服裝產業是國民經濟中重要的基礎產業和民生產業，具有龐大的消費市場和產銷規模，在經濟發展和提高人們生活水平中有著舉足輕重的作用。然而，由於服裝行業進入門檻低，服裝企業眾多，行業競爭激烈，產品同質化嚴重，並且近年來受疫情衝擊，眾多服裝企業市場績效下降。因此，如何在服裝行業的紅海中實現差異化競爭，是每個服裝企業都關心的問題。服裝產品升級能夠為消費者帶來新的效用，幫助企業滿足市場需求，佔領消費者心智，因此成為服裝企業獲得競爭優勢的法寶。近年來，消費者對服裝產品的需求也日益多元化、個人化和時尚化，消費市場對具有中國文化特色的時尚的認同和追求快速增強，同時，國家政策鼓勵服裝行業綠色發展，環保理念深入人心。外部環境的變化和消費需求的升級，為服裝企業在產品開發、設計創意、模式創新等方面全方位系統創新拓展了空前的新空間。在此背景下，研究服裝產品升級有著重要的實踐意義。

本研究旨在通過定性分析和定量分析的研究方法，基於調節聚焦理論視角，探究服裝產品升級對顧客體驗和顧客行為意圖的影響及內在機制。本文首先通過文獻回顧，梳理了關於產品升級、調節聚焦理論和顧客體驗理論的相關研究。結合產品創新理論和服裝行業的實際，將服裝產品升級分為功能升級和概念升級。再根據調節聚焦理論的經典劃分，將調節聚焦分為特質性調節聚焦和情境性調節聚焦兩個視角，基於它們的特征，將特質性調節聚焦作為調節變量，情境性調節聚焦作為中介變量，推導出兩個理論模型。模型A以服裝產品升級為自變量，以顧客體驗為中介變量，以顧客行為意圖為因變量，特質性調節聚焦為調節變量，構建了一個服裝產品升級對顧客行為意圖的影響及內在機制的理論模型，並提出相關假設：服裝產品升級策略對顧客體驗有正向影響（H1），服裝產品升級策略對顧客行為意圖有正向影響（H2），顧客體驗在服裝產品升級策略對顧客行為意圖的正向影響中起中介作用（H3），特質性調節聚焦在服裝產品升級策略對顧客體驗的正向影響中起調節作用（H4）；模型B以服裝產品升級為自變量，以情境性調節聚焦為中介變量，以顧客體驗為因變量，以品牌強度為調節變量，構建了一個服裝產品升級對顧客體驗的影響及內在機制的理論模型，並提出相關假設：情境性調節聚焦在服裝產品升級策略對顧客體驗的正向影響中起中介作用（H5）；品牌強度在服裝產品升級策略與情境性調節聚焦的關係中起調節作用（H6）。

為了檢驗提出的假設，本文開展了三個研究對實證數據進行收集。研究一通過問卷調查對模型A進行實證數據收集，從700個樣本中共收集到638份有效問卷，通過描述性統計分析、回歸分析、Boostrap中介和調節效應分析對假設進行檢驗。研究二和研究三通過實驗法對模型B進行實證數據收集，其中，研究二運用兩個實驗組（功能升級vs. 概念升級）共計200個樣本的數據，通過描述性統計分析、單因素方差分析和Boostrap中介效應分析對服裝品牌升級策略對顧客體驗的影響的主效應，以及情境性調節聚焦傾向的中介效應進行了檢驗；研究三採用2（服裝產品升級策略：功能升級 vs. 概念升級）*2（品牌強度：強勢品牌vs. 弱勢品牌）的組間設計（between-subjects），共計收集320個樣本的數據，通過描述性統計分析、雙因素方差分析和Boostrap中介效應分析對服裝產品升級策略對顧客體驗的影響的主效應、情境性調節聚焦傾向的中介效應，以及品牌強度的調節效應進行了檢驗。此外，研究三還採用了前後測控製組設計（Pretest-posttest control group design），通过三因素方差分析检验了服裝產品升級前後顧客體驗與購買意願的變化。

研究一問卷調查的結果說明，服裝產品的功能升級和概念升級均對顧客體驗包括認知體驗和情感體驗有顯著的正向影響（H1），其中，服裝產品功能升級對顧客認知體驗的影響大於情感體驗，而概念升級對顧客情感體驗的影響大於認知體驗；服裝產品的功能升級和概念升級都對顧客行為意圖包括再購買意願和口碑傳播意願有顯著的正向影響（主效應H2），顧客體驗在該效應中起中介作用（中介效應H3），而特質性促進聚焦會強化服裝產品升級對顧客體驗的正向影響（調節效應H4）。研究二在線實驗的結果說明，服裝產品升級對顧客體驗有顯著的正向影響（主效應），其中功能升級正向影響顧客認知體驗，概念升級正向影響顧客情感體驗；情境性調節聚焦在服裝產品升級和顧客體驗的關係中起中介作用，具體來說，功能升級主要通過激發顧客的情境性預防聚焦進而影響其認知體驗（中介效應H5a），概念升級主要通過激發顧客的情境性促進聚焦進而影響其情感體驗（中介效應H5b）。研究三進一步驗證和擴展了研究二的結論，證明了：（1）功能升級對顧客認知體驗的主效應，情境性預防聚焦傾向對弱勢品牌的中介效應，以及品牌強度的調節效應（H6a）；（2）概念升級對顧客情感體驗的主效應，情境性促進聚焦傾向對強勢品牌的中介效應，以及品牌強度的調節效應（H6b）。同時研究三證明了服裝產品升級之後被試的顧客體驗與購買意願顯著高於升級之前。這說明本研究提出的六大假設全部得到支持。

最後本文總結了研究結果，提出理論貢獻和實踐啟示，並指出研究的局限和未來研究方向。本研究創新地將服裝產品升級劃分為功能升級和概念升級，並探討了不同類型的產品升級策略如何影響顧客體驗的不同維度。同時，基於特質性調節聚焦和情境性調節聚焦兩個視角，將特質性調節聚焦作為調節變量，而情境性調節聚焦作為中介變量，推導出兩個理論模型，擴展了對調節聚焦理論的研究。我們的研究結果對於服裝企業和品牌如何制定產品升級策略，以及營銷人員如何針對不同的顧客進行營銷，具有重要的理論參考價值和實踐指導意義。

The apparel industry is an important industry of China’s national economy, which is essential to the lives of the Chinese. China not only has a huge consumer market but also has a huge supply chain that supports the apparel industry. The apparel industry plays a pivotal role in economic development and the social well-being of China’s citizens. However, due to the low barriers to entry in the apparel industry, there are many apparel companies, which cause fierce competition in the industry, and serious product homogeneity. Furthermore, the industry has suffered from the negative impact of the epidemic in recent years. Therefore, how to differentiate its products in the red ocean is a concern of every apparel company. In this case, the apparel production renovation can bring new products to consumers, by doing so companies not only meet their market demands, but also make favorable impression to consumers. It is a magical weapon for apparel companies to gain competitive advantage. Nowadays, consumers’ demand for apparel products has become increasingly more diversified, personalized and fashionable, and the Chinese consumers accepts the idea of integrating the Chinese culture into fashion. Meanwhile, the China’s government encourages green development of the apparel industry, and the concept of eco-friendly manufacturing and products is widely accepted by the citizens. These changes of the external environment and the upgrade of consumer demand have expanded an unprecedented new era for apparel companies to innovate comprehensively and systematically in product development, design creativity, model innovation and other aspects. In this context, exploring the upgrade of apparel products has significant managerial implications.

This study aims to research the mechanisms about how the upgrade of apparel product is influencing the behavioral intention and experience of consumers from the perspective of Regulatory-Focus Theory, by applying both the qualitative and quantitative analysis. First of all, the literature review is conducted to investigate extant domestic and foreign research on product innovation and product upgrade, Regulatory-Focus Theory, and customer experience. Combining the theory of product innovation and the reality of the apparel industry, the upgrade of apparel products is divided into two dimensions, namely, functional upgrade and conceptual upgrade. Then, according to the classical division of the Regulatory-Focus Theory, the regulatory focus is divided into two perspectives: chronic focus and situational focus. Based on their nature, the chronic focus should be regarded as the moderator and the situational regulatory focus as the mediator. Hence, two conceptual models are derived. Model A uses apparel product upgrade as independent variable, customer experience as mediator, customer behavioral intention as dependent variable, and chronic focus as moderator. Accordingly, we hypothesized the positive effect of product upgrade on customer experience (H1), the positive main effect of product upgrade on customer behavioral intention (H2), the mediation effect of customer experience in the positive relationship between product upgrade and customer behavioral intention (H3), and the moderation effect of chronic focus between product upgrade and customer experience (H4). In addition, Model B adopts apparel product upgrade as independent variable, situational focus as mediator, and customer experience as dependent variable and brand strength as moderator. The corresponding hypotheses of two conceptual models are proposed as follows: the mediation effect of situational focus in the positive relationship between product upgrade and customer experience (H5), and the moderation effect of brand strength between product upgrade and situational focus (H6).

To test the hypotheses, three studies were conducted to collect empirical data. Study 1 collected data for Model A through online survey, in total 700 participants provided 638 valid questionnaires, and the hypotheses (H1-H4) were tested through descriptive statistical analysis, regression analysis, Bootstrap mediation and moderation effect analysis. Nextly, Study 2 and Study 3 collected data for Model B by conducting experiments. Specifically, in Study 2, 200 participants of two conditions (functional upgrade vs. conceptual upgrade) between subjects finish it for monetary reward, and the hypothesis (H5) was tested through descriptive statistical analysis, ANOVA, and Bootstrap mediation effect analysis. Study 3 adopted a between-subjects design of 2 (product upgrade strategy: functional upgrade vs. conceptual upgrade) *2 (brand strength: strong brand vs. weak brand) and collected data from a total of 320 samples. Descriptive statistical analysis, two-way ANOVA and Bootstrap analysis were conducted to test the main effect of apparel product upgrade on customer experience, the mediating effect of situational regulatory focus, and the moderating effect of brand strength (H6). In addition, Study 3 also adopted the pretest-posttest control group design and conducted three-way ANOVA analysis to explore the changes in customer experience and purchase intention before and after the apparel product upgrade.

The results of Study 1 show that apparel product upgrade has a significant positive impact on customer experience (H1). Specifically, functional upgrade has a greater effect on customer cognitive experience than emotional experience, and the impact of conceptual upgrade on customer emotional experience is greater than cognitive experience. Similarly, the positive main effect of apparel product upgrade on customer behavioral intention is significant (H2), and customer experience mediates the relationship between apparel product upgrade and customer behavioral intention (H3). Furthermore, chronic focus plays the moderating role in which the promotion focus strengthens the relationship between apparel product upgrade and customer experience (H4). The results of Study 2 demonstrate that apparel product upgrade has a significant positive impact on customer experience. Specifically, functional upgrade has a significant positive impact on customer cognitive experience, while conceptual upgrade has a significant positive impact on customer emotional experience. As we predicted, the situational focus mediates the relationship between apparel product upgrade and customer experience (H5). In particular, the functional upgrade influences customer cognitive experience through arousing situational prevention focus, while conceptual upgrade influences customer emotional experience through arousing promotion focus. Study 3 further verifies and expands the results of Study 2 and proves: (1) the main effect of functional upgrade on customer cognitive experience, the mediating effect of situational prevention focus for weak brand, and the moderating effect of brand strength (H6a); (2) the main effect of conceptual upgrade on customer emotional experience, the mediating effect of situational promotion focus for strong brand, and the moderating effect of brand strength (H6b). At the same time, Study 3 showed that the customer experience and purchase intention after the upgrade of apparel products were significantly higher than those before the upgrade. In a word, all of the hypotheses proposed in this study are all supported.

Finally, this work summarizes the research results, proposes theoretical contributions and managerial implications, and points out research limitations and future research avenues. This study innovatively divides apparel product upgrade into functional upgrade and conceptual upgrade, and then explores how different types of product upgrade strategies affect different dimensions of customer experience. Meanwhile, based on both chronic and situational regulatory focus perspectives, by using chronic focus as moderator and situational focus as mediator respectively in two conceptual models, this study extends the research on Regulatory-Focus Theory. Moreover, this study offers significant practical insights for apparel companies and brands to formulate product upgrade strategies and provides some suggestions for marketers to target and communicate with different customers.