Explaining Green Purchase Behavior in Sport Products: Structural Relationships among Marketing, Trust, Loyalty, and WOM

Growing environmental awareness has encouraged consumers to demand sustainable alternatives, positioning green marketing as a critical driver of purchasing decisions in the sports industry. Understanding how consumers respond to environmentally oriented marketing requires an examination of both psychological mechanisms and social influence processes. Drawing on the Hierarchy of Effects Model, the present research investigates how green marketing shapes consumer responses through green trust, green loyalty, green word‑of‑mouth, and ultimately green purchase behavior. A quantitative approach was adopted, using data collected from 203 individuals familiar with green sport products, and the proposed relationships were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS‑SEM). Results reveal that green marketing plays an essential but indirect role in driving consumer advocacy and purchasing actions. Green trust and green loyalty emerge as key mediators, significantly enhancing positive green word‑of‑mouth. Although no direct impact of green marketing on word‑of‑mouth was observed, strong indirect pathways were identified through trust and loyalty. Green word‑of‑mouth demonstrated the most substantial influence on green purchase behavior, highlighting the importance of peer recommendations and social validation in the adoption of eco-friendly sport products. The findings advance theoretical perspectives on green consumer behavior and offer practical insights for organizations seeking to strengthen sustainability communication, build long-term customer relationships, and promote environmentally responsible purchasing.