A study of consumer choice between sustainable and non-sustainable apparel cues in Poland

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to expand the existing knowledge on fashion consumption in general and age/gender effects on clothing choice in particular. This study was undertaken to empirically examine the importance of various sustainable and non-sustainable apparel cues, as well as the functional, aesthetic, symbolic, financial, environmental and social/ethical aspects of clothing. Although Poland's economy has been transformed remarkably over the last decade, there is still a paucity of empirical research focusing on this area has been conducted.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered online survey was employed for this study. Twenty product cues (10 non-sustainable cues and 10 sustainable), eight items of ‘environmental commitment and behaviour’ measuring scale and demographic questions were used for data collection and empirical testing.

Findings

A total of 288 useable surveys were collected for analysis. The results revealed that many Polish consumers would not purchase a sustainable or ‘green’ product if it did not provide enough aesthetic, functional and financial benefits to satisfy their needs and aspirations. Women were more reliant on garment fit and style than men. Our findings underscore several meaningful implications and useful information. Sustainable fashion is not merely about environmental, social and ethical benefits, but their aesthetic, functional, symbolic and financial values must be factored in as well.

Originality/value

There is limited empirical research examining the age and gender effects in relation to sustainable and non-sustainable apparel cues. Unlike many previous research that only focused on one dimension or single aspect of clothing (e.g. aesthetic/hedonic attribute or functional/utilitarian attribute).

Citation

Rahman, O. and Koszewska, M. (2020), "A study of consumer choice between sustainable and non-sustainable apparel cues in Poland", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 213-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2019-0258