OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FASHION CONSUMPTION IN SRI LANKA

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.