Sustainability and Social Responsibility

All Sustainable Consumers Are Not the Same: Segmentation through Application of the Sustainable Apparel Consumer (SAC) Typology

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Abstract

The first research objective of this study was to examine attitudes and practices of sustainable consumers in comparison with consumers in general. The second research objective was to segment sustainable consumers to understand differences in their attitudes and practices related to clothing consumption. The sustainable apparel consumer (SAC) typology was used as a theoretical framework. Qualtrics national consumer panel was used to collect data (N=1,014). First, the sample was divided into three distinct groups using the sustainable apparel consumption scale—sustainable, mainstream, and unsustainable consumers. Next, K-means cluster analysis was used to segment sustainable apparel consumers (n=155) based on willingness to pay and importance of appearance. The resulting four groups (classy affluents, functional minimalists, chic thrifters, and austeritics) confirmed the typology and were significantly different on hedonic shopping, importance of clothing, anticonsumption, and clothing care.

Keywords: typology, sustainable apparel consumption, unsustainable, willingness to pay, importance of appearance

How to Cite:

Karpova, E. E., Hodges, N. J. & Williams, A., (2024) “All Sustainable Consumers Are Not the Same: Segmentation through Application of the Sustainable Apparel Consumer (SAC) Typology”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17221