The Consumer in the Fashion Industry

Abstract

The production and consumption of textile products worldwide generate severe environmental impacts as well as economic and social repercussions. Companies are embarking on a new path towards sustainable production and consumption patterns to respond to increasingly environmentally conscious consumers. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of a sustainable consumer in the fashion industry and their level of awareness regarding sustainability at the time of purchase. To this end, a questionnaire was developed to analyse consumer behaviour in the fashion sector, while various statistical techniques were used to analyse the data. The results show that a cluster of consumers can be defined as sustainable, and that socio-demographic variables and price influence the purchase of sustainable products. Sustainability knowledge is also crucial for adopting sustainable consumption behaviour.