Investigating Consumers’ Purchase Intentions Toward Jute-Blended Garments

Abstract

Jute is a natural fiber that has been a popular choice for making packaging materials, composite materials, and geotextiles, but its use was limited to these areas only due to its inherent disadvantages like stiffness, low crease, and wrinkle recovery. The challenges associated with the limited wearability of jute fabric have been addressed through the blending of jute with other fibers and the use of different finishing techniques by researchers and industry practitioners. However, there is still a lack of research investigating consumer attitudes towards these products and their willingness to buy jute-blended garments, which is important for exploring the potential market of this product. To address the gap, this quantitative research investigated consumers’ purchase intention toward jute-blended garments based on the functional, expressive, and aesthetic (FEA) consumer needs model and the theory of reasoned action (TRA). A convenience sample of undergraduate students at a southeastern public university was recruited for the web-based survey. Participants took the survey in person resulting in 148 useable responses. Multiple regression was run to examine the hypothesized relationship by using SPSS and all the hypotheses were supported. The result indicated that consumers perceived the functional, expressive, and aesthetic aspects of jute-blended garments positively. Consequently, it formed a positive attitude toward jute-blended garments that positively influences their purchase intentions. Furthermore, consumers thought they would have positive purchase intentions towards jute-blended garments if their reference group would admire them for using this. The findings of the study offer guidelines about the consumer-centered variables that influence the consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward jute-blended garments and can contribute to the growing body of research on jute-blended garments.