Library Dissertation Showcase

What influences purchase intention of sustainable fashion among Generation Z in the United Kingdom?

  • Year of Publication:
  • 2023

Environmental damage is becoming a major concern across the globe and the fashion industry is a big contributor. As consumers seek more environmentally friendly products, the fashion industry is forced to change to more sustainable business models to keep up with changing consumer needs. It is crucial to understand the consumer behaviour behind purchasing sustainable fashion so that fashion retailers and fashion marketers can design strategies and marketing programs to attract fashion consumers to more sustainable fashion consumption. Previous research has been conducted around this topic, however there are limited studies investigating purchase intention of sustainable fashion among Generation Z or from western cultures such as the United Kingdom. By filling this gap in the research, the study will acquire results from a less explored age category and culture. From exploring existing literature researching purchase intention of sustainable fashion, the study has adopted four core independent variables to test for a relationship with purchase intention of sustainable fashion. These include behavioural beliefs, normative influences, perceived behavioural control, and pro-environmental marketing. These variables are further segmented into nine sub-variables adopted from the key studies by Cowan and Kinley (2014) and Pickett-Baker and Ozaki (2008). Primary research is collected via an online questionnaire from 110 participants and statistical analysis is conducted to measure the relationships between the independent variables and purchase intention of sustainable fashion. The statistical analysis indicates that there are four significant factors influencing purchase intention of sustainable fashion among Generation Z in the United Kingdom, namely previous sustainable purchases, environmental guilt, social pressure to act sustainable, and exposure to pro-environmental marketing. Despite the remaining independent variables all showing a positive relationship with purchase intention of sustainable fashion, the correlations were reported as statistically insignificant. The results of all hypotheses, managerial implications, limitations of the research and recommendations for further research is discussed.

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