A Study on the Level of Customer Awareness Towards Green Products in Theni District

Abstract

As global awareness of climate change has grown, companies have changed their strategies to help protect the environment by reducing the negative climate impact of their products and services. They promote products that are both energy efficient and recyclable. The market has transformed due to environmental concerns, with the creation of a new market segment focused on environmentally friendly principles. Many companies are increasingly producing environmentally friendly products and consumers are showing an increased desire to buy them. The increase in pollution and environmental damage caused by traditional manufacturing methods has necessitated the marketing of green products. Due to government restrictions and changing customer preferences globally, the majority of Indian companies have started marketing themselves as green organizations. In a country like India, where the population is so large, every consumer has the potential to reduce negative impacts on the environment by changing their buying behaviour. On the other hand, increased customer awareness of the environmental sensitivity of things is an essential part of consumers' growing responsibility in terms of consumption. Companies' sustainability information is not always clear to consumers, and their claims are sometimes unreliable. Given the lack of information about green products, this is one of the key issues. Due to a lack of understanding of how to use eco-labels on products, consumers find it difficult to distinguish between nationally/internationally recognized eco-labels and self-reported false claims made by producers. Green products are generally expensive and little known to consumers. Customers may be skeptical of the company's green marketing strategy due to misleading advertising, misrepresentation, inaccurate labeling and inconsistent performance, all of which have contributed to consumer confusion. Many customers may not be willing to pay a higher price for environmentally friendly products, which reduce business revenue. In this context, the researchers tried to see to what extent customers knew about green products in Theni district. For the study, 750 customers were selected. Only customers who use green products are included in the sample. Primary data were collected from 750 customers using an interview schedule. Secondary data were mainly collected from journals, periodicals and books. To reach a meaningful conclusion, the data obtained for the study was edited, quantified, categorized and tabulated, and analyzed. Researchers have offered a number of suggestions for expanding the market for green products.