Exploring sustainable consumer behaviour in retail: A teacher-student model framework for socio-economic insights

Sumit Tripathi and Roma Trigunait

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2025, vol. 84, issue C

Abstract: This study examines the socio-economic factors that shape consumer behaviour related to carbon footprint awareness within the retail and services sectors. Utilizing a structured, dual-model framework, we analyse the complex relationships between key socio-economic determinants, such as income, education, age, gender, and environmental consciousness, and sustainable behaviours, including recycling, green product searches, and engagement with eco-friendly practices. The methodology combines two machine learning models to achieve both detailed analysis and interpretability. The primary model, based on the Tabular Network Regressor (TabNet), captures nuanced, high-dimensional interactions across socio-economic variables, while the secondary, interpretive model, using the Categorical Boosting Regressor (catBoost), simplifies these insights without compromising accuracy, making findings accessible for policy-oriented applications. Our results reveal that income, education, and environmental consciousness are significant predictors of carbon footprint awareness. Moreover, consumers who regularly engage in sustainable actions, such as recycling or searching for eco-friendly products, exhibit heightened awareness of their environmental impact, underscoring the influence of habitual eco-conscious behaviours. Through a Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) analysis, this study enhances the interpretability of results, providing a clear, data-driven understanding of how specific socio-economic factors contribute to sustainable consumer actions. This research advances knowledge on socio-economic influences in sustainability by offering actionable insights for policymakers, including targeted strategies that address diverse demographic characteristics and promote inclusive, effective policies for sustainable consumer behaviour in the retail and services industries.

Keywords: Carbon footprint awareness; Socio-economic determinants; Consumer behaviour; Teacher-student framework; Green Consumerism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000062
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:84:y:2025:i:c:s0969698925000062

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104227

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is currently edited by Harry Timmermans

More articles in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().