Profiling Consumers: Examination of Chinese Gen Z Consumers’ Sustainable Fashion Consumption

Abstract

The textile and apparel industry is widely recognized for its negative impact on the environment and society, and China is one of the largest fashion-consumption markets worldwide. There has been a growing awareness and effort to address these concerns in China, and Chinese Gen-Z consumers are playing a crucial role in shaping sustainable practices. This study aimed to identify and profile Gen-Z consumers with substantial engagement in sustainable fashion consumption in China. Data were collected from 292 Chinese Gen-Z adults from three major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, using a convenience sampling strategy and the snowball approach. Cluster analysis was employed, and two groups were identified: passionate eco-conscious consumers and indifferent fashion consumers. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and the Crosstabs approach were utilized to examine the differences between the identified groups. The results revealed that passionate eco-conscious consumers valued classic design, high quality, and versatility, would like to pay more money for high-quality fashion clothing, and expressed their uniqueness through their fashion choices compared to indifferent fashion consumers. They actively sought sustainability knowledge and preferred supporting physical stores that sell second-hand clothing. Female Gen-Z consumers demonstrated a greater inclination towards sustainable fashion consumption in comparison to their male counterparts. A persona of Chinese Gen-Z consumers with high-level involvement in sustainable fashion consumption was created and presented for better marketing to Gen-Z consumers in China.