A fuzzy approach to determining antecedents to green cosmetic consumption in India

Purpose Heightened public concerns for the global environment due to human overexploitation have given rise to many green product initiatives by businesses. Green cosmetics (GC) are products developed and marketed based on ecological sustainability and have shown increasing consumer appeal worldwide. The current research investigates the antecedents of green cosmetics consumption among Indian GC users, hitherto un-investigated comprehensively. Design/methodology/approach The study is a cross-sectional pairwise comparison of green evaluation criteria for cosmetics using an expert panel of thirty Indian cosmetic users using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) and investigate the impact of a comprehensive list of antecedents on the multi-criteria category consumption decision. Findings The study results indicate that perceived consumer effectiveness is the most critical factor for green cosmetics consumption in India, followed by brand trust, behavioural control, and environmental effectiveness. The least important factors are price and social norms. Research limitations/implications As the GC category is at nascent stage in India the investigation is limited to the GC category innovators – a set of people high in intellectual and financial resources. The study is also limited to women users as the male cosmetic market in the country is still very small. Practical implications The study results can help marketers in designing and implementing GC related marketing strategies to deliver higher customer value to the target segment. Academicians can use the study results for better prediction of category related behaviour of consumers. Social implications The study results will help promote GC category adoption and usage which can benefit the environment and consumer health. Originality/value The study contributes to literature and practice by assessing a comprehensive set of critical antecedents to GC adoption using a novel approach of F-AHP and an expert user panel. The study results offer insights to marketers that can be used to develop suitable strategies to convert non-GC users into GCs in India and similar markets, improving category penetration and benefitting marketers, retailers, users, and the environment.