Affiliation:
1. Institute of Management JK Lakshmipat University Jaipur India
2. Unit of Information and Knowledge Management Tampere University Tampere Finland
3. School of Business Carroll University Waukesha Wisconsin USA
4. Department of Mechanical Engineering Manipal University Jaipur Jaipur India
5. Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture MBM University Jodhpur India
Abstract
AbstractThe existing footwear ecosystem is not environmentally friendly and thus poses a threat to sustainability. In this article, our objective is to take a product‐service systems approach to propose alternative footwear consumption scenarios from a sustainability viewpoint and investigate the perspective of Indian consumers toward the proposed scenarios. To this end, we initially conducted a comprehensive literature review to explore alternative consumption scenarios in the realm of fashion products. This step led to the development of 10 alternative footwear consumption scenarios that focus on maintenance and repair, takeback, assembly, customization, personalization, advice and consultancy, rent, sequential share, swap, and functionality. Next, we adopted the focus group interview methodology to investigate the perception of Indian consumers toward the 10 alternative footwear consumption scenarios, which can inform the footwear industry's product development, marketing strategies, and sustainability initiatives. Our results indicate that while the participants found the consumption scenarios to be interesting and practical, they feel that the proposed scenarios may prove to be more feasible for comparatively expensive footwear products because of the associated logistics costs. Furthermore, the participants pointed out a few cultural as well as hygiene‐related issues that may hinder the adoption of certain alternative footwear consumption scenarios.
Subject
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Strategy and Management,Geography, Planning and Development,Business and International Management