A Green Segmentation: Identifying the Green Consumer Demographic Profiles in Sri Lanka

Today, many companies are trying to practice green marketing while consumers are motivating to change their consumption patterns in order to reduce environmental harm. Research indicates that the environment has had an explicit impact on consumer behaviour according to their environmental awareness, knowledge and beliefs have become effective contributor to identify target markets and motivate consumers to engage in green purchasing behaviour.

Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify distinct market segments based on environmental knowledge and green purchasing behavioural intention of eco-friendly food products. Thus this study empirically investigated how consumers who differ in terms of environmental knowledge/cognitive perspective, beliefs and understand an appropriate green consumers’ market segments through demographic profiles in Sri Lankan consumers.

A sample of 233 consumers was used for the data analysis. Dimensions and variables for the study were identified and they were measured through Likert-type scale. The data were collected principally a self –administered questionnaire and analysed using both descriptive measures and correlations between variables.

The research found that age influence the consumer's intention to buy green products. The consumers above 45 years have less environmental knowledge but would have intention to pay more for green products and can be targeted as emerging green consumers in Sri Lanka. Consumers who are in young age category show more environmental awareness & knowledge but are highly price sensitive customers who can be targeted as price sensitive green consumers. However, this study did not identify environmentally green consumers who are environmentally concerned and willing to go with green every time in the Sri Lankan context.

This paper serves as a pioneer study to identify demographic profiles and green consumer segment in the Sri Lankan context and therefore, this paper offers some insights in green strategies to Sri Lankan businesses.