Abstract
Online golf apparel rental has emerged as an alternative to ownership-based consumption; however, its adoption remains limited due to various consumer barriers. This study investigates how perceived risk functions as a key barrier influencing consumer attitudes, trust, and purchase intention toward online golf apparel rental platforms. Using judgment sampling, survey data were collected from 313 female golfers who had experience using online rental services. Frequency analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were conducted to examine the proposed relationships. The results indicate that size risk and social risk exert significant negative effects on consumer attitudes, while financial risk and performance risk show significant but positive effects contrary to the hypothesized directions, revealing a risk perception structure distinct from conventional online retail contexts. Consumer attitudes were found to positively influence trust, and both attitude and trust significantly increased purchase intention. These findings suggest that perceived risk, particularly related to fit and social image, represents a critical barrier to the adoption of online golf apparel rental services. Accordingly, this study suggests that strategies aimed at reducing size- and image-related risks are essential for building consumer trust, encouraging continued use, and supporting the growth of online golf apparel rental services.