An exploration of sustainable factors that impact brand loyalty for South African Millennials who consume skincare products.

Abstract

Millennials, according to Heo and Muralidharan (2019), are the most environmentally conscious generation, a generation that not only plays a critical role in the push toward a greener future, but also continues to be the most willing to pay a premium for sustainable products. In contrast, Azami et al. (2018) claim that while Millennial consumers demonstrate environmental care, this does not always translate into purchases or brand loyalty. Although studies show that sustainability motivates purchases, there is limited evidence that sustainable practices influence Millennials' purchasing behaviour and brand loyalty in South Africa (Azami et al., 2018). In addition, due to the contradicting notions surrounding Millennials' sustainable consumption patterns and purchasing behaviour, there is a significant need for additional in-depth research (Azami et al., 2018). With that in mind, the study's purpose was to gain a more detailed picture of the sustainable factors that can affect or influence brand loyalty among South African Millennials who consume skincare products. The approach taken was a qualitative method, whereby data was collected through in-depth interviews. The study found the factors which influence a Millennials brand loyalty towards a sustainable skincare brand to be; price, transparency of ingredients, information and education, and social influence. Furthermore, the study indicated that Millennials could, in fact, become loyal to a sustainable skincare brand.