Received: 2026-02-11  |  Accepted: 2026-04-18  |  Published: 2026-06-30

Title

Value-behavior gap in digitally communicated sustainability: evidence from the fast fashion segment


Abstract

The article focuses on the analysis of the value conflict among consumers in the fast fashion segment in the context of digitally communicated sustainability. The objective of the research was to examine the relationship between the declared importance of brand value attributes and their actual role in the purchasing decisions of digitally active consumers. The research was conducted through an electronic questionnaire on a sample of 2,210 respondents. The findings indicate a significant discrepancy between the normative evaluation of authenticity and the systematic interest in sustainability, while value attributes do not occupy a dominant position among the determinants of purchasing behavior. The results suggest that in the price-oriented fast fashion segment, the decision-making process is strongly influenced by pragmatic and economic factors. The study, therefore, contributes to the discussion on the limits of the effectiveness of digitally communicated sustainability under conditions of market economic rationality.


Keywords

value-behavior gap, sustainable consumption, digital marketing, fast fashion, economic rationality, price sensitivity


JEL classifications

M30 , Q01 , Z00


URI

http://jssidoi.org/ird/article/247


DOI


Pages

10-19


Funding

This research was carried out within the framework of the project 3/2025 - International project. Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the Smart City strategy for the private and public sector.

This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Authors

Almaksus, Lucia
Bratislava University of Economics and Management, Bratislava, Slovakia https://www.vsemba.sk
Articles by this author in: CrossRef |  Google Scholar

Journal title

Insights into Regional Development

Volume

8


Number

2


Issue date

June 2026


Issue DOI


ISSN

ISSN 2345-0282 (online)


Publisher

VšĮ Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, Vilnius, Lithuania

Cited

Google Scholar

Article views & downloads

HTML views: 311  |  PDF downloads: 250

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Acknowledgements. This research was carried out within the framework of the project 3/2025 - International project. Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the Smart City strategy for the private and public sector.

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Lucia ALMAKSUS holds Master's degree in Economics and management, obtained at Bratislava University of Economics and Management, currently at Department of Management and Marketing.

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