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@article{207003,
        author = {Ms.M.Sowndharya and Dr.V.Sivakumar},
        title = {PRICE, AWARENESS, AND AVAILABILITY: CHALLENGES TO GREEN PRODUCT PENETRATION IN EMERGING MARKETS},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {2},
        pages = {3650-3657},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=207003},
        abstract = {Green product adoption in emerging markets remains substantially below the levels predicted by surveyed environmental concern, with India's green consumer products market penetration estimated at only 14% of total FMCG and durable goods value despite over 65% of urban consumers expressing pro-environmental attitudes. This study examines the structural barriers — price premium, awareness deficit, availability and access constraints, and perceived product efficacy doubt — that suppress the translation of green purchase intention into actual green product adoption among 440 consumers across Indian urban and semi-urban markets. Anchored in the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Diffusion of Innovations and Attitude-Behaviour Gap Theory, the study employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0 and multi-group analysis (MGA) to test income tier as a moderator. Price Premium Barrier emerges as the dominant (negative) predictor of Green Purchase Intention (b = -0.41, p < 0.001), followed by Awareness Deficit (b = -0.36), Availability/Access Constraint (b = -0.28) and, in the positive direction, Perceived Product Efficacy (b = 0.33). Green Purchase Intention strongly predicts Actual Product Adoption (b = 0.49, p < 0.001), with the model explaining 65% of variance (R-squared = 0.65, SRMR = 0.063, NFI = 0.919). Price Premium Barrier retains a significant negative direct effect on adoption (b = -0.18, p < 0.01), confirming partial mediation and a structural attitude-behaviour gap. MGA reveals that the Price Premium-to-Intention path is dramatically stronger for lower-income consumers (delta-b = 0.25, p < .001) and the Availability-to-Intention path is significantly stronger for lower-income consumers (delta-b = 0.12, p = .027), establishing income-differentiated barrier salience. These findings provide actionable evidence for green product pricing strategy, subsidy design and last-mile distribution investment in emerging market sustainability transitions.},
        keywords = {Attitude-Behaviour Gap, Emerging Markets, Green Products, Market Penetration, Price Premium, Sustainable Consumption.},
        month = {July},
        }