Sustainable Marketing Drivers of Energy-Efficient Purchase Intention: A Comparative PLS-PLSc Structural Modeling Approach

Abstract

The global increase in household energy consumption has led to greater concern for climate change, carbon emissions, and the viability of natural resources. Energy-efficient appliances and standardized energy labels have become the core instruments of promoting responsible consumption under SDG 12. Number of psychological, information-based, and value-led reasons determine consumer consumption of energy-efficient appliances. This paper examines how Consumption Values, Environmental Concern, and Eco-Labeling influence Purchase Intention toward energy-efficient appliances through the mediating roles of Attitude and Paying Attention, with Trust in Energy Labels serving as a key moderator. Survey data from 450 consumers in Tamil Nadu is used, and both PLS-SEM and PLSc-SEM are applied in order to compare prediction-oriented versus consistency-adjusted estimation outcomes. PLS-SEM results show that both Consumption Values and Environmental Concern significantly affect Attitude and Paying Attention, while Trust in Energy Labels is the strongest direct driver of Purchase Intention. Paying Attention partially mediates the effect of Attitude on Purchase Intention. Under PLSc-SEM, a more conservative estimation approach, core paths such as Attitude, Paying Attention and Trust, Purchase Intention hold up, highlighting the theoretical stability of the framework. The comparison with dual estimators enhances methodological clarity by showing how different estimator choices affect path significance, measurement consistency, and the explanation of variance. This study contributes to research on sustainable consumers by integrating the key psychological, information-based, and value-based antecedents within one framework and also by offering methodological insights into the relative usefulness of PLS versus PLSc estimation. The findings underline the crucial roles of credible energy labels, consumer awareness, and value-driven cognition in reinforcing sustainable purchase decisions.