Consumer’s Perception of Firm’s Responses to Apparent Environmental and Social Issues within the Fashion Industry : A quantitative study investigating the impact of CSR activities in the fashion industry on consumer perception and purchase intention.

Abstract: Research Question: How does the consumer perception of firm behavior towards environmental and social issues affect consumer purchase intention?   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the perception consumers have developed about issues companies in the fashion industry are facing, the CSR activities they are implementing, and the effect these have on the consumer's purchase intent.  Method: The method applied in this empirical study is the quantitative research method with the utilization of an online questionnaire.  Conclusion: CSR practices are introduced voluntarily by companies with the purpose to contribute to the well-being of the community by utilizing corporate resources to achieve that goal. The authors discovered that CSR activities of companies within the fashion industry and the increased visibility of firms´ response to misbehavior do not show a positive effect on the perception of the consumer. Furthermore, the consumers' purchase intention is neither positively influenced by firms´ CSR practices nor is the pricing of a fashion garment demonstrating a favorable impact.