Author(s) :

Layla Malik.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

It is clear that fast fashion has a negative effect on the environment and that the industry is motivated to continue because it is profitable. However, it is not clear why consumers continue to purchase fast fashion. This study aimed to explore why consumers choose to purchase fast fashion, employing an anonymous survey to capture the purchasing decision making factors of teenage girls in the New York and New Jersey area of the United States. Through this survey, the research investigated which factors, such as price, trendiness, convenience, and awareness of environmental & socioeconomic impact, had the biggest impact on purchasing decisions. Although limited by a small and geographically narrow sample size, this exploratory study’s findings suggest that price and high desire for clothing items positively influenced fast fashion purchasing decisions, while understanding the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion appear to have had the opposite effect on purchasing decisions in survey participants. The results highlight areas for future research and advocacy in shifting consumer behavior towards sustainability, as they help to better understand consumer fashion purchase decisions, helping to accurately target efforts to reduce fast fashion consumption.