The Drivers of Sustainable Apparel and Sportswear Consumption: A Segmented Kano Perspective

Daniel Baier, Theresa Maria Rausch and Timm F. Wagner
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Daniel Baier: Department of Marketing and Services, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
Theresa Maria Rausch: Department of Marketing and Services, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
Timm F. Wagner: Adidas AG, Adi-Dassler-Straße 1, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: The steady increase of sustainable consumer behavior leads companies to strengthen their efforts to become socially and ecologically more sustainable. Particularly in the clothing and footwear industry, more and more companies are aware of their need to fundamentally adapt the way they create value. Sustainability offerings are developed, e.g., usage of upcycled materials (e.g., ocean plastic), circular business models (e.g., decomposition of returned products into components for new ones), as well as adapted product ranges (e.g., smaller or with fewer fashion cycles). However, it is frequently unclear in advance, which offerings will increase (or decrease) satisfaction and, consequently, drive (or not drive) sustainable consumption. The application of a segmented Kano perspective in an apparel and sportswear context that helps to answer these questions is presented: 17 potential offerings were assessed by a sample of 490 consumers. Our analysis demonstrates the usefulness of this methodology and that returning used products (to recycle them), discounts for buying sustainable products, sustainability level indicators, and biobased materials are highly attractive. However, the responsiveness varies across the derived consumer segments, from being decisive or attractive to indifferent or reverse. As assumed, gender and attitude towards sustainability are good predictors for segment membership.

Keywords: sustainable clothing consumption; Kano model; segmented Kano perspective; sustainability offerings; circular economy; customer satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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