Consumers’ (Not So) Green Purchase Behavior

Abstract

The large body of research investigating the discrepancy between consumers’ progressive environmental attitudes in polls, and their actual purchase behavior, has provided inconsistent results. This paper complements existing research using an ‘interception’ of consumers at the shopping aisle, thus using more objective behavioral data. Our analysis indicates a neglectable impact of attitude on intention. Purchase intention, in turn, was found a significant determinant of actual purchase behavior, although the overall impact on the likelihood of choosing a sustainable product is limited. The findings indicate that even positively inclined consumers do not change their purchase behavior owing mainly to economic barriers.