Exploring green consumers' product demands and consumption processes: The case of Portuguese green consumers

Abstract

Purpose

There is a research gap in terms of understanding how green consumers perceive green products in a marketplace context. The purpose of this paper is to respond to this omission by exploring the green consumers' product demands and consumption processes.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with Portuguese green consumers are used to discuss potential key factors (reasons to buy green products, defining green product characteristics, feelings about pricing, perceived product confidence, willingness to compromise, environmental knowledge, consideration of alternatives, product's point of purchase and use and disposal).

Findings

The analysis indicates that green consumers represent an artificial segment and provides further empirical support to the definition of sustainability as a market‐oriented concept. The paper's findings suggest that mainstreaming green products is a more positive alternative than green segmentation.

Research limitations/implications

This research is exploratory in nature and the authors followed established guidelines to ensure objectivity. However, the study's findings are restricted to Portuguese green consumers and a replication in other countries would help to remove any potential country bias.

Practical implications

Sustainable businesses are eager to learn who the green consumer is in order to define this market segment. This may not represent the best strategy, however. Targeting green products to a niche market based only on intangible environmental or ethical values may not only be hindering the progress of sustainability as a market‐oriented concept but also missing the huge opportunity of gaining competitive advantage in the inevitable future marketplace.

Originality/value

Most marketing studies were unsuccessful in segmenting green consumers even “on average”, resulting in elusive and contradictory outcomes. Only very few studies are aimed at exploring the green consumer's behavior using qualitative research approaches. This paper explores the product demands of green consumers, as well as their consumption processes in detail.

Citation

Pedro Pereira Luzio, J. and Lemke, F. (2013), "Exploring green consumers' product demands and consumption processes: The case of Portuguese green consumers", European Business Review, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 281-300. https://doi.org/10.1108/09555341311314825