Dimensions of Customer Value for the Development of Digital Customization in the Clothing Industry

Abstract

Triggered by the rapid development of digital technology, Chinese clothing manufacturers have begun to provide digital customization for clothing. The digital transformation of clothing customization provides new opportunities to meet customers’ personalized needs and optimize production resources, and facilitates the sustainable development of the clothing customization industry. This study constructed dimensions of customer value in clothing customization, based on the development of the industry under digital technology. The research was divided into two phases: the first phase involved establishing customer value indicators through expert interviews, questionnaire design, and statistical analyses in SPSS; and the second stage involved the expert group conducting a consumer experience evaluation of a digital customization platform. Thirty customer value indicators were extracted and four dimensions were established: authenticity value, social value, aesthetic value, and utility value. The results of the study show that the value demands of Chinese consumers for apparel customization have shifted to perceptible authenticity values (service, experience, content). The four customer value dimensions proposed by this research can be used to evaluate customer value in digital customization consumption models.