Factors Influencing the Purchasing Intention of Working Millennial Women from Selected Areas in Taguig Towards Green Cosmetics

Date

5-2024

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Cris Edwin B. Bonalos

Committee Member

Mar B. Cruz, Jeanette Angeline B. Madamba, Melodee Marciana E. De Castro

Abstract

Initial impressions hold great importance. Enhancing one's appearance can foster a positive self-image, boosting confidence and self-esteem. However, the use of makeup may have adverse effects, potentially damaging the skin over time. Furthermore, the cosmetics industry contributes to environmental issues due to its reliance on natural resources, intensifying problems like pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In response, there's a growing movement towards environmentally friendly practices, with increased interest in green products. Green cosmetics offer an alternative, using biodegradable formulations sourced from renewable plants and bacteria, aiming to reduce toxicity and employ transparent manufacturing. They seek to mitigate the health risks associated with certain ingredients found in conventional cosmetics and avoid animal testing, while supporting fair trade and ethical sourcing.

As consumers increasingly prioritize health, wellness, and environmental sustainability, concerns regarding natural resource depletion and environmental damage have gained importance. This awareness has driven a demand for eco-friendly options, especially in beauty and personal care products, that promote skin health while minimizing harm to the environment and society. This study aims to explore the influence of perceived quality, consciousness, and peers towards attitudes, peer influence towards subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control to further understand how these constructs influence the purchasing intentions of working millennial women in Taguig towards green cosmetics. As the largest demographic in the workforce, they wield significant purchasing power and are inclined towards brands aligning with their values and social ideals. Hence, grasping their preferences and attitudes is pivotal for businesses aiming to engage effectively with this cohort. This study holds significance as there is limited research on green cosmetics in the Philippine context. Despite growing environmental awareness in the Philippines, green product acceptance remains relatively unexplored.

This study adopts a descriptive research design, a method employed in scientific inquiry to objectively depict and observe phenomena in their natural state. Utilizing a structured questionnaire compiled from various previously published studies, a quantitative research approach was employed. Descriptive data analysis techniques were then utilized to identify trends and relationships within the data. Modified Kruskal Drivers Analysis was employed to identify the key driver influencing purchasing intentions, while the significance of relationships between variables was assessed using Spearman's Rank Correlation, a non-parametric measure of correlation. These tests were conducted using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), a software tool commonly utilized for statistical analysis.

The study surveyed 104 respondents, with 74.04% falling into the late millennial subgroup (ages 28-36) and 25.96% in the early millennials (ages 37-42). Descriptive analysis revealed that millennial women predominantly use green cosmetics to enhance their self-image, emphasizing the significance they place on self-perception. Environmental considerations highlighted a common dilemma regarding beauty product packaging recycling, necessitating increased awareness due to varied recycling practices among respondents. Recycling is crucial for environmental preservation, offering benefits such as waste reduction, resource conservation, and pollution mitigation. Health consciousness, appearance consciousness, and perceived quality shows insignificant relationship with millennial women’s attitude towards green cosmetics. There is a considerable room for improvement in effectively marketing green cosmetics. While some respondents found marketing efforts effective, others urged clearer communication of sustainability goals and product benefits. Generally, environmental consciousness significantly influences millennial women's attitude towards green cosmetics, aligning with growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products. Ingredient transparency and brand values are prioritized over packaging design, reflecting their commitment to sustainability in the cosmetics industry.

Regarding external influences, there is a noteworthy correlation between the subjective norms of working millennial women and peer influence, indicating that peer influence can shape their subjective norms. This corresponds with the significance of belongingness among millennials and its impact on their norms and interpersonal connections. Recognizing this correlation illuminates the role of environmental consciousness in shaping social norms and peer relationships among millennials, underscoring the necessity of considering these factors in understanding consumer behavior towards green cosmetics.

The study reveals the awareness of millennials, specifically from the late millennial sub-group, on their individual decision-making capacity concerning green cosmetics and consumer choices in general. While both environmental consciousness and peer influence impact intention, the primary driver of a millennial's purchasing intention is perceived behavioral control—their independence and capability in decision-making. Overall findings shows that the late millennial sub-group are mainly affected by these significant factors. Determinants for attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control shows that late millennial women intention is highly influenced considering the indicators of intention. In a general sense, environmental consciousness is an important determinant of attitude to purchase green cosmetics but is only applicable to the late millennial sub-group. Early millennials shows decreased consciousness as they grow older, probably because of the shift of priorities from personal gains to family prioritization. Late millennials, as the group mostly concerned about attitude, shows that there is high consciousness on their purchasing decisions since they’re most likely prioritizes oneself only. Late millennial women expressed willingness to pay a premium for brands known for quality natural ingredients, often making repeat purchases independently. However, product quality remains the ultimate purchasing factor, based on brand knowledge and past experiences. Animal welfare increasingly influences millennial consumers' choices among green cosmetics, highlighting companies' responsibility to clarify and be transparent in their messaging, particularly regarding claims related to animal testing. Additionally, findings shows that the late millennials are mostly concerned with the perceptions of the people within their environment which indicates that they are easily influenced by what their family, friends, and other external forces relay to them. This is explained by the idea that late millennials are basically the new additions to the working force, starting their own socialization circles, and is still highly dependent on their parents. However, late millennials also shows control on their decisions which is proven by perceived behavioral control construct being the main driver of purchasing intention. This means that although late millennials typically value the comments of others, they still decide for themselves at the end of the day. All of these factors changes as millennials age because, as mentioned, there is a shift of prioritization.

Findings highlights that consumers' purchase intentions are greatly influenced by their environmental attitudes, peer influence, and perceived control over their decisions. Furthermore, consumers' understanding of the product and their perception of its quality are crucial factors in shaping their choices. These insights provide valuable guidance for brands operating in the green cosmetic industry, indicating the importance of developing a strong product positioning strategy and effective marketing campaigns. Businesses can capitalize on these insights by tailoring their marketing strategies to enhance consumer perceived value, thus generating interest and fostering a positive attitude towards green cosmetic products. Policymakers in regions with unclear regulations should address misleading communication regarding animal testing in cosmetics and personal care products. Having concrete marketing strategies anchored towards relaying the full potential of green cosmetics in improving an individual’s personal integrity while promoting green movement is a strong combination on how the green cosmetics industry in the Philippines can further elevate their positioning in the market.

Language

English

LC Subject

Purchasing, Cosmetics

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2024 M17 G88

Notes

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Document Type

Thesis

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