FACTORS INFLUENCING SUSTAINABLE FASHION AVOIDANCE INTENTION AMONG MILLENNIAL SHOPPERS IN COLOMBO DISTRICT, SRI LANKA

Abstract

1. Introduction Millennials’ increased environmental concerns do not always translate into sustainable fashion choices. Although millennials are considered an environmentally conscious generation, there is a disconnect between their attitudes toward sustainability and their purchasing behaviours in the fashion industry. Despite the significant environmental damage caused by the fashion industry, there is still limited adoption of sustainable fashion, and fast fashion remains the more popular choice. Therefore, this study investigates the factors influencing sustainable fashion avoidance intention among millennial shoppers in the Colombo district, Sri Lanka. 2. Research Methodology Based on an Extended Brand Avoidance Model, this study identifies the factors influencing millennials' intention to avoid between 1981 and 1996 who live in the Colombo district and intend to avoid sustainable fashion through purposive sampling. The proposed hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis with the support of the SPSS 25 version. 3. Findings and Discussion Findings revealed that ideological incompatibility is the most significant variable impacting sustainable fashion avoidance intention among millennial shoppers in the Colombo district. This finding is in line with the literature and may be due to individuals’ perceptions of sustainable fashion as a form of greenwashing or a seller’s tactic to increase profits by charging a higher price for green fashion. Moreover, symbolic incongruence, unmet expectations, and materialism also significantly predict millennials’ sustainable fashion avoidance intention. 4. Conclusion and Implications The study offers implications by recommending that marketing managers enhance sustainable product quality, such as matching goods with millennial ideals and investing in educational campaigns to make them aware of the positive environmental effects of suitable fashion. Furthermore, this study empirically examines the context using a modified Brand Avoidance Model, which will be a seminal work for future researchers