This study bridges a critical theoretical gap in understanding how social visibility (SV) drives green consumption intention (GCI) for eco-friendly leather products, a topic underexplored despite the growing emphasis on green retailing. Specifically, it aims to investigate (a) the direct effect of SV on GCI; (b) the mediating roles of perceived identity expression (PIE), perceived eco-characteristics (PEC) and green self-efficacy (GSE) and (c) the moderating effect of price sensitivity (PS).
A systematic literature review identified theoretical gaps in symbolic consumption theory (SCT) and social influence theory (SIT). Subsequently, an empirical study collected 356 valid responses through a scenario-based survey, using a between-subjects experimental design (show-to-private vs show-to-public products). Data were analyzed via the PROCESS macro to test moderated mediation.
The findings suggest that SV directly and positively impacts GCI towards green leather retailing. Meanwhile, all three variables (PIE, PEC and GSE) serve as significant partial mediators. Also, PS was shown to be a significant moderator.
This study pioneers the integration of SCT and SIT to explain SV’s dual pathways (identity signaling and norm internalization) in green consumption. It also establishes a context-dependent taxonomy of SV contexts (show-to-private vs show-to-public) with demonstrated managerial utility, offering actionable insights for targeted marketing in eco-friendly leather retailing.
