| Product development is a core component of business success, thus a number of studies have elucidated what drives product success and/or failure. This study attempted to integrate the concept of product success and failure into apparel product development. The purpose of this study was to explore how apparel product performance is measured and why only some of apparel products succeed, while others fail.; Qualitative research methods were employed. Through purposeful and theoretical sampling strategies, twenty-seven individuals from ten apparel and two private label divisions of retail companies, were identified. Participants were selected based on both levels and areas within the company. In addition, size, specialization, and geographic regions of company were considered as a mean of maximizing the representativeness of the sample to the entire population of industry. In depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted in participants' work-sites. Grounded theory guided the research process from sampling through data analysis.; The performance of apparel product was measured in multidimensional ways. Apparel product success and failure was measured by consumer acceptance, financial performance, product-level, and company-level measures. However, quantitative forms of measurements were used significantly. The performances of apparel products were measured mainly by one of the consumer acceptance measures and one of the financial performance measures, namely sales and profitability.; There existed similarities as well as contrasts between factors of apparel product success and failure. One of similarities was that product and launch strategy, process, and internal environment were the direct determinant of apparel product success as well as failure. However, the factors of success and failure also showed contrasts in that incorrect merchandising, external environment, and uncertainties led to apparel product failure. Another contrast was that the success was a result of combination of multiple factors, while failure could come from a single misdirected factor.; This study provided implications for theoreticians, industry practitioners, and textile and apparel educators in the area of apparel product development. One of the significances of this study was its contributions to the theory-building of apparel product success and failure, upon which future studies may be based. |
