I AM A SUSTAINABLE CONSUMER. (OR AM I?): The degree of Influence Brands Sustainable Commitments have on Consumers' Purchase Intentions.

Abstract

Due to shifting global viewpoints, brands have made significant investments in sustainability at a time when there is little information available about the extent to which brand commitments to sustainability have an impact on South African cosmetics consumers(Rafi, 2021). The study aims to identify the factors which draw consumers toward purchasing from brands which act sustainably. This will indicate to Cosmetics Brands; which elements are reaching consumers, which elements are not positively affecting consumers purchase intentions, as well as elements which have not yet been identified or highlighted as significant. Using the theoretical framework, Ajzen’s (1991) TPB model, to test the factors impacting on the consumers intent to act out a certain task (Rana and Paul, 2017: 159). Additional variable elements identified which influence consumers purchase intentions were green marketing, price, and environmental concern. Through the distribution of a cross-sectional closed-ended digital survey with scaled questions, a quantitative research method was employed to gather data, in accordance with the positivist paradigm, and distributed it digitally to obtain a minimum of 15 responses (du Plooy-Cilliers et al., 2014). A deductive data analysis was done by categorically classifying the information gathered into topics; Social norms, attitude, green marketing, and environmental concern (Richards, 2013, Paul et al., 2016) since it is consistent with the study's positivist perspective (Maree, 2020,). Finally, due to RH2 and RH1 being proven, it communicates to brand’s operating in the South African cosmetics industry that sustainable initiatives do influence consumers purchase intent but those different variables have different degrees of influence of consumers purchase intentions. Therefore, brand’s must be selective as to which elements they invest in.