O consumidor de cosméticos veganos: uma análise considerando motivadores, inibidores e a regionalidade

Abstract

The general objective of this research was to identify and analyze the factors that influence the purchase intention. For this, a mixed methodology was used. In the first stage, a qualitative exploratory one, an in-depth understanding of consumers of vegan cosmetics and the reasons that lead them to consume these items was sought. This occurred through conducting 15 interviews and support in the literature. The results pointed to animal protection as the main influencing factor for these people to use this type of cosmetic, while the secondary factors were a concern for the environment, their health, and, more mildly, social influence. Considerations about the quality of cosmetics were also made, in an unprecedented way, theoretically contributing to the incipient literature. From this scenario, a theoretical model was proposed containing the possible factors that influence the purchase intention of vegan cosmetics. Therefore, it was decided to analyze the following influencing constructs: environmental awareness; concern for animal welfare; social influence; health awareness; perception of product quality; high price perception; perception of little availability; and consumer distrust. Subsequently, in the second phase of the dissertation, a confirmatory study was carried out, whose data was collected through an electronic survey. The statistical technique chosen was Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The number of responses considered valid for the study was 299. The tests carried out on the model indicated its fit and empirical validity. The research results confirmed eight of the twelve proposed hypotheses. Based on the determination coefficients obtained, it can be concluded that the model explains 61.4% of the variance in attitude towards the consumption of vegan cosmetics, 34.8% of the concern for animal welfare, 57.7% of the intention to purchase vegan cosmetics, and 6.3% of quality perception. As the main results, the intention to purchase vegan cosmetics is influenced by the attitude towards the consumption of these products, and this relationship is moderated by variables such as the perception of product availability, whether the individual is vegan or not, and the time in which he consumes vegan cosmetics. Furthermore, the attitude is motivated by environmental awareness, concern for animal welfare, and the perception of quality. Distrust in the brand and sensitivity to price elasticity were confirmed as its inhibitors. Finally, it was also found that health awareness influences consumers' perception of quality and that animal welfare is influenced by environmental awareness. Regarding regionality, it was observed that consumers from Triângulo Mineiro are more sensitive to price elasticity and are less motivated to consume vegan cosmetics for environmental reasons.