Abstract
E-commerce influences every aspect of human life and affects consumer behavior across numerous product categories. However, contemporary research in the field is insufficient to explain how specific consumer groups utilize e-commerce to satisfy their needs, particularly in narrow product niches. This paper focuses on non-luxury apparel as an important product niche in fashion retail and aims to investigate differences between males and females in online purchasing. Qualitative research was conducted based on semi-structured one-on-one interviews. The paper covers three aspects of online non-luxury apparel shopping. Firstly, the paper firstly explores the characteristics in preferences of online apparel retailers. Secondly, it explains the different impacts of the elements of the UTAUT2 constructs on purchase intentions. Thirdly, it discusses the influence of sustainability concerns on purchasing behavior. Findings indicate that both females and males favor pure-play e-retailers over omnichannel retailers in this fashion niche. Key differences between males and females exist in UTAUT2 dimensions, such as hedonic motivation and price prioritization. While both females and males express certain concerns regarding sustainability issues, males emphasized specific problems related to gas emissions and packaging. Despite limitations in sample size and geographic scope, the paper offers deep insights and provides directions for future quantitative research in niche-oriented omnichannel retail.