Ethical Textile Consumption: Only a Question of Selflessness?

Abstract

When it comes to purchase decisions for fair-trade clothing, there seems to be a gap between actions and words. Only few people buy fair trade despite stating moral concerns. Based on a survey of German consumers and the results of a behavioral economic game, the article presents strategies to minimize the gap identified between the willingness to purchase and the moral standards that many consumers set for themselves. The data suggests several consumer types and provides a few promising starting points for strategies that are not based on selflessness but rather generate more tangible benefits for the individual consumer groups. At least three of five consumer types or two-thirds of the consumers may constitute possible target groups according to the findings.