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Antecedents of Continuous Purchase Behavior for Sustainable Products: An Integrated Conceptual Framework and Review

Published in Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Volume 24, Issue 4 (2025)
Authors: Purva Agarwal, Divesh Kumar, Rajesh Katiyar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2487

Overview

This 2025 study by Agarwal et al. explores the persistent challenge of encouraging continuous purchasing of sustainable products despite growing consumer awareness of environmental, social, and economic concerns. Published in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, it offers a comprehensive review and an integrated conceptual framework synthesizing multiple behavioral theories to better understand the post-purchase phase and how sustainable consumption can be sustained long-term.

Key Insights

• Attitude–Behavior Gap: Although awareness around sustainability is rising, many consumers fail to maintain sustainable purchasing behaviors consistently, a phenomenon termed the attitude–behavior gap.

• Focus on Post-Purchase Behavior: The study uniquely emphasizes the post-purchase phase, considering not just initial adoption but how attitudes and behaviors evolve over time to encourage repeat sustainable purchases.

• Integrated Theoretical Framework:

  • Combines well-established theories including:
    • Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991)
    • Rosenberg’s Attitude Model
    • Value–Attitude–Behavior Model
    • Means-End Model
  • Introduces a novel integrated model emphasizing:
    • Perceived Values: How consumers value sustainable products
    • Perceived Product Instrumentality: The functionality and relevance of sustainable products in consumers’ lives
    • Value Importance: The weight consumers assign to sustainability aligned with their personal goals and motivations

• Consumer Motivation Dynamics: The framework underscores how sustainable products must align with consumers’ evolving motivations and lifestyles to foster loyalty and ongoing purchases.

Contributions to Literature and Practice

• Bridging Theoretical Gaps: Extends traditional consumer behavior theories by incorporating insights specific to sustainability, focusing on continuous rather than one-time purchase behaviors.

• Practical Marketing Implications:

  • Marketers should enhance the perceived value and relevance of sustainable products.
  • Strategies need to address consumers’ long-term goals and shifting motivations to reinforce continuous purchase behavior.

• Policy Implications: Policymakers can craft interventions that incorporate behavioral insights to support sustainable consumption at a systemic level.

Importance for Sustainable Consumption Advocacy

By advancing understanding of how consumers can be engaged in ongoing sustainable purchase behaviors, this research builds a foundation for promoting broader sustainability objectives. It offers critical guidance for brands and policymakers aiming to close the attitude-behavior gap and cultivate enduring sustainable consumption habits.

Additional Notes

• The study is self-financed by the authors.
• No conflicts of interest were declared.
• Data supporting the study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

For sustainable product marketers, consumer behavior researchers, and policymakers, this comprehensive review provides a valuable roadmap to foster long-term consumer commitment to sustainability.

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