QUALITY PERCEPTIONS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Consumers′ perceptions of quality for apparel products from five countries of origin are studied from the perspective of congruity theory. Utilising random digit dialling, telephone interviews were obtained from households throughout the United States. Findings suggest that different countries of origin have various effects on consumers′quality perceptions, with the magnitude of such an effect tending to reflect the country of origin′s level of industrial development. The least industrialised country, Costa Rica, had the most negative impact on perceived quality. Conversely, with the USA and Italy being more industrialised countries, association with apparel made in the USA usually had a positive influence on the quality image, while Italy′s influence was more neutral. Therefore, this study provides retailers with an additional perspective when sourcing their apparel products through the examination of the relationship between consumer perception of apparel quality and a country of origin′s level of industrial development.