UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ EVALUATIONS OF ONLINE AND IN-STORE FASHION SHOPPING AND THEIR CHANNEL PREFERENCE IN NORTHERN VIETNAM
Abstract
In fashion retail, the growth of digital commerce has expanded students’ use of online channels without displacing the role of physical stores. For this product category, channel choice is shaped not only by price and ease of purchase, but also by the wish to inspect garments directly and reduce uncertainty before committing to a purchase. This study compares how university students in Northern Vietnam evaluate online versus in-store fashion shopping and identifies factors associated with channel preference. The analysis is based on 185 valid survey responses and combines paired comparisons, binary logistic regression, and PLS-SEM. The results indicate that online shopping receives higher evaluations on most perceptual dimensions, especially shopping experience, perceived product quality, and social influence. Even so, convenience associated with in-store shopping still affects the final choice. These findings suggest that favorable perceptions of digital shopping do not automatically translate into exclusive online preference, and that fashion retailers should coordinate digital reach with the assurance provided by physical stores.
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