Social and environmental concerns within ethical fashion: general consumer cognitions, attitudes and behaviours

Abstract

PurposeAlthough interest in sustainability within the fashion apparel industry has increased over the last decade, ethical fashion remains a minority trend due to low consumer awareness and consumption behaviour. The aim of the paper is to explore empirically the relationships between general consumer support for ethical fashion, buying intention and willingness to pay, focussing on the effect that consumer concern and knowledge and beliefs have on these variables.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 450 general consumers in Spain, who are not specifically dedicated buyers of fashion apparel goods. Responses were collected with a structured questionnaire that included multi-item scales to measure all the variables of the causal model. After corroborating the reliability and validity of the measurement scales with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), 11 research hypotheses were explored using a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that whilst beliefs are not predictors of consumer support for either social or environmental issues, concern and knowledge are antecedents of consumer social and environmental support, which determine general support for ethical fashion, intention to buy and willingness to pay. Consumer social support has a slightly higher impact on consumer support for ethical fashion, intention to buy and willingness to pay than environmental support.Originality/valueThe purpose of the paper is to contribute to the literature by empirically comparing general consumer perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards the social and environmental dimensions of ethical fashion. In doing so, the authors aim at shedding light on the complex concept of ethical fashion and how general consumers understand it. The findings suggest that promoting educational marketing especially focussed on environmental issues is necessary to raise consumer awareness, knowledge and ethical consumption.

A bibliometric analysis of green marketing in marketing and related fields: From 1991 to 2021

“…Further research is suggested for exploring the factors that impact consumer psychology (e.g. Pérez et al. , 2021).…”

The impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer brand engagement and purchase intention at fashion retailers

“…Returning to the concept of consumer brand engagement, it is important to acknowledge that brands play a central role in this concept, with engagement being an integral part of the consumer‐brand relationship. The literature review highlights the prominence of a three‐dimensional approach and the utilization of scales derived from this theoretical framework (Pérez et al, 2022). Lourenço et al (2022) explain that the theoretical discussion on the subject seems to accept that three dimensions (cognitive, affective, and behavioral) are the result of the generation of psychological conditions of interest, that is, internal and mental conditions (represented not by bodily reactions but by experienced personal states, difficult to describe and identify).…”

Exploring the effect of cognitive factors and e-social interactions on the green purchase intention: evidence from a transitional economy

“…E-social interaction is considered a prerequisite for making purchase decisions (Mo et al , 2018; Sun et al , 2022). E-social interaction has contributed to the e-WOM literature by examining customers’ interactions with e-WOM (Choi et al , 2019; Jun et al , 2017) and SMI selectivity of e-commerce and its impact on consumer purchase intention in e-commerce (Gunawan and Huarng, 2015; Hajli, 2014; Pérez et al , 2022). Thus, the authors conceptualize e-social interactions in social commerce environments into two forms: e-WOM communication and observing other consumers’ purchases with SMI.…”

“…To take advantage of the cognitive factors and e-social interactions in influencing green purchase intention, firms should take the initiative to encourage customers to use social media as voluntary contributions (Li et al , 2021). Some scholars have revealed that social media could encourage individuals to share information through virtual platforms (Sun and Wang, 2020), and e-WOM has become a valuable reference that affects purchase intention (Leong et al , 2022; Pérez et al , 2022; Sharif and Yeoh, 2018).…”