The Role Of Consumer Ethnocentrism And Cultural Sensitivity On Attitudes Towards Domestic Fashion Brands: A Caribbean Perspective

Consumer attitude towards local and foreign products is a crucial area for many researchers and marketers. However, consumer attitude from a developing country perspective has not been sufficiently examined. This study proposes that socio-psychological traits of Consumer Ethnocentrism (CE) and Cultural Sensitivity (CS) will have an impact on Caribbean consumers’ attitudes towards domestic fashion brands. Furthermore, the study suggests that consumer demographical characteristics of age, gender and income moderate the influence. Data were collected in Trinidad and Tobago and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. The findings confirm the positive impact of CE on consumers’ preferential attitudes while CS had a significant but negative effect. Also, the results show that consumers’ age and gender moderate these relationships. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the relative perceptions and inherent biases towards products produced in the Caribbean region. It further explains how local brands, in particular, fashion brands, can utilize their products country-of-origin and other attributes as a tool to compete in the global market. The paper discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings as well as the limitations, and future research opportunities.