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Exploration of Consumer Motivations and Buying Decisions in the Slow Fashion Industry in New Zealand: The Role of Sustainability Focus and Branding
Author: Hong Thao Anh Le
Supervisors: Edwin Rajah Bing Dai
13 August 2025
Le, H. T. A. (2025). Exploration of Consumer Motivations and Buying Decisions in the Slow Fashion Industry in New Zealand: The Role of Sustainability Focus and Branding [Master's thesis, Auckland International Campus, Otago Polytechnic]. Research Bank. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.7067
Abstract
Fast fashion is increasingly criticised for its significant environmental and social consequences. In response, slow fashion has emerged as a sustainable alternative, attracting ethically minded consumers. Although sustainability receives growing global attention, there is limited empirical research on the drivers for the adoption of slow fashion, especially in New Zealand, a country known for its strong environmental awareness. This research contributes to the broader literature on sustainable consumption by locating these dynamics within a culturally distinct and under-researched market. Moreover, it addresses the gap in the understanding of diverse consumer motivations in New Zealand and examines how sustainability branding strategies shape slow fashion customers’ choices. This research addresses two key questions: (1) What motivates consumers in New Zealand to engage with slow fashion? and (2) How does sustainability-focused branding influence their purchasing decisions? This research adopts a qualitative methodology, combining netnographic observation with semi-structured interviews of both consumers and brand representatives. Results indicate a spectrum of motivations, including ethical alignment, emotional resonance with brand narratives, and perceived product quality. Results also highlight barriers such as price sensitivity and scepticism towards branding claims. Results also highlight barriers such as price sensitivity—particularly among younger consumers with limited disposable income—and scepticism towards branding claims, especially when sustainability messaging lacks transparency or appears performative (Chaudhary & Gula, 2025; Riesgo et al., 2020). The perceived effectiveness of sustainability branding is subject to consumers’ trust levels and sustainability literacy. Findings underscore the need for slow fashion brands to tailor branding strategies to varying consumer profiles. They also offer practical guidance for slow fashion brands on how to align sustainability branding with consumer motivations to enhance adoption. This study contributes to sustainability and consumer behaviour literature by contextualising slow fashion adoption within a culturally specific, under-researched nation setting.
Keywords
slow fashion, sustainability branding, consumer motivation, ethical consumption, New Zealand
Licence
A copy of the thesis is publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license
This licence applies except where otherwise indicated, especially for images.