The aftermath of greenwashing in the fashion industry: Chinese consumer responses to different types of greenwashing

Purpose An increasing number of fashion firms face criticism for “greenwashing” due to the industry’s longstanding negative environmental and social impacts. This experimental study, in the fashion industry context, evaluated consumers’ perceptions of hypocrisy, demonstrated by false labeling, vague information and downsizing negative environmental impacts in corporate social responsibility initiatives. This study also investigated how these perceptions influence consumers’ evaluations of the firm’s moral inequity and their likelihood of engaging in complaint behaviors. Design/methodology/approach An online survey company recruited Chinese consumers to participate in a between-subjects experimental study. Three types of news articles were developed – false labeling, vague information and downsizing of negative aspects – reporting on a fictitious fashion firm’s greenwashing practices. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the stimuli and completed a corresponding survey. Findings Analysis of the 210 collected responses revealed that false labeling had the highest level of corporate hypocrisy perceptions, whereas the downsizing of negative aspects resulted in the lowest level. Moreover, perceived hypocrisy increased moral inequity, which subsequently influenced consumer complaint behaviors. Specifically, when consumers’ expectations toward a firm’s morality were violated – whether through false labeling, vague claims or selective omission – they felt deceived, leading to perceptions of moral hypocrisy. Upon detecting hypocritical behavior in corporate greenwashing, consumers felt moral inequity and took various complaint actions. Originality/value This study’s findings provide valuable insights into greenwashing within the fashion industry, addressing industry-specific issues. Academically, this study suggests new classifications of customer complaint behaviors by relating the current circumstances of customer complaints to previous classifications.