Consumer Purchase Behaviour towards Sustainable Apparel: Evidence from University Students in Gurugram, India

Abstract

Sustainable apparel has received growing attention, but favourable views on sustainability do not always result in actual purchases. This study examines that gap among university students in Gurugram, India. This study collected data from 214 students through a formal questionnaire. The participants were selected using convenience sampling. The questionnaire covers awareness, value-based attitude, design and style appeal, price perceptions, accessibility, future purchase intention, and self-reported sustainable apparel purchases in the past 12 months. This study used descriptive statistics, Spearman rank correlations, Holm-adjusted significance tests, and exploratory binary logistic regression. The results show a clear difference between what respondents believe and what they buy. 64% of students agreed or strongly agreed that buying sustainable apparel reflects their beliefs and values, whereas only 10.3% reported purchasing sustainable apparel in the previous 12 months. Limited styles and design were the most common barrier (81.8%), followed by high price (50.5%) and limited availability (47.7%). All five proposed bivariate relationships were statistically significant after Holm adjustment, although the associations were small. In the exploratory logistic model, design and style appeal was the only predictor that reached statistical significance (OR = 1.68, 95% CI [1.13, 2.51], p = .011). Only 22 respondents reported buying sustainable apparel. Therefore, the regression results should be considered exploratory. The study also shows that awareness alone may not be enough to encourage purchase. Product design, price, availability, and reliable information may also play an important role in students’ buying decisions.