Impact of Greenwashing on Consumer Trust and Purchase Intentions

Abstract

Social views changed significantly as the twenty-first century began; one such development was in consumer behaviour. Corporates promote their image as a sustainable and social-responsible company by using green marketing techniques noise. Growing numbers of greenwashing and bogus environmental claims raise worries about consumer deception, loss of trust, and purchase intents. The study looks at how greenwashing affects consumer trust and purchase intention given that green skepticism mediates the interaction. Data gathered physically from 400 Pune City residents using a standardized questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale under the quantitative approach was employed. ANOVA, regression, and further tests on two hypotheses were done using primary data. The study showed a significant negative link between customer confidence and perceived greenwashing. One also discovered a notable link between green skepticism and the buying intention of eco-product consumers, therefore supporting the opposite hypothesis. Using age, education, and profession as the independent factors, demographic analysis was conducted with sensitivity to greenwashing and skepticism toward green claims as the dependent variables. The study therefore highlighted reasonable and verified green marketing claims to rebuild consumer confidence. The research showed that greenwashing not only damages the brand's credibility but also hinders the transition to sustainable consumption. Therefore, enterprises should actively engage in open communication, the application of third-party environmental certification, and even consumer education to clear doubt and foster confidence. The study therefore not only provides specific recommendations for marketers, legislators, and sustainability campaigners all who sincerely desire a genuine feeling of environmental responsibility in the business sphere but also helps to augment the expanding body of work on green consumer behaviour.