ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN, GREEN PRODUCT BELIEFS AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY MORE TOWARD GREEN FASHION PRODUCTS. A COMPARISON BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN.

Increased community awareness on environmental degradation and its consequences on health and ecosystem has changed consumers’ consumption culture. Despite a growing environmental concern, consumers still fail to buy eco-friendly products, above all in fashion industry. The study aims at understanding consumers’ attitudes toward green products by analysing the effect of perceived environmental knowledge and green product beliefs on willingness to pay a price premium. Data collected from 520 respondents in China and 384 in Taiwan are tested against the research model by using structural equation modelling. Results reveal that environmental concern has a significant impact on perceived environmental knowledge, which in turn can influence both green product beliefs and willingness to pay a price premium. Green product beliefs report a positive influence on intentions to pay more only for the Taiwanese sample. The findings of this study present important theoretical and practical implications for consumer green product purchase behaviours.