The consumer perspective on sustainable fashion: A quantitative study of Swedish consumers' perceptions of sustainable fashion and the effect of sustainable information on attitudes and intentions

Abstract: The fashion industry is transforming towards more sustainable practices which requires that companies understand the consumer perspective. This quantitative study investigates what sustainable fashion means to Swedish consumers, and how sustainable information about a garment can affect consumers' attitudes, purchase intentions, and Word of Mouth intentions. Data was gathered through an online questionnaire to (1) explore consumers' perceptions of sustainable fashion and (2) conduct an experiment to investigate consumers' reactions to different informational nudges. The experiment provided respondents with sustainable information based on three dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. The findings suggest that Swedish consumers perceive high quality, timeless design, and to prolong the life of garments to be the most important factors of sustainable fashion. Moreover, the informational nudge consisting of all three sustainable dimensions created the most favourable attitudes and the highest WOM intentions.