Gwendolyn Hustvedt

Consumer likelihood of purchasing organic cotton apparel

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the organic apparel consumer. Is the recent upsurge in organic cotton products another fashion trend or is there a segment of consumers genuinely interested in purchasing organic cotton apparel based on the benefits of organic agriculture to the environment?, – Data were collected with a mail survey of US health and natural foods consumers. Conjoint analysis revealed salient product attributes and cluster analysis identified segments of consumers with different attribute preferences. Factor analysis uncovered latent variables from among the large number of items and the clusters were examined for differences in their psychographic profiles., – It was found that the 38 percent of consumers who found used organic cotton content salient had positive attitudes toward organic and sustainable agriculture, preferred to “buy locally” and had a strong self‐identity as environmental, organic, and socially responsible consumers., – The sample of US health and natural foods consumers means that the results cannot be generalized too widely. Research is currently under way to relate the self‐reported purchase behavior of organic apparel consumers discussed here to actual purchase behavior., – Survey respondents interested in purchasing organic cotton apparel agreed that organic farming is good for the environment, suggesting that consumers would be receptive to marketing messages that place an emphasis on the environmental benefits of purchasing organic cotton apparel., – The paper provides insight into the attitudes and motivations of environmentally concerned US consumers of organic apparel and provides information on focusing marketing to these consumers.

Consumer Preferences for Sustainable Wool Products in the United States

Leading wool suppliers such as Australia began marketing organic wool to counter a decades-long decline in the world wool market. Given the challenge of adopting certified organic practices for wool production in certain parts of the world including the United States, consumer demand for organic wool products relative to alternative production attributes is assessed to explore the feasibility of certifying these attributes. An Internet survey found that most US consumers preferred wool to acrylic; distinguished wool products by origin; valued organic certification less than combined environmental sustainability and animal welfare claims; and lowered their valuation for wool products in response to the information provided on wool attributes.

The Contribution of Perceived Labor Transparency and Perceived Corporate Giving to Brand Equity in the Footwear Industry

While interest in the footwear industry in strengthening brand relationships with customers using corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increased, the effects of CSR on brand equity are undetermined. This research examines how consumers’ subjective evaluations of CSR efforts affect customer-based brand equity. A total of 909 responses were used to empirically test the role of consumers’ perception on a brand’s effort to be transparent and honest about labor condition (perceived brand transparency) as well as consumers’ perception about the brand’s charitable activities (perceived corporate giving) in building its brand equity. Results showed that both brand perceived transparency and perceived corporative giving directly affect brand equity and also indirectly contribute to increasing brand equity mediated by brand attitude and brand trust. However, perceived brand transparency has a significantly stronger direct impact on brand attitude and brand trust than perceived corporate giving does. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

What is a label worth? Defining the alternatives to organic for US wool producers

Purpose – As sustainability efforts have increased across the apparel and textile industries, consumers are being exposed to an increasing variety of information and label claims. The purpose of this paper is to determine consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for locally produced animal fiber products with organic and alternative labeling schemes, which included eco‐friendly, natural and sustainable.Design/methodology/approach – Experimental auctions were used to elicit bids on wool socks from consumers across three Southern US states. Means were computed for the various bids, as well as bid differences before and after definitions. To test for significance, non‐parametric Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests for matched pairs were performed for all differences investigated.Findings – Consumers indicated higher WTP for all versions over conventional wool socks, with the highest WTP exhibited for organic. WTP for organic versions further increased after definitions were provided. Natural and eco‐friendly versions had la...

Does “Science” Matter to Sustainability in Higher Education? The Role of Millennial College Students’ Attitudes Toward Science in Sustainable Consumption

Higher education has committed to fostering the development of students as educated consumers as well as ethical professionals capable of valuing sustainability in their decision-making. Making decisions based upon the understanding of the complexities of sustainability requires a certain level of scientific knowledge and appreciation that can be introduced and developed by educators. However there has been no empirical study that supports significant relationships between attitudes toward science and sustainable consumption to date. This study developed a model depicting the effects of attitudes toward science on beliefs about sustainability and attitudes and behavioral intentions toward sustainable consumption. The model was tested via structural equation modeling with online survey data collected from 1,480 millennial college students in the Southern US. The results suggest that perceived importance of public understanding of science directly affects beliefs about sustainability including ethical obligation, consumer effectiveness, consumer responsibility, and perceived knowledge, which in turn indirectly affects attitudes and behavioral intentions toward sustainable consumption. An interest in science as a career, however, does not demonstrate such effects. This study is vital to higher education, policy makers, and industry practitioners who are working on turning consumption towards sustainability and expanding their ability to provide the scientific foundation that students can use to make sustainable decisions.

The Feasibility of Large-Scale Composting of Waste Wool

Although wool remains a popular fiber due to its durability, comfort, and ease of quality production, increasing the sustainability of wool fashion products requires attention to all portions of the wool life cycle, including production of sheep to provide the wool. Managing sheep in many regions of the globe results in excess or waste wool that is not suitable for the textile or fashion supply chain. One way to increase the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of wool production is to compost the waste wool into soil amendments and landscaping aids that can provide producers with additional income, provide horticulturalists with an environmentally friendly alternative to other soil amendments, and provide communities that depend on sheep a pride in the value of all parts of the life cycle. This chapter outlines an experimental study that was conducted to determine the proper proportions of sheep waste products to other biomass that would be needed in a large-scale composting operation in order to produce a high-quality compost valuable to the horticulture and agriculture industries. The results of an experimental trial with waste wool determined that a 25 % waste wool, 50 % grass clipping, and 25 % horse stall waste mixture provided the optimal results for composting in a large-scale manner. Separation of compacted wool, if transported in wrapped bundles, proved essential for allowing sufficient decomposition of the waste wool. The composting produced was tested and determined to be of acceptable quality.