Online purchase of textile products during Covid-19 crisis and the role of brand recognition – an empirical study

Abstract

Textiles and clothing have been considered major industries ever since Indian civilization was born. The demand for clothing and textile products had always been high among Indian consumers. Covid-19 and the lockdown restrictions imposed on account of it have forced them towards making a purchase of textile products online rather than the conventional physical stores. The relationship between online brand recognition in the textile sector and the purchase intention of textile products by consumers through online mode has been empirically estimated in this research. Online brand recognition has been measured using five constructs. The demographic factors of consumers namely age, gender and educational qualifications have been taken as moderators and the influence of these factors on the purchase intention has also been examined. Data collected from 457 respondents were collected through a closed-end questionnaire designed with standard instruments. The outcomes showed that online brand recognition created an impact on the online purchase decision of consumers post Covid-19. It also has identified that the female consumers in India between the age groups 40-59 years form a majority when compared with the male consumers when purchasing textile products online.