Effortless shopping : A qualitative study of Gen Z's shopping behaviour and how they value the environmental sustainability in the fashion industry 

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of Gen Z’s structure in the buying decision-making process and how they value environmental sustainability within the fashion industry. In this context, the following research questions was formulated: (1) What structure does the buyer decision-making process follow for Gen Z when it comes to apparel shopping? (2) How does Gen Z value environmental sustainability when buying apparel?    Theories used in the literature review have included the main concepts of sustainability in the fashion industry, the buyer decision-making process and Gen Z. In order to clarify the relationship between the main concepts a conceptual framework was presented, which together with the theoretical framework was used to analyse the empirical data. The empirical data of this study refers to the collection of multiple interviews with individuals born between 1996-2002. By following a qualitative research method an understanding of Gen Z´s shopping behaviour and whether they are affected by environmental issues was collected. With regard to the concept being a relatively unexplored area in the business research, this thesis is based on a deductive research approach. It was concluded that the Gen Z does not follow the traditional structure of the buyer decision-making process and do not value environmental sustainability when buying apparel. Finally, the minority purchasing sustainable apparel have a higher involvement in their buyer decision-making process due to their motivation towards sustainable choices.