Understanding young consumers' tendencies regarding eco-labelled products

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore different factors influencing young consumers' approaches to eco-labeled products in an emerging country, Turkey. Design/methodology/approach - Relevant measures were adapted from the previous literature to assess key constructs on environment and eco-label perceptions. First, an exploratory factor analysis was employed for identifying the key dimensions, and then structural equation modeling was conducted for testing the research hypotheses. Findings - The findings reveal that the existence of perceived environmental knowledge has an influence on eco-labeled product purchase tendencies, with environmental concern (EC) having a significant mediating effect. Practical implications - This study contributes to practice by addressing perceptual factors affecting young consumers in emerging markets such as Turkey. This relationship can be utilized to increase the tendency to purchase eco-labeled products to create EC enhancing programs in education in addition to environmental knowledge leveraging ones. Besides, these findings may also be beneficial in eco-labeled product marketing efforts. Originality/value - This study provides value for the literature by investigating the perception of young consumers in an emerging market specifically, and adopts a more specific eco-label focus, which it integrates with an environmental perspective.