The Influence of Social Media Influencers on Sustainable Apparel Purchase Intentions among Indian Consumers- An Integrated Application of Source Credibility Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour in the Context of Emerging Market Dynamics

As the harmful effects of fast fashion on the environment have led to a rise in people's interest in sustainable clothing consumption in India, social media influencers (SMIs) stand out as the most important channel for influencing the attitudes and behaviors of young consumers. This paper makes an attempt to examine how influencers change sustainable apparel purchase intentions through the dimensions of Source Credibility Theory (trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness). Employing source credibility and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), research shows that social media influencers greatly affect sustainable apparel purchase intentions of Indian consumers. Among the issues raised by the mass media one of them is about the continuous depletion of environmental resources because of fast fashion. As a result, consumption of environmentally friendly clothing has become a major topic of discussion in India. Consumer perceptions and behaviours are most often influenced by social media influencers (SMIs) who, by the way, constitute a very important channel. This paper delves into the impact of influencers on buying intentions for sustainable clothes for Source Credibility Theory (trustworthiness expertise attractiveness) and finds that through the use of source credibility and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) social media influencers have a strong influence on purchasing intentions for sustainable clothes among Indian consumers Qualitative data from secondary sources reveal that the attributes of source credibility (i. e. trust knowledge, and attractiveness) of the influencer promote favourable attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control towards environmentally friendly products, which in turn drive purchasing. The effectiveness of such measures, Mainly through subjective norms, is further increased by environmental consciousness. By integrating Source Credibility Theory with TPB, the paper both makes a theoretical contribution and brings practical recommendations to marketing strategists, policy makers, and sustainable fashion firms.