Perceived greenwashing weakens circular-practices pathway in Malaysian mall survey

A survey of 294 shoppers in Malaysian shopping malls found that circular economy practices and green retail infrastructure were positively associated with shopping experience, with perceived sustainability authenticity mediating these relationships. The study also found that the mediated effect of circular economy practices weakened when perceived greenwashing was high, while the indirect effect of green retail infrastructure remained relatively stable. Researchers analyzed survey responses from mall shoppers using partial least squares structural equation modelling, examining a model in which circular economy practices and green retail infrastructure influenced shopping experience through perceived sustainability authenticity.

The results support positive relationships between both sustainability features and shoppers’ reported experiences. Perceived sustainability authenticity emerged as the central mechanism in the model linking the two sustainability features to shopping experience. The study treats circular economy practices as participatory and green retail infrastructure as embedded forms of sustainability, distinguishing visible involvement in sustainability activities from infrastructure that operates more subtly within the shopping environment.

Perceived greenwashing operated as a boundary condition, changing the strength of the pathway connecting circular economy practices to shopping experience. At high levels of perceived greenwashing, the mediated effect of circular practices was reduced. In the study’s model, this means that scepticism about sustainability claims limited the extent to which circular economy practices contributed to the experience-related outcome through authenticity.

The indirect effect of green retail infrastructure, however, remained comparatively stable across levels of perceived greenwashing. These results point to a difference in how the two forms of sustainability may be experienced: the circular-practices pathway was more sensitive to credibility judgements, whereas the infrastructure pathway was less affected by perceived greenwashing. The findings provide practical guidance for mall operators seeking sustainability initiatives that are both credible and experience-enhancing, while remaining limited to the Malaysian shopping-mall setting and the 294 surveyed shoppers.

Subject of Research: How sustainability authenticity and perceived greenwashing relate to shopping experiences in Malaysian shopping malls

Article Title: Sustainability practices, sustainability authenticity and greenwashing shape shopping experience in Malaysia retail spaces

Article References: Tee, P. K., Vashu, D., Lua, H. M., Ho, M. K., & Samadi, B. (2026). Sustainability practices, sustainability authenticity and greenwashing shape shopping experience in Malaysia retail spaces. Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-04532-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-04532-8

Keywords: sustainable retailing, greenwashing, consumer experience, circular economy, retail infrastructure, sustainability authenticity, Malaysia, shopping malls, survey research, Sustainability, practices, authenticity