AN ASSESSMENT OF CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF CARE LABELS ON GARMENTS AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS IN THE SEKONDI-TAKORADI METROPOLIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/ty6qff65Keywords:
care label, consumer perception, garment maintenance, Ghana, Sekondi-Takoradi, textile products, care symbolsAbstract
Care labels are permanent labels attached to clothing and textile products, that provide instructions on how to maintain the product in the best way possible including cleaning, ironing, drying, and bleaching. With the increase in the complexity of fabric compositions, and the still advancing technology of textiles, care labels have increasingly become an important tool in helping consumers, as well as professional caregivers, make informed post-purchase decisions. Nevertheless, consumer orientation of care label symbols is not adequately researched within the context of sub-Saharan Africa. The paper examines consumer attitudes and real knowledge of care labels in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana. We sampled 180 respondents using simple random and stratified random sampling methods, with three groups (members of the general population, workers in the laundry establishments, and fashion designers) being sampled. Structured interviews and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data, which were analysed with the help of the SPSS and one-way ANOVA. Findings reveal that the rate of accurate recognizing care label symbols was significantly low in most of the categories with the notable exception of basic ironing symbols. Another finding of the study was that educational attainment is positively correlated with care label literacy. The implications on consumer education, textile labelling policy, and practice in the fashion industry in Ghana are discussed
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