Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026): Business & Management Studies: An International Journal
Articles

Barriers to sustainable consumption: A value–action gap analysis in the home furnishing sector

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  • Şehnaz Okkıran
Şehnaz Okkıran
Dr., Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Türkiye
Bio

Published 2026-03-25

Keywords

  • Sustainable Consumption, Value–Action Gap, Sustainable Purchasing Behaviour, Home Furnishing Sector
  • Sürdürülebilir Tüketim, Değer-Eylem Boşluğu, Sürdürülebilir Satın Alma Davranışı, Ev Mobilyası ve Ev Aksesuarları Sektörü

How to Cite

Barriers to sustainable consumption: A value–action gap analysis in the home furnishing sector. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(1), 329-345. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i1.2706

Copyright (c) 2026 Şehnaz Okkıran

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Barriers to sustainable consumption: A value–action gap analysis in the home furnishing sector. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(1), 329-345. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i1.2706

Abstract

Consumers' awareness of sustainable consumption has been increasing, yet purchasing behaviour across product categories remains inconsistent. This discrepancy, defined as the value–action gap, reflects the disconnect between sustainability orientations and actual consumer behaviour. The primary aim of this research is to examine the extent to which purchasing behaviour is related to sustainability perceptions and to identify the structural barriers shaping this relationship in the home furnishings and home accessories sector, a high-involvement product category characterised by substantial financial commitment and strong economic and structural constraints. The study employs a secondary research design using data from a large-scale multinational consumer survey. The analysis draws on 4,511 online survey responses from consumers in 9 countries. The findings reveal a pronounced value–action gap between consumers' prioritisation of sustainability and their actual purchasing behaviour. Perceived high prices emerge as the primary barrier, followed by low trust in sustainability claims and limited information and product accessibility.

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