From consumer skepticism to voluntary simplicity: understanding the drivers of reduced consumption in an emerging economy

The increasing prevalence of green marketing and growing consumer concern about environmental sustainability has heightened interest in understanding the psychological factors that encourage responsible consumption. However, limited research has simultaneously examined how consumer skepticism toward environmental claims and voluntary simplicity influences reduced consumption and subsequent avoidance behavior, particularly in emerging economies. Drawing on complementary insights from the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Value–Belief–Norm framework, and Sustainable Consumption Theory, this study investigates the relationships among consumer skepticism, voluntary simplicity, reduced consumption, and avoidance behavior. Data were collected from 395 consumers in Pakistan through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings demonstrate that both consumer skepticism and voluntary simplicity exert significant positive effects on reduced consumption, which subsequently promotes avoidance behavior. Furthermore, reduced consumption significantly mediates the relationships between consumer skepticism and avoidance behavior, as well as between voluntary simplicity and avoidance behavior, highlighting its role as a key behavioral mechanism through which consumers translate cognitive evaluations and value-based lifestyle orientations into sustainable marketplace decisions. By integrating cognitive and value-based perspectives within a sustainable consumption framework, this study extends the understanding of voluntary simplicity behavior and provides empirical evidence from an emerging economy. The findings offer practical guidance for organizations and policymakers seeking to encourage responsible consumption through transparent environmental communication and authentic sustainability practices.