Impact of Weight-Based Stigma Coping Strategies of Plus-Size Females on Apparel Store Choice: The Moderating Effect of Body Esteem

Authors

  • Müge Ağyel Department of Business Administration, Dogus University, Bahçelievler, Bosna Blv No: 140, 34680 Üsküdar/İstanbul, Istanbul, Turkiye,
  • Fatma Özge Baruönü Department of International Trade and Business, Dogus University, Bahçelievler, Bosna Blv No: 140, 34680 Üsküdar/ İstanbul, Istanbul, Turkiye,
  • Özge Kirezli Department of Business Administration, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkiye,
  • Melis Kaytaz Yiğit Department of Business Administration, Avrasya University, Trabzon, Turkiye,
  • Müge Öztunç Department of Business Administration, MEF University, Istanbul, Turkiye.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.23939

Keywords:

Weight-Based Stigma, Weight Stigma Coping Strategy, Store Choice, Body-Esteem, Plus-Size Consumers

Abstract

Plus-size consumption is rising worldwide; retailers, marketers, and apparel manufacturers need to define consumer expectations to develop responsive strategies and tactics. This study investigates how plus-size females' weight-based stigma coping strategies—reappraisal and disengagement—influence their apparel store choices and the moderating role of body esteem. Findings indicate that consumers adopt disengagement coping more frequently than reappraisal. Regarding channel selection, individuals who use reappraisal strategies significantly prefer online and regular stores, whereas those who adopt disengagement tend to favor plus-size stores. A key original contribution of this research is that although low body esteem increases the likelihood of disengagement at lower levels of weight-based stigma, on the other hand, under high-stigma conditions, no difference is observed in the disengagement response regardless of the female's body esteem level.

Author Biographies

Müge Ağyel, Department of Business Administration, Dogus University, Bahçelievler, Bosna Blv No: 140, 34680 Üsküdar/İstanbul, Istanbul, Turkiye,

Muge Ağyel received her B.A. in Public Relations and Advertising from Marmara University in 2002. She completed her M.A. (2004) and PhD (2014) in Production Management and Marketing at the same university. With more than 15 years of managerial experience in the private sector, she has held various marketing management positions. She served as a Lecturer at İstanbul Aydın University from 2017 to 2022 and was awarded the title of Associate Professor in 2022. She is currently an Associate Professor of Marketing at Doğuş University. Her research interests include brand management and consumer behaviour.

Fatma Özge Baruönü, Department of International Trade and Business, Dogus University, Bahçelievler, Bosna Blv No: 140, 34680 Üsküdar/ İstanbul, Istanbul, Turkiye,

Fatma Özge Baruönü graduated from Hacettepe University Department of Statistics in 2001. She received her PhD in Production Management and Marketing from Marmara University in 2014. She teaches courses on marketing at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research interests include marketing research, brand management and e-commerce. She works as an Associate Professor at Doğus University in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.

Özge Kirezli, Department of Business Administration, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkiye,

Ozge Kirezli, received her M.A. degree in Production Management and Marketing from Marmara University in 2010. In 2015 she received her Ph.D. degree in Production Management and Marketing from Marmara University. She started her academic career as a Teaching Assistant at Business Administration Department of İstanbul Bilgi University in 2010, and worked till 2018. Since 2019, she is working as an Assistant Prof. at Yeditepe University, lecturing Marketing Principles, Marketing Management, Marketing Research and Consumer Behavior courses. She has articles in The Journal of World Intellectual Property and Journal of Innovation Economics & Management and book chapters about Circular Economy, Sharing Economy, Green Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility in Lexington books, Global IGI books and Routledge. Her research interests are consumer decision making and paradigm shifts in contemporary marketing.

Melis Kaytaz Yiğit, Department of Business Administration, Avrasya University, Trabzon, Turkiye,

Melis Kaytaz Yiğit graduated from Bahçeşehir University Department of International Relations and Political Science in 2007. In 2009 she received her master’s degree in Global Management and Marketing and in 2014 she received her Ph.D. from Marmara University in the degree of Production Management and Marketing. In 2018–2021 period, she lectured marketing courses in undergraduate and graduate levels at Avrasya University. As an Associate Professor, her main research interests include consumer purchasing behavior and brand management.

Müge Öztunç, Department of Business Administration, MEF University, Istanbul, Turkiye.

Lecturer at Mef University; worked as head of marketing in various industries and at multinational companies. During her career, she has launched many new products, established new brands, and devised marketing strategies. She has a PhD in communication from Istanbul Bilgi University, an MA in Public Relations from Ege University and an MBA in Production Management and Marketing from Marmara University. Her main research interests cover consumer culture, science communication, political communication, and new media.

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Published

2026-07-03

How to Cite

Ağyel, M., Baruönü, F. Özge, Kirezli, Özge, Kaytaz Yiğit, M., & Öztunç, M. (2026). Impact of Weight-Based Stigma Coping Strategies of Plus-Size Females on Apparel Store Choice: The Moderating Effect of Body Esteem. International Review of Management and Marketing, 16(5), 265–274. https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.23939

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 5 (2026)

Section

Articles