Greenwash and green purchase behavior: an environmentally sustainable perspective

Abstract

Consumers’ interest is accelerating toward environmentally sustainable products, which are commonly known as green products. Companies use greenwash to attract environmentally conscious consumers. The effects of greenwash have been studied on green purchase behavior of consumers along with green brand image, green brand love, and green brand loyalty as mediating variables. Consumers having experience of using any of the green products have been targeted for data collection. This empirical study has been tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). It has been proved that greenwash negatively affects the green purchase behavior of consumers. Furthermore, green brand image, green brand love, and green brand loyalty positively affect green purchase behavior, whereas they are negatively influenced by greenwash. Greenwash directly as well as indirectly negatively affects green purchase behavior. Firms must obtain consumers’ trust by diminishing greenwash and promoting green brand image, green brand love, and green brand loyalty, which can lead the consumers toward their green purchase behavior. This study can be potential in making firms competitive in the era of growing consumers' concerns about environmentally sustainable products.