Understanding green purchase behaviour among millennial consumers in South Africa

Abstract

Context and Objective: This study examined green purchase behaviour within a sample of 189 millennials in South Africa having a relatively high standard of living, namely living standard measure (LSM 8) and above, with the sole purpose of trying to identify the key antecedents that contribute most significantly to green purchase behaviour among millennials and how their green purchase intentions transition into actual behaviour. Methodology: Using an extended theory of planned behaviour, the research added environmental concern and personal norms to predict positive attitudes towards eco-friendly behaviour and determine if willingness to pay and perceived consumer effectiveness affect the translation of intention to behaviour. The data analysis was performed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM), as this is a suitable technique for analysing data for green studies. Findings: The findings show a significant relationship between environmental concerns, personal norms, and consumers' attitudes towards green products. These attitudes were found to be strong predictors of green purchase intentions. However, these intentions only moderately affected actual green purchase behaviour. Contrary to expectations, subjective norms did not significantly influence green purchase intentions, and the hypothesised moderation of willingness to pay and perceived consumer effectiveness on actual purchase behaviour was not substantiated.