Linkages between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase intention: A study of fashion retail brands

The present study explores the direct and indirect impacts, mediated through perceived quality, of self-congruity and brand familiarity on purchase intention in a fashion retail branding context. Subsequently, the study examines the moderating role of gender in the relationships between self-congruity, perceived quality and brand familiarity and purchase intention. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from fashion retail store shoppers aged 18 years and above. A mall-intercept survey technique was employed to collect data in Kolkata, a metropolitan city in India. Multivariate data analysis techniques, such as exploratory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data (n = 374). Results reveal that self-congruity, perceived quality and brand familiarity positively influence purchase intention. Results also indicate that the indirect impacts of self-congruity and brand familiarity on purchase intention are stronger than the direct ones. Finally, results show that gender moderates the relationships between self-congruity and purchase intention, perceived quality and purchase intention and brand familiarity and purchase intention. The academic and managerial implications of these findings are further discussed.