Adaptive pathways: understanding consumer adaptive behavior toward hyper‐personalized fashion retailing in emerging markets

Despite growing academic interest in hyper-personalization in fashion retail, consumer adaptive behavior remains an under-researched construct. This research addresses the gap by applying self-determination and social comparison theories to examine how consumer motivations and willingness to co-create influence adaptive behavior and re-patronage intentions in hyper-personalized fashion retail. Data from 403 online fast fashion consumers in Zimbabwe were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results indicate that consumer motivations and willingness to co-create significantly impact adaptive behavior and re-patronage intentions. Additionally, social comparison and privacy concerns moderate these relationships, except for utilitarian motivations. These results extend current understanding of hyper-personalized fashion retail by introducing adaptive behavior as a key outcome and identifying psychological and contextual variables that influence it. Marketers operating in emerging markets can apply these insights to design personalization strategies.