South African consumers’ consciousness and concern about environmental and social issues in the local fashion industry when purchasing apparel

Abstract

This research was inspired by an exceeding number of global calls for action to limit global warming and combat climate change. This research aimed to investigate South African consumers’ overall consciousness of sustainable production and consumption practices, related concern for the environment, and their willingness to purchase sustainably produced clothing merchandise. The researcher was particularly interested in identifying market segments (income groups) that are conscious, concerned and willing to purchase, as they could be key to drive a call for more responsible purchase and consumption behaviour in the future. The theoretical perspective that guided this research was Rational Choice Theory (RCT) that attended to consumers’ conscious deliberation of product alternatives based on specific product information. RCT was an effective solution to guide the differentiation of consumer decisions across different income levels for this research. A survey was carried out in a single electronic phase by distributing a structured, quantitative questionnaire. A total of 325 completed questionnaires were collected through non-probability sampling techniques and analysed thereafter. The findings indicated that South African consumers are only moderately conscious and concerned about environmental practices, and specifically that they are less concerned about the future implications of their clothing consumption behaviour. These findings reveal a need for concerted effort to inform and educate consumers as many prominent retailers have already begun to do. This study could not indisputably confirm that consumers are discouraged from choosing sustainably produced merchandise over similar, more affordable items. A pertinent outcome of this research is that in South Africa, income level does not seem to influence consumers’ consciousness and concern about the sustainability of clothing production practices, as well as their willingness to purchase sustainably produced clothing. The implication for retailers is that they can therefore strategise to incorporate more extensive ranges of sustainably produced clothing in their stores, knowing that consumers, irrespective of the income category, are not unwilling to pay for it.