Why Do Consumers Hesitate to Buy Green Sports Products? Key Barriers to Sustainable Consumption

Despite growing interest in sustainability, many consumers hesitate to purchase green sports products. This study investigates the reasons behind such hesitation by identifying and quantifying consumer-perceived barriers to purchasing green sports products using conjoint analysis. Four major barriers—price premium, quality concerns, lack of information, and credibility issues—were identified through a multi-stage process involving preliminary consumer surveys, an extensive literature review, and expert consultation. Data were collected from 294 consumers who evaluated 12 orthogonally designed product profiles representing different combinations of these barrier attributes. The results indicate that price premium is the most influential barrier overall and among consumers with low environmental involvement, whereas credibility concerns, particularly greenwashing, constitute the primary source of purchase hesitation among consumers with high environmental involvement. Further analysis of perceived purchase barrier configurations indicates that a 10% price premium, limited product variety, distrust of environmental certifications, and insufficient product information are jointly associated with higher perceived purchase resistance. These findings reveal that the prioritization of perceived purchase barriers differs systematically across consumer groups defined by environmental involvement. By clarifying the decision-making barriers that drive consumer hesitation, this study contributes to sustainability research by advancing the understanding of sustainable consumption from a behavioral decision-making perspective. The findings also provide practical insights for sporting goods brands seeking to reduce purchase resistance through strategies tailored to different levels of consumer environmental involvement.