Consumer awareness in Sustainable Clothing: A study of Fast Fashion in South Africa

Abstract

This study aims to examine consumers’ awareness and attitudes of sustainable fashion in the South African context. The attributes studied are perceived environmental sustainability knowledge, awareness of sustainable fashion, need for sustainable fashion and perceived value of sustainable fashion, and how they affect consumer attitudes towards sustainable fashion adoption intention. The theoretical framework of diffusion of innovation, the theory of planned behaviour and the triple-trickle formed the foundation of this study. Empirical literature on the relationship between the independent and dependent variables was conducted and yielded five hypotheses. This quantitative research adapted questions from previous literature contributions and utilised a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Two hundred and seven (207) responses were obtained by the researcher online with the use of a harvested email database of employees of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) South Africa by means of random sampling. Online social networks such as LinkedIn were used to distribute the questionnaire. The study confirmed four out of the five hypotheses. The study provided insights on determinants of positive attitudes and subsequent adoption intention of purchasing sustainable fashion garments. In addition, this study helped to confirm the working age group’s awareness of sustainable fashion. Lastly, theoretically, the study contributes to the field of consumer behaviour by proposing an integrative model for understanding drivers and motivations for sustainable clothing product preference.