Sustainable retailing Practices and Consumer Purchase Intentions: Evidence from Indian Urban Markets

Abstract

The increasing emphasis on environmental sustainability has significantly transformed the retail landscape, compelling retailers to integrate sustainable practices into their business strategies while simultaneously influencing consumer purchasing behaviour. In emerging economies such as India, rapid urbanisation, increasing environmental awareness, and changing consumption patterns have intensified the need to understand how sustainable retailing initiatives shape consumer purchase intentions. This study investigates the relationship between sustainable retailing practices—including eco-friendly product assortment, green packaging, energy-efficient store operations, ethical sourcing, waste reduction initiatives, and corporate sustainability communication—and consumers' purchase intentions within Indian urban markets. The study is conceptually grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), Stakeholder Theory, and Signalling Theory to explain how sustainability-related attributes influence consumer attitudes, trust, perceived value, and behavioural intentions. The proposed research employs a quantitative research design using structured survey data collected from urban consumers across major Indian metropolitan cities. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is suggested to examine the causal relationships among the constructs. The expected findings indicate that consumers demonstrate stronger purchase intentions when retailers effectively communicate authentic sustainability initiatives and provide environmentally responsible products without compromising quality or affordability. The study contributes to sustainable retailing literature by developing an integrated conceptual framework tailored to the Indian retail context while offering practical implications for retailers, policymakers, and sustainability practitioners seeking to promote responsible consumption and long-term competitive advantage.