Green Fashion Purchase Behavior of Hispanic Consumers in US: Role of Fashion Consciousness, Health Consciousness and Personal Norms

Abstract

Hispanics are the most rapidly growing ethnic segment in US estimated to reach 21.1% in 2030 and 27.5% in 2060 (Vespa, Armstrong, &Medina, 2018). Due to their strong fashion focus and interest in shopping, they are an important target segment for apparel and fashion retailers. Some recent evidence indicates that Hispanic consumers are also buying more organic products and supporting social conscious brands. This research aims to address gap in the literature and investigate factors that influence green fashion purchase behavior of young Hispanic consumers in US. Using a thorough literature review,eight hypotheses are proposed and tested on a sample of 181 Hispanic college students. Based on the results of structural equation modeling, we find that knowledge of organic apparel and textile products is the strongest driver of purchase behavior towards these products followed by personal norms. Fashion consciousness of Hispanics plays an important role in driving behavior by influencing knowledge. In other words, more fashion-conscious Hispanic consumers tend to have a stronger knowledge of organic apparel and textile products.