Factors impacting on the intention to purchase green cosmetics: A case study in Vietnam

Abstract

Currently, worldwide consumers are gradually moving towards green, environmentally friendly products and regard them as a standard for high-quality products and services. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices for goods labeled with sustainable production standards. Most developing countries in Asia have developed environmental protection laws. The recent number of people willing to pay more for eco-friendly products shows that this market is expanding. According to a report on the Vietnamese cosmetic market, the demand for natural cosmetics is on an upward trend. If in the past beauty technologies were popular with cosmetic chemicals thanks to the quick effects that they bring, recently, the trend of beauty with natural extracts is more popular (essential oils of herbs, fruits, saffron, pearls, seaweed, honey…). The team carried out this study with the aim of discovering, measuring and delving into the factors affecting the intention to purchase green cosmetics of Vietnam citizens. This study gives a general view of Vietnam people’s attitudes and how they react towards green consumption in general and green cosmetics purchase intention in particular. The official data source used in this study was collected based on survey questionnaires from 213 Vietnamese people aged 18 and above. The research team used data analysis methods including Outer Loading analysis, scale reliability analysis - Cronbach's Alpha and Composite reliability, average extracted variance (AVE), discriminant value - Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio, evaluate the structural model through the coefficients VIF, R2, f2 and use regression to test the model and hypotheses. The research proposes and analyzes the impact of 6 factors: (1) Environmental Concerns, (2) Health Consciousness, (3) Product Knowledge, (4) Subjective Norms, (5) Perceived behavioral control, (6) Attitudes towards green cosmetics on the dependent variable, which is green cosmetics purchase intention. Moreover, the directions for further research on this topic have also been mentioned. Finally, based on the results, the research team proposes some recommendations and managerial implications for businesses that have been operating in the field of green cosmetics to help them improve and operate more effectively.