Product Quality and Price Effects on Local Clothing Purchase Decisions: Evidence from Post-Thrift Enforcement Indonesia

Abstract

The global proliferation of secondhand clothing imports has significantly disrupted domestic textile industries in developing economies, prompting regulatory interventions to protect local manufacturing sectors. Despite Indonesia's comprehensive ban on thrift imports since 2014 with intensified enforcement under Ministry of Trade Regulation Number 18 of 2021, empirical evidence regarding consumer purchasing behavior adaptation toward local alternatives remains limited, with prior studies reporting inconsistent quality-price-purchasing relationships across market contexts. This study examines the effects of product quality and product price on local clothing purchasing decisions following renewed thrift import enforcement. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional design, primary data were collected from 62 university students at Universitas Prof. Dr. Moestopo (Beragama), Jakarta, between March–July 2025, selected through proportionate stratified random sampling and analyzed using multiple linear regression. Findings reveal that product quality and product price positively and significantly influence purchasing decisions both individually and simultaneously, with these variables jointly explaining 65.7% variance in consumer purchase behavior. This study extends consumer decision-making theory to enforcement-intensified market contexts while providing evidence-based guidance for local manufacturers seeking to capitalize on post-enforcement market opportunities through quality enhancement and competitive pricing strategies.