Going Green: Assessing Perceived Value and Purchase Intentions in Indian Cosmetic Market

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in consumer concern about their health & environment. This concern has led to a substantial shift in consumer behavior towards cosmetics which are composed from natural organic ingredients and are free from harmful preservatives such as parabens and sulphates. The paper intends to compare the perceived value of Conventional cosmetics with that of green cosmetics measuring the perceived value across functional, social, emotional, health, and environmental dimensions. It also examines the role of key drivers for buying green cosmetics on their perceived value. The study is based on primary data collected from 210 users of cosmetic products in India. Descriptive and Inferential statistics has been used to analyse and interpret the data. The findings reveal a significantly high perceived value of Green Cosmetics among Indian consumers compared to Conventional Cosmetics across all dimensions. It is also found that the users of green cosmetics have a strong preference for quality and health consciousness for buying green cosmetics and that these factors significantly influence buying intention of Green Cosmetics.