Gen Z’s Motivations towards Sustainable Fashion and Eco-Friendly Brand Attributes: The Case of Vinted

Isabel Palomo-Domínguez (), Rodrigo Elías-Zambrano and Víctor Álvarez-Rodríguez
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Isabel Palomo-Domínguez: Faculty of Human and Social Studies, Mykolas Romeris University, 08303 Vilnius, Lithuania
Rodrigo Elías-Zambrano: Faculty of Communication, University of Seville, 41092 Seville, Spain
Víctor Álvarez-Rodríguez: Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication, University of Cadiz, 11406 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: Vinted is a free digital sharing economy platform where individuals buy and sell second-hand apparel. It is an example of industry 4.0 that promotes an innovative and successful business model while favoring sustainable fashion consumption. Gen Z consumers are concerned about climate change and social and ethical issues. Their environmental awareness is significant. Nevertheless, their values do not always translate into sustainable consumption behavior; their role as heavy consumers in the fast-fashion market is proof of this. The research aims to delve into the motivations of Gen Z towards sustainable fashion and their perception of the eco-friendly brand attributes in the case of Vinted. From the methodological point of view, the qualitative and quantitative approaches are combined through focus group sessions and a pilot study based on a questionnaire. The results confirm that Gen Z consumers recognize and appreciate the eco-friendly attributes of Vinted, although other types of brand attributes are the ones that mostly mobilize their behavior. Some participants claim that the representation of sustainable values in Vinted’s advertising campaigns is too soft. Among the conclusions, the opportunity to revise Vinted’s brand strategy stands out, giving a more explicit role to eco-friendly attributes pursuing an effective change in Gen Z consumption behavior.

Keywords: Gen Z; sustainable fashion; sharing economy; industry 4.0; vinted; eco-friendly; consumption behavior; brand attributes; brand strategy; focus group (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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