Digital transformation and innovativeness of fashion design firms in Rivers State, Nigeria

In today's digital era, technology has emerged as a major force in the way businesses innovate, connect with their customers and compete in today's globalized marketplace. This study examines the impact of the digital transformation on the innovativeness of fashion design firms in Rivers State, Nigeria with special reference to how e-Commerce moderates this relationship. Grounded in the Diffusion of Innovation Theory of Rogers, and the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) Framework, the study employs the quantitative approach, evidenced by the structured questionnaires distributed to selected SMEs of the fashion industry in Port Harcourt and other cities in Rivers State. Data was analysed with the use of descriptive statistics and multiple regression models to identify the roles played by digital transformation and e-commerce engagement to foster a creative performance. The results show that digital transformation has a significant positive impact on innovativeness by facilitating the design of new products and increasing market access of companies as well as interactions with customers. Furthermore, e-commerce exerts a robust moderating force in this relationship the extent to which fashion firms sell online or make use of digital platforms helps to make them more creative, responsive, and competitive than those that rely solely on traditional retail systems. Despite these gains, there are a number of challenges, such as poor digital infrastructure, low levels of technical know-how, and the lack of access to finance, which still place an upper limit on the digital growth potential of many fashion entrepreneurs in the region. The study concludes that digital transformation and e-commerce are among the major drivers of innovation and competitiveness in the Nigerian fashion industry. It suggests that policymakers and stakeholders should improve digital infrastructure, develop digital skills of entrepreneurs and develop supportive financing mechanisms to bolster the use of e-commerce and technology-driven innovation. These measures will help boost the position of Rivers State as a growing creative centre and economic development through digital inclusion.