Factors effecting the buying decisions of vegan leather a study on fashion concumers in Sri Lanka

Abstract

"The Sri Lanka is one of the south east Asian country, recognized as booming customer market for fashion(parizeau, S., 2018). Nevertheless current global fashion evolved to ethical fashion and changing the ideology of longstanding fashion concepts and under this context, the demand for cruelty-free products raising globally(Thilakaratne, 2021). Hence the fashion conscious is considered as degree of involvement with fashion, which is limited in developing countries compared to developed countries(Jayarathne, 2020). Yet recent research conducted in USA(Ashley, 2021) reveals, most of the fashion consumers are not heard more than one of the leather alternative option or leather process listed on the questionnaire. Another study (Samarasinghe, 2015) finds, the majority of Sri Lankan consumers have favorable green attitude but this favorable conditions have significant impacts on vegan buying. Correspondingly the studies of Shamini, and Hariharan(2019) highlights, the eco literacy of Sri Lankan consumers are the key influencing factors of vegan product purchases, yet the Asian green marketing strategies are not efficient as western countries and Sri Lankan Leather brands have not developed productive strategies to enhance the green knowledge and eco literacy.

On the other hand, the fashion consumers in Sri Lanka have limited or no access to vegan leather product in local market. The major luxury leather brands focused on promoting animal leather goods and small retails promotes synthetic leather goods. Although some of the recent start-up online businesses in Sri Lanka targets vegan leather, the green marketing strategies are not followed commendably to reach the target clientele. The lack of product availability, thrashing the customer experience of product essence and resulting lower involvement level(Steinhart, Mazursky, and Kamins, 2013). The gap of vegan leather products in the local market direct the fashion consumers to make the purchases online from international brands, yet the recent study finds, 82% consumers want to view-and-feel the product before the purchases(Fedorenko, 2018). These contexts in the local market, limit the customer interactions with the vegan leather products. "