Abstract:
The fashion industry’s prevailing patterns of production and consumption are
widely recognized as unsustainable, while being the world's largest environmental
polluter. Even though consumers show interest in sustainable fashion, their actual
behaviour lead to a mismatch. Therefore, this study aims to explore consumer
opportunities and challenges in sustainable fashion consumption, focusing on Sri
Lankan consumers. The study used an exploratory research design under the
qualitative approach based on inductive reasoning. To produce insights, semi
structured interviews were conducted with twenty-one respondents, and the data
were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed eighteen (18)
potential opportunities and were reclassified into five (05) main themes; namely,
social and cultural influences, marketing and brand strategies, sustainability and
circular economy, consumer behaviour and motivation, and market dynamics and
challenges. Simultaneously, the researcher identified twelve (12) key challenges
and further reclassified them into six (06) main themes as product-related issues,
lack of product availability and accessibility, lack of awareness, high prices, trust
issues, and health-related problems. This study adds to the corpus of knowledge
by filling in the gaps in the literature and providing fresh perspectives on
consumer behaviour in relation to sustainable fashion. Practically speaking, the
study offers insightful advice to help industry participants, including fashion
retailers, marketers, and legislators, create stronger strategies that encourage
sustainable consumption.
