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Article History

Received: 26 June 2024

Accepted: 10 July 2025

First Online: 26 August 2025

Competing interests

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: During the preparation of this work, the author(s) utilized ChatGPT-4 to enhance the clarity and language of the paper. Following its use, the author(s) thoroughly reviewed and revised the content to ensure its accuracy and quality, and they assume full responsibility for the final publication.

: This study involved qualitative, online interviews with adult professionals (managers and executives) working in the digital fashion sector. No sensitive personal data were collected—such as health information, political or religious views, or other data classified as sensitive under Swiss data protection law—and all responses were anonymized and aggregated during analysis. According to the Swiss Human Research Act (HRA, Articles 2–3), this type of study falls outside the scope of regulated human research, as it does not involve interventions on human beings, the use of biological material, or the collection of health-related or other sensitive personal data. As such, at the time of data collection, the study was not subject to mandatory prospective ethics review. The HRA reflects the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and the Ethics Committee of the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) does not require prior approval for non-invasive research in the social sciences that does not involve vulnerable groups or sensitive data. Nonetheless, in line with international ethical standards and best practices—including those outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki—the study was retrospectively submitted for ethical review under the original title Online Localization and Cultural Adaptation in Fashion (later changed to Strategic Localization Practices and Glocalization Dynamics: Insights from the Fashion Industry). On 5 November 2022, following a submission dated 29 September 2022, the Ethics Committee of USI (Decision CE_2022_11) formally reviewed the study and issued a positive opinion. The Committee confirmed that the research posed no significant ethical risks, involved informed and consenting adults, and adhered to institutional and international standards for academic research.

: All participants provided informed consent prior to data collection, between October 2020 and May 2022. Individuals were contacted via LinkedIn or email and voluntarily agreed to participate after receiving comprehensive information regarding the research objectives, interview procedures, data anonymization, and intended academic use of the findings. No identifying information has been included in the manuscript, and all data have been fully anonymized to ensure confidentiality.