Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour in the Fast Fashion Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

The fast fashion industry, driven by its ability to provide consumers with affordable, trendy clothing at a rapid pace, has grown exponentially, creating significant environmental and societal challenges, making sustainability a pressing concern. While sustainability has garnered attention in consumer behaviour research in the fashion industry, a comprehensive review of its role in consumer behaviour within the fast fashion industry (FFI) remains scarce. This systematic literature review addresses this gap by examining how sustainability is studied in consumer behaviour research within the FFI, both as a driver or response of consumer behaviour. A total of 77 articles were finalised for the review. A descriptive analysis was performed to examine the research trends and methods, journal representation, theoretical framework, geographical and demographic scope; then a content analysis was conducted. The study finds a notable increase in publications since 2020. We identified various drivers of sustainable consumer behaviour, among which the most explored were sustainable product attributes, brand sustainability strategies, CSR efforts, personal values, sustainability awareness, and attitudes towards sustainable fashion. The response explored in the sample included consumers' purchase intentions towards sustainable clothing options and consumers' disposal practices. This review identifies several research gaps suggesting the need for further research into male consumers' attitudes, and generational and cross-cultural differences; the use of diverse theoretical frameworks and mixed research methods is also suggested. Our study provides practitioners with several suggestions that include development of sustainable marketing strategies and policies to promote sustainable practices through education and awareness campaigns.