**5. Conclusion**

This study set out to examine the roles of face-saving values, materialistic values, and ethical values in relation to counterfeit apparel products among Chinese consumers. An analysis of the difference in knowledge and attitudes toward apparel counterfeits was also explored. In previous studies, consumers, around the globe, have been reported to: (1) maintain limited knowledge in respect to individual and corporate socially responsible practices in the apparel supply chain, (2) are unfamiliar with the counterfeiting phenomenon, and (3) are unaware of the negative connotations and illicit activities associated with counterfeits, such as terrorism, child labor, and drug cartels [14, 16, 40, 54–57]. As part of this study, it was discovered that Chinese participants were mostly unaware of counterfeits and unsure of their attitudes toward apparel counterfeits. Participants also held strong face-saving, materialistic, and ethical values, which had a significant impact on their attitudes toward counterfeits. Coupled with the findings reported by previous researchers studying along the same parameters, the results of this study are poignant in encouraging individual social responsibility as it pertains to the demand of counterfeits in the global marketplace.

The findings of this study are also beneficial to Western and Eastern apparel firms in corporate socially responsible thinking and training. Sustainable product development and methods for researching efficient marketing strategies to curb the demand of counterfeits in the Chinese marketplace can produce valuable information. The results of this study serve as reference for other scholars on further examining the subject of counterfeits, sustainability, and social and corporate responsibility in the fashion industry. The data analysis in this study contributes to academic and industry discussions on corporate social responsibility and remitting the commission to endorsing efforts in anti-counterfeit eradication. The findings of this study are crucial in serving as the foundation of authenticating the topics of socially and ethically responsible education of Chinese consumers, particularly given the current and continued growth of the spending power of consumers in China.
