Perceptions and Resistance to Accept Smart Clothing: Moderating Effect of Consumer Innovativeness

Abstract

Despite positive expectations from different organizations, smart clothing has not spread to the public. This study surveyed 320 adults to identify multiple obstacles arising from the adoption of smart clothing. As a result, perceived risks and unavailability of smart clothes, which are innovative products, have increased innovation resistance to smart clothes. On the other hand, smart clothing improvement expectations have been shown to lower innovation resistance to smart clothing. This suggests that interest and goodwill in a particular technology or function have significant impact on consumers’ willingness to accept it. Next, we validated the moderating effect of consumer characteristics in the relationship between innovative characteristics of smart clothing and innovation resistance. As a result, consumers’ fashion innovativeness has been shown to play a role in strengthening innovation resistance to smart clothing that is affordable. It can be inferred that the more fashion-conscious consumers are, the more burdened they are to continue to purchase relatively expensive smart clothes as the trend changes. In conclusion, to spread smart clothing, it is necessary to decrease the consumers’ perceived risk and improve the performance, durability, and availability of smart clothing.