Autotelic and Instrumental Need for Touch: Searching for and Purchasing Apparel Online

Abstract

Apparel is considered to be a category where haptic cues play a key role in evaluating product properties, andyet the consumer buying process in said retail channel is hindered by restricted product experience and evaluationdue to the intrinsic absence of haptic options. The current research seeks to gain deeper insights into the knowledgeand understanding of consumer autotelic and instrumental need for touch (NFT] in the search and purchase stagesof buying apparel online. Using a self-reported questionnaire, data were collected from 227 subjects. Results indicatethat consumers high in autotelic NFT and instrumental NFT show a lower likelihood to purchase apparel online. Alsoa significant moderating effect for utilitarian shopping orientation and instrumental NFT on online apparel searchand purchase was also found. These findings have important implications for online retailers since overcoming thelack of NFT remains a major obstacle in the adoption of this channel. In addition, directions for future research aresuggested.