Abstract

Anecdotal evidence suggests that eco-labeling can be used as a communication tool. Although a considerable amount of eco-labeling research has been undertaken over the last few decades, only one study was conducted in India. The majority of labeling studies were conducted in the United States and Europe. The overarching objective of this study is to investigate how gender and age may affect the consumers’ reliance on sustainable labels to guide their purchases in India. In total, 309 usable surveys were collected from 198 females (64.1%) and 111 males (35.9%). Our findings revealed that both men and women perceived clothing fit and comfort as the two most significant evaluative cues. In general, Indian consumers rely a great deal more on the fit, comfort and style to evaluate clothing than on eco-labels and ethical labels. This implies that apparel shoppers are unlikely to sacrifice physical comfort and aesthetics for sustainability. Many Indian consumers are value-oriented shoppers. They often shop around to search for the best value to justify their choices, while satisfying their physical and psychological needs. In terms of the effects of age, younger consumers are relatively more familiar with sustainable labels than their older counterparts.

摘要

轶事证据表明，生态标签可以用作一种交流工具。尽管在过去的几十年里已经进行了大量的生态标签研究，但在印度只进行了一项研究。大多数标签研究是在美国和欧洲进行的。本研究的首要目标是调查性别和年龄如何影响消费者对可持续标签的依赖来指导他们在印度的购买。总共从 198 名女性 (64.1%) 和 111 名男性 (35.9%) 中收集了 309 份可用的调查。我们的研究结果表明，男性和女性都认为衣服合身和舒适是两个最重要的评估线索。一般来说，印度消费者在评估服装时更多地依赖合身、舒适和风格，而不是生态标签和道德标签。这意味着服装购物者不太可能为了可持续性而牺牲身体舒适度和美感。许多印度消费者都是以价值为导向的购物者。他们经常货比三家，寻找最好的价值来证明他们的选择是合理的，同时满足他们的身体和心理需求。就年龄的影响而言，年轻消费者比年长消费者更熟悉可持续标签。