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Why U.S. Consumers Buy Sustainable Cotton Made Collegiate Apparel? A Study of the Key Determinants

Author

Listed:
  • Ting Chi

    (Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

  • Jenisha Gerard

    (Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

  • Alison Dephillips

    (Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

  • Hang Liu

    (Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

  • Jing Sun

    (Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA)

Abstract

U.S. collegiate apparel is a $4 billion market in which cotton and polyester made by conventional production methods account for 85% of materials used. Sustainable cotton made collegiate apparel offers a new opportunity for cotton made by novel and sustainable production methods to enter and replace conventional cotton and polyester for environmental protection and sustainable business development. This study aimed to provide insights on why U.S. consumers buy sustainable cotton made collegiate apparel and help understand the emerging trend of sustainable cotton apparel. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior, an enhanced research model of consumer intent to purchase sustainable cotton made collegiate apparel (SCCA) is proposed. 225 eligible survey responses were gathered for data analysis and hypothesis testing. Attitude, subjective norms, perceived consumer effectiveness, and environmental knowledge positively influences U.S. consumers’ purchase intentions toward SCCA while the effect of perceived behavioral control is insignificant. Furthermore, consumer environmental knowledge positively moderates the relationship between U.S. consumers’ attitude and their purchase intentions. There are no significant differences between age groups, genders, education levels, or income levels among U.S. consumers in regards to their purchase intentions. The proposed research model exhibits a good explanatory power, accounting for 47.3% of the variance in U.S. consumers’ purchase intentions toward SCCA.

Suggested Citation

  • Ting Chi & Jenisha Gerard & Alison Dephillips & Hang Liu & Jing Sun, 2019. "Why U.S. Consumers Buy Sustainable Cotton Made Collegiate Apparel? A Study of the Key Determinants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:11:p:3126-:d:236794
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    Cited by:

    1. Ting Chi & Olabisi Adesanya & Hang Liu & Rebecca Anderson & Zihui Zhao, 2023. "Renting than Buying Apparel: U.S. Consumer Collaborative Consumption for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Lindsay McCoy & Yuan-Ting Wang & Ting Chi, 2021. "Why Is Collaborative Apparel Consumption Gaining Popularity? An Empirical Study of US Gen Z Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Luigi Leclercq-Machado & Aldo Alvarez-Risco & Romina Gómez-Prado & Berdy Briggitte Cuya-Velásquez & Sharon Esquerre-Botton & Flavio Morales-Ríos & Camila Almanza-Cruz & Sarahit Castillo-Benancio & Mar, 2022. "Sustainable Fashion and Consumption Patterns in Peru: An Environmental-Attitude-Intention-Behavior Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-18, August.
    4. Ting Chi & Jessica Ganak & Lauren Summers & Olabisi Adesanya & Lindsay McCoy & Hang Liu & Yining Tai, 2021. "Understanding Perceived Value and Purchase Intention toward Eco-Friendly Athleisure Apparel: Insights from U.S. Millennials," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-17, July.
    5. John Wiredu & Qian Yang & Agyemang Kwasi Sampene & Bright Akwasi Gyamfi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2023. "The effect of green supply chain management practices on corporate environmental performance. Does supply chain competitive advantage matter?," Working Papers 23/063, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    6. Lindsay McCoy & Ting Chi, 2022. "Collaborative Consumption: A Study of Sustainability Presentation in Fashion Rental Platforms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-25, July.
    7. Yini Chen & Ting Chi, 2021. "How Does Channel Integration Affect Consumers’ Selection of Omni-Channel Shopping Methods? An Empirical Study of U.S. Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-29, August.
    8. Jun Xu & Yun Zhou & Lei Jiang & Lei Shen, 2022. "Exploring Sustainable Fashion Consumption Behavior in the Post-Pandemic Era: Changes in the Antecedents of Second-Hand Clothing-Sharing in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Md Mehedi Hasan & Liling Cai & Xiaofen Ji & Francisca Margarita Ocran, 2022. "Eco-Friendly Clothing Market: A Study of Willingness to Purchase Organic Cotton Clothing in Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-13, April.
    10. Xingqiu Lou & Ting Chi & Justin Janke & Gianna Desch, 2022. "How Do Perceived Value and Risk Affect Purchase Intention toward Second-Hand Luxury Goods? An Empirical Study of U.S. Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-16, September.
    11. Ting Chi & Anastasia Frattali & Hang Liu & Yini Chen, 2023. "Regenerated Cellulose Fibers (RCFs) for Future Apparel Sustainability: Insights from the U.S. Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-13, March.
    12. The Anh Phan & Pham Ngoc Quyen Nguyen & Ngoc Anh Pham & Nhan Phan, 2023. "A Cross-Cultural Study on the Role of Message Framing in the Promotion of Fair-Trade Buying Behavior," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.

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