Trust Factors of Russian Generation Y Consumers to Different Categories of Eco-products

Given the growing interest in environmental issues all over the world and particularly in Russia, it is essential to research eco-consumers and peculiarities of their buying behavior. Many factors determine the buying behavior of eco-consumers from demography to physical surroundings, trust factors in eco-product are also considered to be significant. Eco-consumption is still developing and rather unexplored area in Russia: there are few ecological standards for goods and only one eco-labelling organization, moreover, many companies, presented on the market, use greenwashing. It is not discovered in the literature, which factors Russian consumers rely on while buying eco-products. This study aims at defining trust factors of Russian Generation Y consumers in eco-products. Generation Y is to be examined since its representatives are more inclined to demonstrate green consumption behavior than other generations. To reach the aim of the research, hypotheses, concerning the segments of Russian Generation Y green consumers and trust factors in eco-products, are tested through the means of qualitative and quantitative methods. Initially, to reveal characteristics of green customers and features of their eco-consumption behavior, several in-depth interviews with experts of the field are held. Further, based on the results of the interviews, the online survey among the representatives of Russian Generation Y is conducted. The outputs of qualitative and quantitative studies are analyzed using statistical procedures in Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS 25.0. As the result, four out of five hypotheses are approved, the major trust factors in eco-product are identified, Russian Generation Y consumers are segmented by trust factors in eco-products, and the profile of a typical Russian Generation Y eco-consumer is composed. The paper contributes to the unexplored scientific area of Russian eco-consumption practices, as well as it is useful for marketing and sales specialists of both Russian and foreign companies operating on the Russian market. Keywords: eco-products, eco-consumption, Russian Generation Y, trust factors