Purchasing Behaviour of Sustainable Apparels Using Theory of Planned Behaviour: A Predictive Approach

Sustainability has become a growing trend in the fashion market worldwide, and there is an increasing demand for sustainable apparel by consumers. Fashion retailers need to identify and understand factors that influence consumers’ purchase behaviour in the sustainable apparel context. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors influencing the purchase behaviour of sustainable apparel among Malaysians using an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour. A questionnaire was distributed to 250 respondents through social media with 225 valid responses. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) through the SMARTPLS 3.0 was conducted to analyse the data. It is found that social norm, environmental consciousness, and social media usage have a significant relationship with purchase behaviour of sustainable apparel, while attitude and perceived behavioural control has not. The study contributes to the green marketing scholarship by incorporating environmental consciousness and social media usage to extend the TPB, which provides relevant strategies for the retail apparel stores as well as Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) to promote sustainable apparel. The conclusion, several strategic implications, and suggestions for future study were offered.