V3I10P10

An Exploratory Study – Application of AI in Fashion and Apparel Industry – Ethnic Clothing Customer Perspective

J Satish^1*, Keerthika B², J Jeba Daniel³, Ramesh Kumar PM⁴

Abstract

The fashion and apparel industry is also being revolutionized by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which offers personalized recommendations, virtual styling, visual search, intelligent product matching, and technology-driven shopping experiences. Despite the wealth of existing research on technological and operational uses of AI, the empirical literature has a limited focus on consumers’ behavioural intention to use AI-based shopping technologies for purchasing ethnic clothes, especially in culturally unique markets. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the factors affecting the behavioural intention of female consumers to use the AI-based shopping for Ethnic clothing in Chennai, India. Based on an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study investigates the influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, perceived safety and perceived trust, and hedonic motivation on behavioural intention to use AI-powered fashion shopping technologies. The study adopted a quantitative, exploratory research. Primary data were collected from 145 female consumers from Chennai by using a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, normality test, reliability test, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. According to the results, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and social influence are statistically significant positive factors in consumers’ behavioural intention to use AI-based fashion shopping technologies, while perceived safety and trust and hedonic motivation are not significant. The study adds to the growing body of research investigating how AI is impacting fashion consumption, specifically by applying technology adoption theory to the context of ethnic clothing and the roles of functional value, usability, and social influence in the acceptance of fashion shopping. The results offer practical suggestions for fashion retailers and technology developers aiming to create user-friendly shopping experiences and design fashion AI systems that are personalized, culturally appropriate, and responsive to consumer expectations.

Keywords:

AI-Powered Shopping, Ethnic Clothing, Consumer Behaviour, Behavioural Intention to Use, Female Consumers.