Effects of sustainable packaging cues on perceived sustainability, purchase intention and price acceptance of cosmetic products

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractSustainable cosmetic packaging is increasingly important as consumers use packaging-related cues to evaluate the environmental attributes and value of products. However, empirical evidence on consumer responses to different sustainable packaging configurations and communication cues remains limited in Central and Eastern Europe. This study examines perceived environmental sustainability, purchase intention and price acceptance across cosmetic packaging configurations featuring conventional plastic, biodegradable plastic and glass, as well as consumer evaluations of Vegan and Cruelty-Free labels and QR-code cues. A quantitative within-subject study was conducted among 204 adult Slovak consumers using an online questionnaire with nine visual stimuli. Data were analyzed using the Friedman test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Significant differences were identified across packaging configurations in perceived sustainability (χ²(2) = 8.21, p = 0.016), purchase intention (χ²(2) = 16.09, p < 0.001) and price acceptance at the premium price level (χ²(2) = 28.48, p < 0.001). Perceived sustainability was strongly and positively associated with purchase intention (ρ = 0.686, p < 0.001). Configurations featuring biodegradable plastic and glass received higher perceived sustainability evaluations than those featuring conventional plastic, while no significant difference was detected between biodegradable plastic and glass configurations. Biodegradable plastic and glass configurations generated higher purchase intentions than conventional plastic. At the premium price level, the glass configuration received higher price acceptance evaluations than both conventional and biodegradable plastic configurations. No statistically significant differences in perceived sustainability were detected between the Vegan or Cruelty-Free labels and the QR-code cue. The findings provide empirical evidence on consumer responses to sustainable cosmetic packaging configurations and offer practical insights for packaging design and sustainability communication strategies.AcknowledgmentsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic under Grant KEGA 041PU-4/2026 – Innovation of the course consumer behavior in the context of neuromarketing principles and tools and Grant VEGA 1/0673/26 – Research on aspects of consumer behavior in e-commerce with emphasis on neuromarketing approaches.