Title:
ATTITUDES AND PURCHASE INTENTION OF COUNTERFEIT APPAREL PRODUCTS IN TANZANIA: THE MODERATING ROLE OF LEVEL OF FORMAL EDUCATION

Authors:
Sophia Mbura; Hawa Uiso, PhD and Saganga Kapaya, PhD

Abstract:
This study aimed to examine the moderating role of level of formal education on the relationship between attitude and purchase intention of counterfeit apparel products. The research was conducted in Dar es Salaam Tanzania using survey strategy involving a sample of 315 households. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using IBM SPSS Amos 23 was used to test the postulated hypotheses. The results before moderation revealed a positive and significant relationship between attitude and purchase intention. The multi-group moderation analysis confirmed that the level of formal education positively moderates the relationship between attitude and purchase intention of counterfeit apparel products. The relationship between the variables under study was found to be stronger in consumers with less formal education level as compared to those with high education level, implying that the level of formal education strengthened this relationship. The study recommended better marketing strategies and plans to be applied by original manufacturers and focus on educating different groups of consumers on the benefits and values of purchasing and using original products and how to differentiate them from counterfeits