Percepción del lavado verde y su influencia en la lealtad de compra del consumidor en supermercados de Guayaquil

Abstract

This research analyzes the influence of greenwashing on practices whereby a company communicates “green” actions without real backing or evidence to justify its actions, such as promoting “green” packaging without verifiable changes or certifications in processes or environmental impacts, on consumer purchase loyalty in supermarkets in the city of Guayaquil, in a context of growing generational interest in sustainability and intensive use of corporate environmental discourse that increases the risk of affecting trust and corporate reputation. The study's general objective is to evaluate how this perception affects purchase loyalty, considering its attitudinal and behavioral dimensions, and its specific objectives are to identify the most affected dimensions, assess real ethical commitment, and determine the effect of greenwashing on consumer confidence, using a mixed-method approach with a descriptive design that includes consumer surveys and interviews with digital marketing professionals, human talent, and business ethics professionals in the retail sector, the results show that greenwashing negatively impacts attitudinal loyalty by generating mistrust, skepticism, and weakening the emotional bond with the brand, highlighting that transparency, organizational consistency, and evidence based communication are key factors in assessing ethical commitment. It is concluded that greenwashing undermines consumer confidence and compromises the credibility of sustainability strategies, Therefore, companies must prioritize real, consistent, and verifiable actions to strengthen sustainable relationships with their audiences.