Accumulative vs. Appreciative Materialism: Implications for Sustainable Apparel Consumption

Based on a bi-dimensional definition of materialism that includes the concepts of appreciative and accumulative materialism, the present study proposes that these dimensions of materialism have different predictors and outcomes related to sustainability and overconsumption. Drawing from the lens of three theories—materialism theory, extended self theory, and symbolic self-completion theory—our conceptual model differentiates between appreciative materialism with linkages to environmental concern and sustainability and accumulative materialism with connections to lowered self-esteem and impulse buying. Useable data from 216 Gen Z consumers were collected through an online survey administered via Qualtrics to students at a Southeastern university in the United States. Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized relationships. Results revealed that accumulative materialism positively influences impulse buying and is negatively influenced by self-esteem, whereas appreciative materialism positively influences two dimensions of sustainable apparel consumption and is positively influenced by environmental concern. Additionally, environmental concern was found to positively influence sustainable apparel consumption. The results reveal that accumulative and appreciative materialism are distinct concepts with differing outcomes and antecedents, expanding the theoretical implications of materialism for consumerism and anti-consumerism. This study reveals that understanding the motivations of appreciative materialists is important for sustainable brands when marketing products.