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Research on students as consumers has garnered significant attention from researchers. This interest stems from the growing budgets allocated to students by both government and private families. Consequently, students engage in purchasing products and services from retailers both large and small (SMEs). To attract, satisfy and retain student customers, retailers must explore effective strategies. Hedonic values play a crucial role in retail marketing, especially when targeting students. This study aimed to assess the impact of perceived hedonic values on students’ satisfaction and repurchase intentions. Additionally, it investigated whether student satisfaction mediates the relationship between  hedonic values an repurchase intentions. The survey was conducted among TVET college students in Lephalale, South Africa (SA). The findings could not exclusively confirm the effect of perceived hedonic values on students’ satisfaction and repurchase intentions. Similarly, the findings could not confirm the mediation effect of students’ satisfaction on the link between perceived hedonic values and repurchase intentions. The results are useful to SME retailers targeting student clientele.

This study investigates the intricate relationship between omni-channel retailing, high-end sustainable footwear, and customer satisfaction within an emerging market context. With a focus on Generation Z consumers, the research delves into the correlation between customisation, pricing, customer service, personalisation, and supply chain transparency as precursors of customer satisfaction in the high-end sustainable footwear fashion sector. The study is grounded in the recognition of the growing importance of sustainability in the fashion industry, whereby eco-conscious consumption is on the rise. The research addresses the gap in fragmented studies on omni-channel retail strategies in the high-end sustainable market. Utilising a positivist quantitative research approach, the researcher employs a convenience sampling technique by collecting data from a total sample of 268 Generation Z consumers who have purchased high-end sustainable footwear from South African omni-channel retailers. A structured online survey questionnaire, featuring five Likert-scale questions is used for data collection. The researcher proposes hypotheses that are tested primarily by utilising the latest SPSS version. The results of the study demonstrate that customisation, price, customer service, personalisation and supply chain transparency all positively influence customer satisfaction with regard to high-end sustainable footwear. The significance of the study lies in its potential to contribute valuable insights for high-end sustainable footwear omni-channel retailers in an emerging market, enabling them to enhance customer satisfaction levels and align with the growing demand for environmentally friendly and ethically sourced sustainable fashion. Additionally, the research aims to fill existing knowledge gaps in the South African market and contribute to the global discourse on sustainable fashion and consumer behaviour.