Cross‐domain sustainability preferences in clothing and food: Evidence from environmental attitudes, stated confidence in producers claims and willingness‐to‐pay measures

Summary

This cross-domain consumer study of 506 UK respondents used a discrete choice experiment and survey-based preference elicitation to examine whether environmental and ethical sustainability preferences transfer uniformly between clothing and food purchases. The findings reveal domain-specific and attribute-specific patterns: environmental considerations were selected more frequently for clothing, whilst ethical considerations were prioritised for food; both domains showed that functional attributes (price, quality, taste) were selected more often than environmental or ethical considerations; and stated confidence in manufacturer environmental claims was limited. The results suggest that sustainability messaging and policy interventions may need to be tailored by product category rather than assuming consistent cross-domain preferences.

Regional applicability

The study was conducted with UK consumers and reflects UK market conditions, online shopping behaviour, and stated preferences. The findings are directly applicable to UK food policy, retail strategy, and consumer communication regarding sustainability claims, though stated preferences in online surveys may not fully reflect actual purchase behaviour at point of sale.

Key measures

Stated utility for environmental commitments (Zero Deforestation Pledge, Supports Local Ecosystems), stated willingness-to-pay, self-reported purchase priorities, environmental attitude scales, consumer confidence in manufacturer claims, price sensitivity

Outcomes reported

The study measured environmental attitudes, stated purchase priorities, and willingness-to-pay for sustainability attributes across clothing and food categories among UK consumers. It examined whether environmental and ethical preferences were consistent across product domains.

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