Global brands or local heroes? A comparative study of Egyptian consumer perceptions and behaviors in the fashion and apparel industry

Purpose - The paper examined the impact of brand-identity expressiveness and perceived brand value that was neglected in prior literature, in addition to perceived brand quality and prestige, on behavioral intention. Research also tests if certain consumer values moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach - Mall-interception technique was used. Also, partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data and test research hypotheses. Findings - Results indicate that perceived brand globalness (PBG) and perceived brand localness (PBL) are significantly positively associated with perceived quality and prestige. Besides, the inclusion of brand-identity expressiveness and perceived brand value was supported. PBL showed a greater association with brand identity expressiveness compared to PBG, different from previous findings. Furthermore, the total indirect effect of PBG on behavioral intentions was significant through the routes of perceived quality and prestige, compared to a weak and non-significant effect for PBL through the quality route. Originality/value - This study proposes a comprehensive model testing additional pathways through which global and local brands can boost their preferences.