The Mediating Role of Green Trust in Sustainable Beauty Purchase Intention: Comparing Local and Non-Local Brands in Indonesia

Abstract

Despite high environmental awareness, an attitude–behaviour gap persists in sustainable beauty consumption. This study examines the effects of Environmental Concern, Eco-Label, and Green Advertising on Green Purchase Intention (GPI) among Generation Z women in Jakarta, with Green Trust as a mediator, across local and non-local sustainable beauty brands. A quantitative approach was employed using a within-subjects design, in which 100 respondents evaluated both brand origins. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), with separate structural models estimated for local and non-local brands. The results indicate that Environmental Concern and Green Advertising significantly influence GPI across both brand origins. However, different structural patterns emerged for Eco-Label and Green Trust. Eco-Label directly influenced GPI for non-local brands, whereas its effect on local brands was fully mediated by Green Trust. In addition, Green Advertising significantly enhanced Green Trust only for local brands. These findings suggest that local brands should prioritise trust-building communications to strengthen the effectiveness of eco-labels, whereas non-local brands benefit from the signalling power of eco-labels but should localise their green advertising strategies to build consumer trust.