Experimental Evidence on Consumers’ Willingness to Pay in the Sustainable Fashion Industry

Published: November 5, 2025 | Scientific Reports, Volume 15, Article 38752
Authors: Alessandro Cascavilla, Rocco Caferra, Andrea Morone, Piergiuseppe Morone

Overview

This study investigates consumer purchase intentions and willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable fashion products, focusing on the leather goods sector. Using an experimental design grounded in established behavioral theories, the research sheds light on how environmental and social preferences, product quality perceptions, and knowledge of production costs influence sustainable consumption decisions. The findings provide valuable insights for promoting circular economy practices in the fashion industry.

Context: Sustainability Challenges in Fashion

The fashion industry is a major contributor to global environmental pollution due to:

• High water and energy consumption
• Inefficient supply chains
• Excessive waste generation

Given rising consumer awareness of these issues, sustainable fashion is gaining traction. Approximately 66% of the global population, and up to 72% in Europe, express willingness to pay a premium for environmentally friendly products. Despite this, there’s a notable “attitude-behavior gap,” where positive intentions don’t always lead to sustainable purchases.

Key Concepts

• Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB): Suggests purchase intentions are influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.
• Lancaster’s Model: Utility is derived from product attributes (quality, design, sustainability) rather than the product itself.
• Intention–Behavior Gap: Discrepancy between consumers’ expressed intentions and their actual purchasing behavior due to personal habits, price sensitivity, product availability, and trust issues.
• Pro-Social and Pro-Environmental Values: Social responsibility, empathy, and ethical motivations significantly drive sustainable purchasing.

Experimental Design

The study evaluates consumer responses to three leather bag types with varying sustainability levels:

The social enterprise Cartiera provides Bags B and C, repurposing leather waste to support environmental sustainability and social inclusion, notably training and employing asylum seekers.

Findings

1. Purchase Intention & WTP:

   • Pro-social and environmental values strongly increase purchase intention.
   • Higher purchase intention correlates with higher WTP, especially for the most circular product (Bag C).

2. Impact of Perceived Quality and Production Costs:

   • Consumers associate higher production costs and improved material/visual quality with greater WTP.
   • Enhanced aesthetics further bolster the value perception of the sustainable bags.

3. Behavioral & Experiential Factors:

   • Prior consumer experience with sustainable products positively influences buying decisions.
   • Social norms and knowledge about circular production methods help bridge the intention-behavior gap.

Policy Implications

• Promoting Circular Economy:
  Policymakers should emphasize behavioral factors and product attributes in campaigns to boost sustainable fashion adoption.
• Consumer Education:
  Enhancing awareness of social and environmental benefits tied to circular products can increase WTP and actual purchases.
• Supporting Social Enterprises:
  Encouraging enterprises that integrate social inclusion and environmental sustainability can deliver dual benefits.

Conclusion

This research highlights that environmental and social values, combined with perceived product quality and transparent communication on production costs, are critical drivers of consumer willingness to pay for sustainable fashion. Effective strategies to close the intention–behavior gap require integrated approaches considering consumer psychology, product innovation, and circular business models.

For readers interested in sustainable fashion trends and circular economy innovations, this study offers robust data-driven insights to inform ethical consumer choices and industry practices.

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