Award Date

12-2010

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Hotel Administration

Department

Hotel Administration

First Committee Member

Curtis Love, Chair

Second Committee Member

Karl Mayer

Third Committee Member

Bo Bernhard

Graduate Faculty Representative

Jack Schibrowsky

Number of Pages

80

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine consumer purchasing habits of ecofriendly apparel in a retail resort environment. In order to find the rationale behind purchasing decisions, this study measured sales and survey responses based on the choice of two tee shirt options, eco-friendly tee shirts and regular cotton tee shirts. The survey was given to all customers purchasing these tee shirts in order to determine specific demographic information as well as their personal opinions on eco-friendliness, and willingness to pay a premium for eco-friendly products. Due to a lack of previous research in this field, this study is considered exploratory.

The data was collected from a resort retail store in Ocean Beach, NY. All surveys were completed during the 2010 summer season. Data analysis found that positive attitudes regarding eco-friendliness and the willingness to pay a premium for eco-friendly products were indicators of eco-friendly apparel purchases. There was also a positive relationship between the percentage more customers were willing to pay for eco-friendly products and their overall eco-friendliness. The respondent demographics that led to an increased purchase of eco-friendly apparel included gender (females) and permanent residence (urban).

Keywords

Apparel; Consumers' preferences; Eco-friendly; Fabric ; Green products; Hotels; Organic; Resorts; Retail trade; T-shirts

Disciplines

Marketing | Sales and Merchandising | Sustainability

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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