Exploring the ethical values and social drivers behind consumer preferences for cruelty-free products

Introduction Cruelty-free labels have moved from niche certification to mainstream expectation. Yet, little is known about how the multiple cues that accompany these products converge to turn moral intent into action. Addressing this gap, the present study reconceptualizes cruelty-free purchasing as a layered moral performance orchestrated by symbolic, social, and economic stimuli. Methods A mixed-methods design combined a cross-sectional survey of 624 adult consumers framed within a Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) model with partial least squares structural equation modeling and 22 in-depth interviews, which were analyzed thematically. Results Quantitative results show that the logo, influencer advocacy, and perceived corporate social responsibility image each elevate altruistic motivation ( β = 0.282–0.539), which, together with ethical concern, explains 74% of the variance in cruelty-free buying. Price fairness moderates this pathway, such that motivation converts to purchase only when the premium is judged acceptable (interaction β = −0.15). Downstream, buying cruelty-free products strongly inspires self-expression ( β = 0.843), social bonding ( β = 0.745), and behavioral empowerment ( β = 0.647). Qualitative themes, ranging from millisecond “ethical sparks” upon spotting the bunny icon to community-building rituals like #crueltyfreehaul, corroborate and enrich these statistical paths. Discussion Together, the findings portray cruelty-free consumption as a script in which logos, parasocial voices, and fair prices jointly ignite compassion, channel it into purchase, and reward it with identity and community pay-offs. Practically, credible certification, authentic influencer partnerships, transparent corporate social responsibility communication, and fair-premium pricing emerge as levers for brands and policymakers seeking to translate compassion from intention to action across the expanding cruelty-free marketplace.