Consumer Perception and Adoption of Digital Product Passports (DPP) in Fashion Retail

The digital product passport (dpp) is a new kind of identity attached to clothing which reveals the various aspects of the product like the materials used production processes, environmental impact, and disposal options. Being an instrument of transparency and tracking, it has a great potential to aid in the promotion of sustainable and ethical fashion which would be a significant addition to the already discussed ‘fashion with purpose: design for self, society and nation’ theme of the nift journal of fashion volume 5. The current paper investigates the adoption and perception of dpps by urban indian customers in fashion retail. This paper has reviewed the literature on digital traceability, sustainable fashion, and circular supply chains from both the global and indian contexts and has suggested a mixed-methods approach which incorporates an online survey (n≈150) alongside semi-structured interviews with 12 fashion-knowledgeable consumers. Hypothetical modelled data show probable trends in dpps awareness, perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, and intention to use dpps, supplemented by quantitative tables and qualitative insights. The results show that although consumers’ awareness of dpps is limited, they perceive great value in them for making ethical and environmental choices if, as a condition, simple interfaces and independent information verification are provided. The dpps help consumers to present themselves as responsible individuals, thus, contributing to the society by showing the working conditions and handicraft participation, and, aligning with the government’s goals of sustainability, circularity, and preserving cultural heritage. In short, the research implies that dpps could be the foundational support for the purpose-driven fashion in india if there are clear policy regulations, reliable verification systems, brand commitment, and customer education alongside their introduction.