Developing a Consumer Decision-Making Process (DMP) Model Fit for Overtly Sustainable Fashion Companies

Consumer behaviour is influenced by phenomena such as sustainability. Poor sustainability practices can lead to reputational damage and fashion customers’ attrition or dissatisfaction; good practices can enhance reputations and stakeholders’ perceptions. By 2022, nearly 5000 companies (including fashion manufacturers and retailers) in 79 countries, demonstrated their sustainability practices by gaining ‘B Corporation’ (BCorp) accreditation. Sustainable fashion consumers’ decisions contribute to more or less sustainable consumption patterns. Their values align with Elkington’s Triple-Bottom-Line (TBL) increasingly cited as People, Planet and Prosperity. They accept the sacrifice of paying more to address society’s long-run interests and reduced environmental impact. This chapter focuses on the Decision-Making Process (DMP) at the heart of the EKB model. It uses fashion-related BCorp exemplars to show how the People and Planet foci can complement the traditional bottom line in a TBL-based DMP.