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Prague University of Economics and Business

Bachelor’s Thesis

2020 Gyuzal Kuspakova

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Prague University of Economics and Business Prague Faculty of Business Administration Bachelor´s Field: Marketing and Consumer Behavior

Title of the Bachelor´s Thesis:

Importance of sustainability within the fashion industry in the purchase decision

making process of Generation Z

Author: Gyuzal Kuspakova

Supervisor: Ing. Michaela Dvořáková

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D e c l a r a t i o n o f A u t h e n t i c i t y

I hereby declare that the Bachelor´s Thesis presented herein is my own work, or fully and specifically acknowledged wherever adapted from other sources. This work has not been published or submitted elsewhere

for the requirement of a degree programme

Prague, December 15, 2020 Signature

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Title of the Bachelor’s Thesis:

Importance of sustainability within the fashion industry in the purchase decision making process of Generation Z

Abstract

Sustainability in the fashion industry is still a growing topic.The perception of sustainability by consumers of apparel is also changing. The new generation Z, with particular consumer behavior has evolved into a separate consumer category. According to Euromonitor, by 2030, Generation Z will be the largest market group in the world, so it is reasonable for many companies to understand how to communicate effectively and establish lasting relationships with Generation Z if they plan to capitalize on this demographic. Based on the results in the theoretical context, which explains Generation Z, purchase decision making process in the fashion industry, concept of sustainability, the practical part of the study is presented by quantitative research among Generation Z representatives. This research provides insights on Generation’ awareness of sustainability in the fashion industry and consumer’s preferences when it comes to social and environmental impacts of the sustainability.

Key words:

Generation Z, sustainability, transparency, purchase decision making process

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Název bakalářské práce:

Důležitost udržitelnosti v módním průmyslu v procesu rozhodování o nákupu generace Z

Abstrakt

Udržitelnost v módním průmyslu je stále rostoucím tématem. Mění se také vnímání udržitelnosti spotřebiteli oděvů. Nová generace Z se zvláštním chováním spotřebitelů se vyvinula do samostatné kategorie spotřebitelů. Podle Euromonitoru bude Generation Z do roku 2030 největší tržní skupinou na světě, takže je rozumné, aby mnoho společností pochopilo, jak efektivně komunikovat a navázat trvalé vztahy s Generation Z, pokud chtějí tuto demografickou skupinu využít. Na základě výsledků v teoretickém kontextu, který vysvětluje Generaci Z, proces rozhodování o nákupu v módním průmyslu, koncept udržitelnosti, je praktická část studie představena kvantitativním výzkumem mezi zástupci Generace Z. Tento výzkum poskytuje poznatky o povědomí Generace o udržitelnosti v módním průmyslu a preferencích spotřebitelů, pokud jde o sociální a environmentální dopady udržitelnosti.

Klíčová slova:

Generace Z, udržitelnost, transparentnost, proces rozhodování o nákupu

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Acknowledgement

I want to express my gratitude to Ing. Michaela Dvořáková for sharing her knowledge and expertise in the field of marketing research and for being helpful and supportive during the whole process of writing the thesis. I would also like to thank my family for support and patience both during the elaboration of the work

and throughout study.

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Introduction

Today, our way of consuming goods, especially fashion and clothing products, has shifted to a system in which clothing production is motivated by the need to maximize sales, increase economic profits and increase market share. At the same time consumers’ knowledge of the ecological costs of their purchases is increasing, and along with this, concept of sustainability, as it arouses social concerns around the world, is becoming more relevant.

Every year, the apparel and clothing industry globally accounts for around $1.3 trillion in sales and employs about 300 million people throughout the entire fashion supply chain. The fabric and design division of the entire clothing industry continues to be the biggest application worldwide, comprising 60% of the overall textiles used (Ellen McArthur Foundation, 2017).

A highly pragmatic generation, Generation Z (hereinafter the Gen Z), was born between 1995 and 2010, at a time of deep global and ideological crisis (Francis and Hoefel, 2018). However, Gen Z tends to be more receptive to ethical issues than previous generations.Ethical issues in the textile industry are primarily related to environmental and social sustainability, in particular the use of pesticides; the amount of clothing consumption; the working conditions for employees of factories and the disposal of used clothing (Birtwistle and Moore, 2007). Therefore, Gen Z prefer brands that are responsive and actively engaged in environmental and social issues (not those with an exemplary CSR program on paper, but those that make the world a better place).

In addition, the majority of Generation Z (54 percent) say they are ready to spend 10 percent or more on sustainable goods incrementally, with 50 percent of Millennials saying the same. This contrasts with Generation X's 34 percent and Baby Boomers' 23 percent. It appears that the search for sustainability strengthens with every generation (First Insight US Consumer Survey, 2020).

Despite such significance of the topic, little is known about the Gen Z’s attitude to the environmental and social impacts of sustainability during apparel purchase separately and how it affects consumers’ purchase intentions. Moreover, the majority of current brands mainly focus on environmental sustainability in their sustainable management and marketing according to Niinimäki (2010), while it has been noted that Gen Z along with environmental issues, pays a lot of attention to social problems like gender inequality, low wages (Lee, 2020). Economic recession, pandemics and waves of anti-racism demonstrations have intensified the trend of exploring social sustainability issues (“Case study of Gen Z,” 2020). Furthermore, if generations are characterized by their crises, in a matter of months, the current socio-political environment has changed and created several models and trajectories. To find out, if the trajectory of sustainable marketing practices has also changed, the following hypothesis was formulated for this research:

H1: When it comes to buying clothes, Generation Z cares more about social aspect over environmental before deciding whether to purchase the item or not.

To fill the identified research gap, the purpose of this study is to gain insights into the role of sustainability and its aspects in the purchase decision making process within the fashion industry among Generation Z, also to find out what information considering sustainability consumers would like fashion brands to share when it comes to social and environmental aspects.

The work is divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. First of all, the theoretical part is aimed at acquiring knowledge about concept of sustainability overall, sustainability aspects, and transparency in the fashion and clothing industry. Furthermore, the concept of generation, characteristics of Generation Z, and specifics of its shopping behavior would be defined as well.

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3 Based on theoretical knowledge, quantitative research would be carried out in the practical part, which examines their awareness about sustainability in the industry, sustainability dimensions in their purchase decision making process. Subsequently, the findings of the analysis would be evaluated, summarized, and placed into perspective with knowledge from the theoretical framework.

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1. Theoretical part 1.1 Literature review

The definition of sustainable fashion refers to various practices aimed at addressing a "variety of alleged fashion industry errors" (e.g., animal cruelty, harm to the environment, and abuse of workers) (Lundblad & Davies, 2015). Sustainable fashion (also known as 'eco-fashion') is part of a growing ideology and movement towards sustainability in terms of design, manufacturing and use, the purpose of which is to build a framework that is forever supportable in terms of human impact on the environment and social responsibility. Three focal points are included in this definition: the attitudes, values, plans, and actions of designers, suppliers, and consumers in relation to sustainable fashion issues.

While sustainability has gained interest from both business practices and academic research in the fashion industry, most of the related studies concentrate on logistics in the supply chain. Retailing has not yet been fairly discussed in academia, as a critical part of the supply chain. "Sustainable retailing refers to retailing activities, whereby" retailers reduce their internal operations by constantly improving pollution, effluents and waste. Two essential activities are involved in sustainable retailing: green transportation, which refers to the movement of green goods, and green shops, which refer to retailing, which helps to save resources, minimize waste or recycle waste (Yang et al. 2017).

Fashion consumption and sustainability are frequently contradictory concepts. Fashion consumption is a highly resource-intensive, inefficient operation and the sustainability of wasteful consumption. Sustainability in the fashion industry is still an evolving, albeit unknown agenda, and many academics have recognized the importance of exploring how sustainability can be achieved (Fletcher, 2008). Compared to the purchasing of new fashion goods, the reuse or recycling of recycled fashion pieces decreases the environmental impact greatly. It has been found that for every kilogram of cotton replaced by used clothes, about 65 kWh of energy is saved, and for every kilogram of polyester replaced, 90 kWh of energy is saved (Woolridge et al. 2006).

The fashion industry is characterized by price downward pressures, rapid consumption and a high

“disposability factor” in which textiles and garments have become consumables rather than durable. A promising approach to solving these problems is offered by a circular economy based on slowing, closing and narrowing resource loops. The circular economy can be considered a possible model for battle the problems of sustainability (Blomsma & Brennan, 2017). While the paradigm of the circular economy has been criticized for highlighting 'easier' corporate environmental initiatives such as recycling, the debate is moving towards including initiatives to slow resource loops and counter inefficient consumption patterns (Geissdoerfer et al. 2017).

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1.1.1 Concept of sustainability

“Sustainability is defined as the persistence over an apparently indefinite future of certain necessary and desired characteristics of both the ecosystem and the human subsystem within”

(Hodge, 1997, p. 9).

Sustainability means preserving an equilibrium system in nature that does not consume more resources than it can regrow. Sustainability embraces three equally important aspects/pillars–

environmental, economical and social, which need to be balanced (Purvis et al., 2018).

The idea of the “Triple Bottom Line” of Sustainability indicated that corporate priorities should be inseparable from the communities and ecosystems in which they work (Edwards, 2005). These three aspects are interdependent and would be discussed separately in the next sections.

Figure 1. Source: Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins (Purvis et al., 2018)

Economic sustainability

Economic sustainability has been defined as a generating income and stability for society members without the erosion of capital and resources. In other words, economy is stable when it does not disturb the sustainability of natural, social, and human societies (Doane & MacGillivray, 2001).

In order to achieve economic sustainability in public sector organizations, it is vital to use renewable rather than non-renewable resources, participate in the re-use and recycling of waste produced and finally, move focus from the first cost to the cost of the life cycle, where commodity prices should account for costs such as emissions, pollution and waste (Kibert, 2008).

Consumers may be curious about the economic viability of businesses, as the economic performance of companies has an impact on the organization's potential to expand and create jobs and resources for future generations (Spangenberg, 2005). However, when looking at the promises of sustainability to customers, the advantages of economic sustainability to the business are not generally recognized by consumers. Instead, economic sustainability impact is seen as a beneficial outcome for organizations' social and environmental sustainability efforts (Ameer and Othman, 2012). Since economic sustainability is mainly related to corporate profit maximization and economic development, its advantages are not always advertised to customers in the same manner as environmental and social sustainability reforms (Bansal, 2005).

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6 Environmental sustainability

According to John Morelli, environmental sustainability is responding to the needs of resources and services of current and future generations, without undermining the health of ecosystems that provide them, it is a state of equilibrium, sustainability and interconnectedness that enables human society to meet its needs, while not exceeding the capacity of its supporting ecosystems to continue to regenerate the services needed to meet its needs (John Morelli, 2011).

A lot of recent studies on sustainability focus on its environmental dimension (Griskevicius et al.

2012; Peloza & Shang 2011). Marketing focuses on the environmental aspect of sustainability may be rooted in early work on environmentally sustainable marketing which focused primarily on green marketing concepts and the ecological consumer. The early work proposed marketing activities as a potential solution to environmental problems related to overconsumption, such as pollution and depletion of resources (Henion & Kinnear, 1976). There is growing public pressure on businesses to take care of the environment (Gershoff & Frels, 2015). Consumers are now preferring goods that produce less waste and use less natural resources. Research indicates that customers are willing to pay more for green goods and services relative to non-green competing products (Prothero et al. 2011). Some studies have also demonstrated that consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly goods across product categories, suggesting that consumers value environmentally sustainable products (Cotte & Trudel, 2009). Lin and Chang (2012) found out that some consumers participate in green actions simply because they care about the well-being of the earth and its inhabitants, demonstrating pro-environmental orientation.

Overall, this research shows that consumers find environmental protection a desirable quality that affects their attitudes towards companies.

Social sustainability

Among the three pillars listed, the social dimension of sustainability is the least studied (Ghahramanpouri et al., 2015) and was only seriously considered as an integral part of sustainability after the year 2000 that should be distinctively discussed (Dempsey et al., 2012;

McKenzie, 2004). The social dimension means attracting capital so that people's quality of life and the community 's wellbeing are sustained and cultural and natural heritage is preserved. The key objective of the social pillar 's sustainability is to preserve social stability, to ensure a higher standard of life and to equalize inequalities between groups and individuals. Social sustainability activities, for example, also cover a wide variety of subjects, such as fair trade, charity work and even employee health and wellness. In addition, social sustainability also means operating a business in such a way as to enhance partnerships and improve the quality of life of different customers (Chow & Chen 2012). The term social sustainability is seldom used in marketing literature, instead of that, Corporate Social Responsibility (hereinafter CSR) is one of the most commonly used expressions of the social dimension of sustainability (Peloza & Shang 2011).

While CSR may also include environmental sustainability efforts, it is a company-level initiative that describes a company's emphasis on the needs of society and often results in an improved partnership with customers (Lichtenstein et al., 2004; Homburg et al.,2013).

Prior research indicates that a company might not understand the full benefits of CSR programs when customers believe that the company's actions are driven more by self-interest than pure benevolence (Wagner et al., 2009). In other words, customers respond more positively to companies and participate in social responsibility programs when they believe that the company's intentions are genuine. There are also costs associated with avoiding the obligations of social

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7 sustainability, for instance, consumer backlash against child labour, lack of decent pay, and jobs.

Conditions have a negative effect on business results and credibility (Knorringa, 2009).

Although the ‘three pillars’ have become common place throughout the literature, they are not universal. Some works consider additional pillars such as institutional (Spangenberg et al. 2002), cultural (Soini & Birkeland, 2014), and technical (Hill & Bowen, 1997).

1.1.2 Sustainability in the fashion industry

Fashion, as a symbolic product, is highly dependent on time and place, and therefore is not static, but constantly evolving (Kaiser, 1990). Thus, sustainability, by preserving an equilibrium system in nature that does not consume more resources than it can regrow, composes literally the opposite of fashion, and particularly fast fashion that is a system that thrives on constant change by producing low-cost and low-quality clothing collections focused on current luxury fashion trends.

The idea of sustainable fashion is an obvious paradox when viewed from this perspective, with the industry on the heels of trends, constant shifts in "new" directions and the need of the modern consumer to keep abreast of these changes.

And yet there are many possibilities for the fashion industry to be sustainable, and one of the options it is to seek ways to manufacture fabrics and use energy in a regenerative and continuous way.

In recent years, the clothing industry and textile firms have been working towards a more sustainable fashion industry in different ways. For example, some businesses prefer to reduce the environmental footprint of their goods by using organic fibers such as organic wool from sheep raised on organically grown feed and grazing on non-pesticide-treated land (Fletcher, 2008) or other forms of fibers such as bamboo, hemp, eucalyptus that have a less adverse environmental effect.

According to Brismar (2020), every part of sustainability in the fashion industry is very important to think about. Thus, sustainability in the fashion industry begins with initial fiber selection (and actually before this as one must take into consideration how the raw fiber was generated itself and what resources went into producing it), and carries into how that fabric is produced, the use and care of garments, and every minute aspect in between. Essentially, sustainable choices are available for each phase of a garment’s complex life history, making the concept of sustainable fashion a difficult one to define (Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2017).

Some businesses prefer to use recycled fibres or materials to design their products. Via reduced energy use, consumption of resources and chemical use, recycled products provide low-impact alternatives to other fiber sources. From an environmental point of view, the goal should be to minimize any negative environmental effect of the life cycle of the product by; ensuring that natural resources (water, electricity, property, soil, animals, plants, habitats, ecosystems, etc.) are used efficiently and carefully; choosing renewable energy sources (wind, solar, etc) at all stages;

and optimizing repair, preservation, reuse, and recycling. From a socio-economic viewpoint, by aligning with good principles, best practices and international codes of conduct, all stakeholders can strive to strengthen existing working conditions for employees in the industry, in factories, transportation chains and shops. Furthermore, fashion companies should contribute to encouraging

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8 more sustainable patterns of use, care and washing activities, and overall attitudes towards fashion (Brismar, 2020).

Fashion companies are largely responsible for transforming their production, distribution and marketing processes and strategies towards greater sustainability. Yet businesses also have the potential to lead to more sustainable patterns of consumption. More global fashion companies sell second-hand fashion or have launched rental programs for leasing clothing and accessories. Other businesses concentrate primarily on producing fashion of high quality and timeless style.

Every year, both from industry and domestic sources, the waste produced by the clothing and fashion industry amounts to about 2.35 million tonnes (Fletcher, 2008). Small parts of the end-up waste are reclaimed, collected or recycled; much of the waste also goes to the landfill, causing environmental harm. Through introducing waste management techniques aimed at re-using items for the same reason by redistributing or re-selling them, restoring and reconditioning them in whole or in part to preserve their useful life for longer periods, and recycling materials in order to generate other goods, the environmental effect of clothing and textile waste can be treated. The re-use of clothing causes the energy required to make a new one to be minimized the energy used for second- hand apparel is 20 % lower than for the manufacturing of a brand new item (Fletcher, 2008).

Several fashion firms have produced together, coalitions tackle environmental and social issues, helping to speed up progress and mitigate the risks of working alone on these challenges. For example, to promote and extend the use of non-toxic, safe chemistry in the clothing and footwear supply chain, 22 apparel brands belong to an alliance called Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, 2017). In setting standards for environmental, social and economic accountability in cotton production, the Better Cotton Initiative includes more than 50 retailers and brands and nearly 700 suppliers (The Better Cotton Initiative, 2020).

1.1.3 Role of transparency in the fashion industry

Transparency is the act of revealing information to all stakeholders of the company through its reporting mechanisms (Martinez & Crowther, 2007). This notion of openness is one of the most critical demands of customers today (Kim, 2020). The topic of transparency is particularly important for fashion brands, as the fashion industry is regularly scrutinized for its unethical supply.The supply chain shall be defined as “all activities involving the delivery of a product from raw material to the customer, including the procurement of raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembly, storage and inventory tracking, order entry and order management, distribution across all networks, distribution to the client and the information system required to track all the of these activities” (Lummus et al., 2001, p. 428). Among these operations, the manufacturing or production process is also said to be the most controversial and opaque aspect of the fashion supply chain, as shown by the controversy concerning the treatment of employees (e.g., low wage, child labor, unsafe working conditions).

There has been a growing desire for sustainable business practices across sectors, and customers are increasingly looking for knowledge on sustainability initiatives by companies (Kim, 2020).

One way to illustrate that sustainable business activity is to share details about the supply chain structure, in particular the method of producing the goods of an organization. Egels-Zandén and Hansson (2016) suggest that the transparency of the supply chain requires the disclosure of three

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9 dimensions: (i) the names of the suppliers engaged in the manufacture of the products of the company, also referred to as “traceability,” (ii) the awareness of the environmental conditions of those suppliers and (iii) the purchasing activities of these firms. Ideally, a transparent company can integrate traceability, sustainability and buying aspects and report on the names, specifications and purchasing activities of each supplier. In view of the current trend towards sustainability, transparency can become the driving force behind sustainable industrial practice.

1.1.4 Corporate social responsibility

One of the ways in which the role of retailers on ethical issues is expressed is through the introduction of Corporate Social Responsibility policies. According to Wright and Heaton (2006) the link between corporate social responsibility and enhanced business performance has been established and research by Mintel (2008) confirms this, emphasizing the value of CSR and sustainability to society. Jobber (2006) points out some of the possible benefits of CSR to organizations:

- reduction of running costs, for example using the renewable sources; and - enhanced brand image and innovative marketing opportunities.

The term "Triple Bottom Line" is now widely used in the sense of CSR to understand that environmental and social issues are becoming more relevant for companies, in addition to economical sustainability (Fisher & Lovell, 2009). However, the reporting of intangible social and environmental aspects of the “Triple Bottom Line” has proven to be a controversial issue that has yet to be resolved (Henriques & Richardson, 2004).

It is now standard practice for companies to establish CSR policies according to Cathcart (2006), influence fashion retailers' apparel procurement methods and collaborations with suppliers, even though as Goworek (2007) put it, "they tend to focus on employment and human rights issues because they have been critical of sweatshop issues" (p. 245).

Consumers may be cynical about the ethical standards of conduct of retailers and consider them to be a cynic marketing plot or "greenwash”. This feeling can be compounded by the actions of high-profile multinational retailers. In 1990, Gap released its first Code of Ethics (Iwanow et al., 2005) but as stated above, subsequently recovered negative press due to the unethical practices of its manufacturers. Fashion retailers very seldom produce apparel that they offer, regularly they subcontract production to manufacturers worldwide (Goworek, 2007) and Gap conforms to this method, functioning as a design and marketing activity (Iwanow et al., 2005). Despite the relatively early publication of Gap's Code of Ethics, a documentary showed that thirteen-year-old children were making clothes for Gap in El Salvador (BBC Panorama, 2000). Large retailers can seek to comply with local laws in the countries of manufacture, but this also allows for the presence of working practices that are not deemed satisfactory in Western countries. For example, the

"Sweatshop Code" (a set of globally accepted guidelines) considers it appropriate for workers to work up to 60 hours a week (Fisher & Lovell, 2009).

CSR research in fashion retailers is sparse and focuses primarily on ethical procurement by fashion retailers and brands, in addition to customer preferences on the purchase of ethical goods. Ellis and Higgins (2006) challenge whether CSR codes of practice provide "moral certitudes” because such codes do not necessarily result in "fairer" trade. Conversely, Pretious and Love (2006) studied how the codes of conduct of clothing retailers addressed ethical issues and concluded that the collection of ethical buying guidelines by most retailers in their study showed the company's contribution to the wellbeing of clothing workers.

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1.2 Purchase decision making process within fashion industry

Fashion is considered a wide industry that is used by customers in daily speech, consisting of clothes, jewelry, and shoes. Increasingly, the fashion industry is characterized by a meaning which is related to the role of the product as a way of connecting with oneself and others and the evocative power that it holds for people. Consumer purchasing decisions are a series of processes that integrate knowledge and selection within consumers to evaluate products to be used. Five stages are included in the purchase decision process (Kotler & Keller, 2012).

Figure 2. Source: The Purchase Decision-Making Process by Kotler et al. (2005)

First stage is problem recognition, it is the stage when consumers recognize a problem or its needs both caused by internal and external stimuli, as well as demographic variables such as age, schooling, gender and income (Comegys, 2006). In addition, when it comes to variables that affect this stage of the process, physiological variables play a crucial role, including motivation.

Workman and Studak (2006) consider motivation to be significant when it comes to fashion.The writers argue that there is a difference whether customers want something or need something. In addition, what may impact customer buyer decision-making processes, more specifically their problem recognition, is marketing about the current fashion trends.

In second stage, information search, before making a decision to purchase something, customers could check the reviews using different channels such as magazines, outdoor media, window display in malls or official websites on the Internet, and then consider their decision.

Nowadays, the Internet plays an important part in searching for information. The digital sources of information made the search process of information more relevant, especially in the fashion industry, where social media and fashion blogs have generated enormous popularity among the previous generation (Legere & Kang, 2020). Social media and fashion blogs are increasingly open to buyers, so when and wherever they are, it is possible for them to search information. Currently, consumers have the ability to gather additional knowledge on fashion that is being disseminated by other users, when businesses have little impact about what is being disseminated about their brand and organization. Moreover, the quest for knowledge will result in the user discovering several alternatives that can satisfy their needs, but there are only a few alternatives that will be noticed (Comegys, 2006).

Third stage is the evaluation of alternatives, it is a very significant component of the decision- making process. At this stage, consumers make several assessments of each brand to choose from (Kotler & Keller, 2012). Previous research suggests that a wide range of choices to choose from will have a positive and negative effect on the choice to buy (Chernev et al. 2015). Maccioni, Borgianni and Basso (2019) note that it will produce negative purchasing effects, such as regret, when buyers have to compete with a large number of options. In comparison, too many choices can deter a buyer, which can lead to no transaction at all, and how customers perceive an excess of options can make them less happy with their decision.

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11 In addition, it may also make them less confident that they have made the correct decision (Chernev et al. 2015). The beneficial result, on the other hand, is that the more people have options, the more likely they are to find an option that meets their preferences and desires. According to Chernev, Böckenholt and Goodman (2015), certain choice options can be beneficial to customers when they feel free to choose. In turn, this can lead to a better shopping experience and increase customer loyalty, which means that the individual favour the evaluation of the consumed product (Chernev et al. 2015).

Forth, the purchase decision, it is the stage in which the consumer's intention to make a purchase is generated (Kotler & Keller, 2012). After consumers have evaluated the products and identified the target product, the decision will be made. Lifestyle and self-concept are two noticeable variables that influence this final choice. Lifestyle demonstrates how people spend time and money on items or events on the basis of a social model, religion or cultural standards and demographic features, as well as how they spend their lives. For example, a fashion customer may buy his or her traditional cloth because of the influence of culture and religion, but in terms of personal feelings, he or she also wants to look trendy and fashionable when communicating with others..

According to Comegys (2006), internet shopping by customers varies because these transactions mostly take place in a private atmosphere and thus the views of other people do not take place. In addition, the authors say that there are already some sub-decisions to make as customers have determined which product to buy before the actual transaction takes place. A customer purchase can be affected by different variables and Hanaysha (2018) suggests that CSR has a positive impact on the purchase decision. If a company is socially conscious and incorporates this in its marketing activities, the author suggests that consumers are more likely to buy from this company rather than from another. Hanaysha (2018) points out that, while marketing campaigns in general would increase the willingness of customers to buy from the brand, social media marketing does not have a major effect on the decision to buy from customers.

Fifth, the consumer phase after making a purchase is the post-purchase evaluation, which will lead to a sense of satisfaction and dissatisfaction (Usman, 2018). It can be seen as an internal experience and reference for the purpose of the next purchase. Consumers are ready to buy back simply because of their excellent service, quality, and comprehensive shopping experience. Usman (2018) notes that repurchasing can contribute to customer satisfaction. To retain consumers and make them want to buy from their brand again, repurchasing habits are of significance to advertisers. In addition, the servicing of existing customers is more cost-effective than recruiting new ones.

Another significant component of post-purchase behaviour is word of mouth (WOM), according to Usman, (2018). WOM can be described as a face-to - face contact that shares trustworthy data and has an effect on the views of other people about businesses and their buying intentions for these businesses.

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1.2.1 Factors which affect the purchase decision

Purchasing decisions could be influenced by several factors, including product quality, competitive prices, brand image and brand awareness (Tsiotsou, 2005; Amron, 2018). Product quality is a product's ability to demonstrate its functions, such as reliability, durability, precision and ease of use (Tsiotsou, 2005). The quality of this product plays an important role for consumers because it is a benchmark in determining purchases seen from the quality and quality of these products. Products of good and even high quality will definitely make consumers decide on purchases. In contrast, products with low quality that are even below consumer expectations will certainly make consumers not decide on purchases (Tsiotsou, 2005). Companies are expected to be able to deliver quality goods and have added value in market competition like today, so that they tend to be superior to rivals (Collier & Bienstock, 2006). The quality of this product is often seen as the overall features of an item or service, and customers will opt to purchase the goods offered when customers perceive that consumer product quality, needs and sacrifices are balanced (Collier & Bienstock, 2006). The quality of the product can be calculated using 4 metrics, including 1) efficiency, which is the key feature of product use; 2) reliability, reliability, i.e. quality of product performance, whether it is not damaged or not working; 3) longevity, which is the range of products used, whether long or not, and 4) safety, the product used does not put the consumer at risk (Collier & Bienstock, 2006)

Purchasing decisions, in addition to product quality are also influenced by competitive price factors. Competitive prices are consumer expectations of the prices of goods sold, whether prices are costly, inexpensive or normal, which are then adjusted for product quality. To comply products obtained by consumers with the sacrifices made, companies must be able to determine the price of the product being offered appropriately, as price is one of the criteria for customers to decide on purchases that are then compared to the benefits received (Collier & Bienstock, 2006). Products with prices matching the advantages offered give higher probability for customers to decide on purchases. And on the other hand, goods with prices that are inconsistent with customer benefits and different from the prices of rivals are much higher, certainly causing customers not to settle on purchases. Competitive prices can be measured using three metrics, which include: (i) the buying power of the customer, the willingness of the consumer to pay for an item or service; (ii) the attractiveness of the product, the ability of the goods of the company to be superior to the products of other companies; and (iii) the compatibility between price and quality, the evidence of the quality of the product or service, by reference to the products of other companies (Collier &

Bienstock, 2006).

Purchasing decisions can also be affected by brand image, in addition to product quality and competitive prices. Brand image is the result of the overall understanding of the product by the customer, which derives from previous experience with the use of the product. Products that are capable of satisfying consumer needs even exceeding consumer expectations can have an impact on customer loyalty, resulting in a positive picture of both products and businesses for customers.

And, on the other hand, goods that are not capable of delivering customer satisfaction would definitely generate negative images for customers, products and companies (Severi & Ling, 2013).

Brand image can be calculated using three metrics, which include: (1) a brand, a symbol, a sign or an identification of a product; (2) packaging, an operation involving the development of packaging designs of a product; and (3) consistency, a skill possessed by a product, including durability, reliability, precision, ease of use, and so on (Severi & Ling, 2013).

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13 In influencing customers to make buying decisions, brand awareness also plays an important role.

It is the capacity of consumers to identify and recall a brand in various countries, situations. In the marketing communication process, brand recognition is an essential component as it precedes other phases in the communication process, also it is the main key related to the product that includes the brand image (Khurram et al., 2018). In order to expand the brand market, the business must be able to raise customer brand recognition (Khurram et al., 2018). Brand awareness can be measured using 3 metrics, consisting of 1) brand identification, is the minimum level of brand awareness that is reached as customers make choices when making purchases; 2) brand recall, is to inform consumers of a brand that is customized to the level of customer demand, to mention certain products in a variety of product categories; 3) mind peak, is the highest level in the brand awareness pyramid (Khurram et al., 2018).

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1.3. Generation Z

Generational cohorts

The development of generational theory has brought new attention to individual factors and raised the question of whether one generation, as opposed to previous generations, has distinct and novel attitudes and ethical abilities that are the product of their environment (Oblinger, 2003).

Generation is presenting an identifiable community which shares specific events (Kupperschmidt, 2000).These specific incidents have affected individuals from identified groups to have similar work and personal beliefs, consequently influencing their work actions and work-related outcomes.

These variations may be at least partially due to the manner in which academics identify cohorts.

For the purposes of this analysis, Generation X is defined as those born in the years 1965-76, Generation Y is defined as those born in the years 1977-1988 and Generation Z are those born 1995-2010 (Reisenwitz & Iyer, 2009; Özkan, 2017; Francis & Hoefel, 2018).

Generation X, Y as well as Generation Z are coming out of a different past and with a different set of skills and standards for coping. They have also experienced a great deal of change: parents’

divorce, corporate downsizing, insufficient financial assistance, and a poor job market. Generation Y has been described as less pessimistic, more hopeful, more idealistic, more likely to value tradition than Generation X (Reisenwitz &Iyer, 2009).

Generation X is technologically advanced and can use technology to personalize and humanize everything. They're credited with moving the Internet into the mainstream. Generation X professionals have a strong preference for online and e-mail business contact and are easily disappointed with financial service providers that are unable to offer that service.In comparison to Generation Y, Generation X is the best educated generation in U.S. history based on college and university enrolment (Mitchell et al., 2005), and education is also positively associated with computer use.Generation Y has been the first generation to use email, instant messaging, and mobile phones since childhood (Tyler, 2015). These resources include the following: mobile phones, Bluetooth, Windows CE handhelds, tablets, e-mails and text messages, to name a few. In addition, Generation Y is a generation of multimedia, multitasking people. When, Barnikel (2005) states that Generation Y is the first generation in which Internet use exceeds television consumption, Gen-Z at the same time, by using technology on a regular basis, is spending more time on social media than all previous generations. They use smartphone and IoT technologies for studying, interacting and connecting, and they are typically more tech-savvy than their older predecessors (French & Shim, 2016).

Generation Z

The characteristics of Generation Z vary from those of other generations. The globalization of the world and the rapid expansion of the Internet in the world are very influential in their distinctive structure. Technology and the Internet are indispensable for this generation that is rising with computers and technological breakthroughs. They live on an ongoing basis with the Internet, social media and their apps such as mp3 players, text messages, cell phones.

Generation Z is known as the "selfie generation," and is considered to be less narcissistic than the previous generation Y. It tends to spend less, as it witnessed world wars and economic recessions

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15 more than others. According to previous generations, they are more optimistic about their wellbeing. They know that the world needs to be "better able to live" and prefer quick communication (Francis and Hoefel, 2018).

We may assume that they are more conscious than previous generations because they spend their time on the Internet and form their lives in this atmosphere. Their friendships are also in the social media. Since their world is a digital environment, their characteristics are formed like a virtual environment. While these individuals are still too young to be interested in the business world by age, consumption preferences and general patterns of consumption belong to their generations (Francis and Hoefel, 2018).

1.3.1 Generation Z as consumers

According to Euromonitor, by 2030, Gen-Z will be the largest market group in the world, so it is reasonable for many companies to look and plan how to capitalize on this demographic and bury the seed for the future.

The marketing strategy provides the criteria for the company's attitude and actions in order to achieve those goals. It is defined by the collection of specific objectives to be accomplished over a period of time, the means and methods by which they are enforced in practice, the patterns and demands that are needed for the achievement of the identified results, the degree of which is calculated by economic indicators such as: volume of activity, market share, benefit, etc.

Ozkan and Solmaz (2015) defined 5 factors that decide Zoomers’ purchase preferences. These factors have been defined as the influence of the Internet, product description, external factors, bargain, sales and product identification. Marketing experts are currently focused on innovative strategies and ways to sustain a constant interaction with brands, products and customers.They use five media platforms, namely: television, print media, radio, cinema and outdoor panels, mixing conventional promotion with modern elements that carry less aggressive brand awareness to the attention of the public.

Gen-Z has inherited and expanded on several features of their millennial predecessors, namely the influence of social media and brand values on purchasing decisions. According to McKinsey, roughly 40 per cent of American teens believe that social media primarily influences their spending habits, and nine out of 10 consumers believe that brands should give details of their beliefs on environmental and social issues, according to BoF and McKinsey 's State of Fashion Report (McKinsey 's State of Fashion Report, 2019).

It is mandatory for advertisement campaigns to be targeted to connect with Z generation. These advertisements must be put on social networking platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram). A study by the media agency found that 77% of young Z's are enthusiastic about games and mostly watch the accounts of the people who make vlogs on the subject. Young people also consume 99 per cent of video content (Facebook video, YouTube video ...). Traditional TV promotions are thus no longer the secret to success, and companies are starting to change their tactics and directions in the coming years. More and more businesses are present in the online world across a variety of ways.

Gen-Z likes advertisements that are funny, have an interesting design and have music in the background.

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16 Even if this generation is still living as economically dependent on their parents (Özkan, 2017), they are also more selective in spending money and more selective in selecting the items they can purchase. They are receptive to the idea of a brand, but they are no more loyal than previous generations. Since they have many options in goods and services, they demand continuous creativity from the products they use. Visuality and design are important to them since they prefer goods. General standards are the chosen product for ease in their lives.Generation Z customers are doing extensive research on the product before buying a product, they are fully checking that product, service and buy by selecting the vendor who gives the best price (Wood, 2013).

Inspiration plays a greater role in the Gen-Z purchase journey than in that of their parents’

generation. In the purchasing journey of young consumers, the exploration process is a key stage:

more than 70% of Gen-Z worldwide and 82% in the US make purchase decisions during the

"inspirational stage" of their shopping experience, according to the Boston Consulting Group's (2020) report.

Figure 3. Time spent in each stage of the purchase journey (Percent); Source: BCG &

Highsnobiety New Luxury Survey (2020)

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1.3.2 Gen Z within fashion industry

Fashion is a fast-growing and transforming industry where tastes are constantly shifting, observed at the highest level relative to other sectors (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). Fashion patterns play an important role in today 's shopping world. They continue to evolve due, in particular, to the generation's preference. When generations grow up with a number of economic and social influences influencing their lives, generations think differently about fashion. Well, thanks to the internet! It has provided a win-win situation for all involved parties, and the physical internet promises a great deal of work (Steele, 1996).

Gen Z is as passionate about fashion as ever and discreetly thinks about fashion. Gen Z adds new approaches to fashion by bringing forth their views on the creative trends and designs that are being sought out. Gen Z likes to buy more and still look to add the new designs and trends to their current set (Muralidhar, 2019).

Gen Z 's fashion industry is gaining a new curve as it reaches out to the current trends in social media. Blogs, websites, have been created by brands to provide information on new arrivals and developments as new generations approach the Internet for the latest trends. Gen Z makes new fashion trends viral indirectly by sharing images of their new look. Gen Z is brave enough to have more faith in current fashion. Gen Z prefers a particular brand when it comes to fashion, it usually does not spend on costly trendy items, as the crowd is currently financially focused. Gen Z's getting bored if there's no shift in the trend and is always searching for something new (Muralidhar, 2019).

This generation is smart and vulnerable to online research with the goal of capturing best prices out of all available shopping options. Generation Z is the ones who are on the verge of joining the workforce, but they have already created an influence on brands to bring exposure to adolescent audiences. It is demanding when it comes to its taste and shopping habits and specifically describes the same thing. As customized purchases are favored by Gen Z, brands are trying to meet the requirements of Gen Z and are largely implementing customization options.

Gen Z will not hold back to discover new arrivals. The characteristics of Gen Z do not stop them from trusting new products, irrespective of the developing market or the developed market. Gen Z is smarter when it comes to the internet and technology and is able to get knowledge to make their buying decisions; it makes all pre-purchase searches for goods or services. This generation likes to try new things and needs comfort when it comes to shopping.

Gen Z and sustainability within clothing

Sustainability is important to Gen Z. Data from the Sustainable Investment Community reported that 73 per cent of Gen Z said they would pay more for the brand if they thought it was sustainable.

Being exposed to the internet and new technology since birth, as well as witnessing the rapid social and cultural shifts of the 2010s, has influenced a generation that is deeply passionate about a multitude of global issues. One of the most important topics of interest to Gen Z is climate change and sustainability. This has already had a noticeable effect on the way Generation Z spends their money, where they choose to live, and who they choose as their employer. The progress of future companies would be determined by the ability to understand the pending effect of Gen Z on the global economy and the value of sustainability.

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18 Companies who are best able to understand unique purchasing habits and customs will be able to capitalize on this young market. Businesses with poor records of environmental stewardship are starting to feel the impact of Gen-Z's shopping habits. This trend is painfully evident in the retail sector, where many "fast fashion" brands that have prioritized cheap materials and mass production over sustainable manufacturing have begun to decline. This is evident from the bankruptcy of a number of big-name quick fashion brands such as Forever 21, Aeropostale, and J. Crew along with retailers including H&M and Zara who are nearing bankruptcy. Gen-Z 's enthusiasm for a variety of social and environmental issues has been moving heavily to how they make buying decisions.

Gen Z not only distinguishes itself from wasteful brands, but also accepts and is willing to pay more for organic items. Products are being purchased for what they embody over the products themselves. The purpose-oriented shopping of Gen-Z spreads to ethical causes, as this generation supports the possibilities of a circular economy (“Case study of Gen Z,” 2020).

Over half of Gen-Z are open to paying more than 10% extra for sustainable products, and by 4 percent more than the previous generation.

Figure 4. Source: First Insight US Consumer Survey January (2020)

Throughout history, several generations of consumers have gravitated to drift or second-hand shopping as a means of either making a bargain or expressing their uniqueness through hard-to- find style choices—or both. Few, however, have taken it as a communal, and habitual, pastime in the way that some Gen-Z consumers have. Young consumers have today adapted to resale faster than any other generation, at 40% of Zoomers purchase second-hand products in 2019 compared to 25 percent in 2016 according to resale site ThredUp.

Resale Platform Depop remains a benchmark and favored platform for many Gen-Z customers today, leaning on sustainability, entrepreneurship, peer-to-peer communication and culture as a means of reimagining consumption and fostering individuality, access and self-expression by questioning conventional conceptions of ownership. This strong combination has created a legion

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19 of young fans, with 90 percent of Depop's 21 million global users under the age of 26 (“Case study of Gen Z,” 2020).

Gen-Z shoppers are adopting secondhand fashion faster than older generations.

Figure 5. Source: ThredUp Consumer Surveys (2020)

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2. Practical part

2.1 Research methodology

The main aim of this research is to evaluate and analyze the role of sustainability and its aspects in the purchase decision making process within fashion industry among Generation Z.

The practical part of the bachelor thesis is based on a theoretical framework. Based on the obtained secondary data described in the theoretical part of the work, research was carried out to gain an understanding of Gen-Z’ awareness of sustainability in fashion industry overall, to find out what information considering sustainability consumers would like fashion brands to share when it comes to social and environmental dimensions. One of the reasons for this study is that most of the previous studies have been done exploring sustainability from the environmental aspect and there is a lack of research that covers both social and environmental sustainability and the attitude of Gen-Z to each of them independently. Secondly, previous studies show that consumers consider social sustainability as highly relevant (Kang et al., 2016).

The partial aim of this research is to find out what impact of sustainability Generation Z care more about and what information fashion brands would like to share and to explain the results to provide a discussion.

Scope

The sampling frame is chosen with the goal of minimizing the possible consequence of as many such alternative associations with non-response behavior as possible; thus, the sampling system is solely made up of students from Prague University of Business and Economics of several faculties:

Faculty of International Relations, Faculty of Business Administration and Faculty of Economics.

Collecting data from such a sampling system is supposed to reduce the possible swamping impact of the degree of schooling. Similarly, since university students are more or less homogeneous in terms of Internet access (Fleck & McQueen, 1999), geographic location, occupation, and to a lesser degree, it is believed that narrowing the sampling context in this manner would minimize the influence of certain other possible socio-demographic associations.

With regard to demographic data, questions asked would be gender, age, to get a clearer understanding of the population surveyed and to see if the responses correspond to the population studied.

Quantitative analysis was selected to accomplish the aim of the Bachelor thesis. From variety of different methods, CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) method has been chosen for data collection querying through a web form (Eurostat). The method was chosen primarily because of the scope of the study and the characteristics of the respondents who spend a lot of time online.

The CAWI method also allows respondents to respond immediately and easily work with the obtained data. The terminology of sustainability and its dimensions within the fashion industry are relatively recent issues. The survey questions were therefore developed in a way that make the topics asked, more understandable by the interviewed population.

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2.2 Structure of the survey

The survey was created in Google Docs. The number of questions differed for the individual respondents and unfolded on the basis of their responses. The respondent, who replied to all the closed questions, was able to answer a maximum of 9 questions. The questionnaire included 1open question where answer was not required, and the rest closed questions. There were also questions to which respondents could respond by specifying more choices.

The survey has been divided into four thematic parts. In the first section, each of the respondents had to start with answering the question regarding age, to confirm that he falls into Generation Z, and then state sex.

As this thesis aims to obtaining an understanding of Gen Z’ awareness of sustainability in fashion industry overall, the next part of the survey aimed at gaining insights in regards, to what was Zoomers’ perception of sustainability in the clothing sector. Moreover, if they consider sustainability important to the production and consumption of textiles, clothing and fashion items, as well as if they take into consideration sustainability while purchasing clothing items. Open question was aimed to find out if Zoomer was aware of clothing/fashion brands or companies that provide the best Sustainability solutions/Sustainable alternatives in their opinion, and also asked to name them. Since the answer for this question was not obligatory, only 15 responds have been received with the names of various brands.

The third part of the survey was focused on what information considering sustainability representatives of Gen Z find important when it comes to social and environmental impacts while their purchase decision making process.

Finally, the fourth part of the survey was focused on the importance of transparency in Zoomer’s purchase decision making process and what information representatives of Gen Z would like fashion brands to share regarding social and environmental impacts of sustainability.

The full text of the questionnaire is given in the appendix of this work.

Distribution of survey

The survey was distributed online. To be more specific, students of Prague University of Economics and Business were contacted directly, the links of the survey were shared through emails. The group of respondents for this quantitative research is generation Z, and thus men and women aged 18 to 25, studying in the Czech Republic. Sample group was controlled by a fixed list of school email addresses and consisted of 219 students, the response rate totaled in around 30

%, which is 66 students. This fact were partially confirming Yun and Trumbo (2000) describing that e-mail response rates can only be approximately 25 to 30 per cent without e-mail follow-ups.

Also, studies indicate that overall response rates are generally lower for online surveys compared to conventional surveys (De Leeuw and Heer, 2002).

The survey was launched on 26.11.2020 and finished on 2.12.2020.

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Sample of respondents

In regards, to the survey, a total of 66 answers were collected. The sample on which the analysis focuses are students of Prague University of Business and Economics (VSE) aged between 18 years old and 25 years old representing according to the literature the Generation Z, therefore, according to these criteria, a total of 65 answers were kept for the analysis. The sample characteristics are summarized in Table 1.

Prague University of

Business and Economics

Number of respondents = 65

Male 24

Female 41

Other 0

Age (11-25 years old)

18-19 17

20-21 20

21-23 20

24-25 7

Above 1

Table 1. Sample characteristics

With regards, to the age 1 respondent was outside of the range studied. In respect of gender, more women responded (63%) against (37%) men.

The predominance of women in the list of respondents can generally be explained by their greater interest in the topic of fashion industry. Also, difference in the response rate can be described as a result of differences in the way males and females make choices and value behaviors in the online world. Some researchers argue that females are more likely to participate in online communication and knowledge sharing practices, while males are more likely to engage in online behavior that is characterized by the quest for information (Jackson et al., 2001).

Responding to an email by accessing, completing, and returning to an online survey is definitely more a method of online information-exchange than an online information-seeking process. From this point of view, it is rational that higher response rates of female students than male students were observed (Smith, 2008).

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2.3 Analysis of the findings

2.3.1 Respondent’s awareness regarding sustainability in the fashion industry

In view of the fact, that the word "sustainability" could create confusion with respondents, describing the word by different issues, phrases gave participants more insight and understanding, and offered more particular definitions of sustainability in the clothing industry. Moreover, as Gen- Z is relatively young and unexplored generation, it is important to understand how they perceive term sustainability. For this purpose, question “What does sustainability in fashion industry mean to you?” has been raised.

Graph 1. Sustainability definition, Source: Author

It has been identified that most Zoomers aware of sustainability in fashion industry as promoting a second life for all garments already produced, but also promoting and creating new reusable materials. And the least definition Zoomers would associate with sustainability is decreasing transport miles per garment, help local manufacturing, or at least reduce distances in the global production chain.

Before analyzing the result of the next answers, it is important to provide a correlation analysis between variables. In correlated data, the change in the magnitude of 1 variable is associated with a change in the magnitude of another variable, either in the same (positive correlation) or in the opposite (negative correlation) direction (Shober et al., 2018). In this case Spearman correlation has been utilized, which is calculated with the ranks of the values of each of the 2 variables instead of their actual values (Shober et al., 2018).

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Promoting a second life for all garments already produced, but also promoting and creating new

reusable materials.

Increase the production of high-quality clothing with greater longevity than most current clothing, stimulate good care and minimize the…

Identifying waste in the supply chain in order to eliminate and recycle waste at various levels.

Better working conditions in developing countries that are actively involved in the textile

industry. Not only with regard to protection…

Decrease transport miles per garment, help local manufacturing, or at least reduce distances in

the global production chain.

Sustainability definition

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24 The aim for inter-item correlations is to ideally be in the 0.3 range, as the closer the correlation is to 1 the more the data suggests that the items may be identical.

It is important to further investigate inter-item correlation matrixes for each dimension.

The following results were obtained using SPSS 26.0:

Do you consider sustainability important to the production and consumption of textiles, clothing and fashion items?

Is Sustainability something you take into consideration while purchasing clothing items?

1.000 .329

.329 1.000

Table 2. SPSS 26.0, Source: Author

Upon examination, the questions do not appear to be inquiring about the same subject. The data for a visual inspection of the relationship, the graphing data was also presented.

The biggest number of the Zoomers surveyed, 28 respondents, review the concept of sustainability as important to the consumption of production of clothing items, with 26 respondents considering it very important, adding up to more than 80% of all respondents. This result is aligned with the literature as Zoomers are a generation considered to be oriented towards sustainability and increasingly aware of some of the social and environmental harms that the fashion industry generates.

Respondents were also asked if they were taking sustainability into account while buying clothing, only 13 of representatives of Gen Z found it important and 4 students found very important to take into consideration sustainability while purchasing clothing items. We can observe a huge difference between the number of Zoomers who consider sustainability essential for the consumption and production of clothing and those who actually change their consumption accordingly. Graph 3 indicates the difference between the answers.

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25 Graph 2. Sustainability in the fashion industry, Source: Author

The answers to question regarding the awareness of any clothing/fashion brands or companies that provide the best Sustainability solutions/Sustainable alternatives by Gen Z have clarified that only 15 respondents know the brands who practices sustainability and also could name them. The most common answer from mass market was H&M company, from upper segment such brands like Patagonia, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood have been mentioned.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Not at all Not really Undecided Somewhat Very much Do you consider sustainability important to the production and consumption of textiles, clothing and fashion items?

Is Sustainability something you take into consideration while purchasing clothing items?