shin, 2020). However, according to a 

South African clothing firm survey, the textile industry produces about half of the 

waste that ends up in landfills (Gam, Cao, Farr & Heine, 2009). This pollution 

phenomenon will lead to a decline in consumers' intention to purchase clothing, 

and it requires the joint efforts of factories, business runners and government 

supervision to improve. 

 

5.2.3 H3: Ethnic differences would negatively influence millennial 

customers’ purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 
The third hypothesis assumed that ethnic differences negatively influence 

millennial customers’ purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. The 

result in chapter four indicated that millennial customers’ purchase intention was 

negatively influenced by ethnic differences (β=-0.097, t=-3.146, p=0.002<0.01). 

Based on previous studies, highly ethnocentric consumers feel that buying 

imported goods is immoral since it depletes local resources, eliminates jobs, and 

is perceived as insulting to their country (Muposhi, Dhurup & 

Shamhuyenhanzva, 2018). In other words, the greater the differences in body 



50 
 

traits and national consciousness of consumers of different nationalities and 

races, the weaker their willingness to buy foreign-brand clothing can be 

(Rahman et al., 2009). 

 

5.2.4 H4: Social media positively influences millennial customers’ purchase 

intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

This hypothesis focused on the relationship between purchase intention and 

social media. Correlation coefficient analysis chapter four was used to represent 

the strength of the positive correlation between purchase intention and social 

media influence (β=0.089, t=3.495, p=0.001<0.01). This outcome is in line with 

earlier empirical findings from research by other authors that the use of social 

media for brand engagement is significant. For instance, Parker and Kuo (2021) 

pointed out that through sponsored advertising and interpersonal marketing 

campaigns, fashion manufacturers entice clients to share products on their 

preferred social networks. In South Africa, millennials between the ages of 24 and 

40 are predicted to use social media daily in 2021 at a rate of 61%, with 88% of 

this group accessing it via a computer or mobile device (Duffett & Wakeham, 

2016). Combined with the market's current conditions, this paper's findings have 

practical significance for band owners to develop foreign clothing brands in South 

Africa. All social media channels aim to convince consumers to visit businesses' 

websites for in-depth product and service information (Jamil et al., 2022). 

 

5.2.5 H5: Brand experience positively influences millennial customers’ 

purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. 

 

This study predicted that brand experience positively influences millennial 

customers’ purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. The statistical 

result supports this hypothesis that the correlation coefficient value between 

Pur