Overconsumption of Fast Fashion: a study on Consumer Behavior, Social Influence, and Environmental Impact

Abstract

The rapid growth of the fast fashion industry has significantly transformed consumer purchasing habits, especially in the Young Adult markets. The vast increase in the consumption of fast fashion has resulted in vast amounts of waste generation and created a wide gap between increasing awareness of the environment and how consumers are acting in their purchasing decisions. This capstone project is an in-depth multi-dimensional analysis of the ongoing issue of excessive consumption of fast fashion in the youth and young adult demographic, It highlights a fundamental paradox in fast fashion consumption: as buyers become more aware of the environmental and social impact of fast fashion purchases such as clothing waste, carbon emissions, and water waste, the more frequently they continue to purchase. This study uses a convergent parallel mixed methods approach. Quantitative data were collected from an online survey (N = 136 respondents ,18-30 years old) and used in conjunction with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews. These interviews incorporated multiple perspectives from both the consumer and industry perspectives and were conducted with College Students, fast fashion representatives of H&M and Zara and the owner of a sustainable thrift store. The findings show that hedonic motivations drive most consumption choices, such as making short-term emotional decisions or buying things on impulse based solely on promotional pricing. Another major factor influencing consumer choices is social influence, which can be direct pressuring of friends or family, but more commonly is indirect through having an ingrained desire to have variety in your wardrobe (from the latest trends). On high-profile occasions to display social status such as parties and weddings, they act as strong situational triggers for making new purchases. The researchers found that people have significant awareness of how their consumption choices impact the environment however, when they make their final purchase decision, factors like price, trendiness, and how visible you will be to society as compared to others will be more influential than any form of environmental awareness or consideration. The research concludes that the overconsumption of 'fast fashion' clothing is a systematic issue created by the interaction between psychological drivers, societal norms, and the structures of the fast fashion industry. It proposes a need for integrating consumer knowledge and behaviour change with industry-wide policy development measures.