The Development of Long-Term Relationships With Green Consumers in the Context of Sustainability Trends in Lithuanian Textile Market

In the context of growing relevance of social and ecological responsibility role in businesses, the sustainability trends inevitably change the course of development and the content of marketing decisions. This article argues that the creation and maintenance of relationships with green consumers as well as increase in their loyalty are extremely important and can guarantee long-term competitive advantage for the company. Thus, the article aims to design a conceptual framework for the development of long-term relationships with green consumers and to reason it empirically with reference to the example of Lithuanian consumers of eco-textile products. The results of quantitative research (questionnaire survey) distinguish the main drivers influencing the relationships with consumers of eco-textile products and reveal the main components of customer loyalty. The strength and significance of correlations among the factors that influence the relationships with eco-textile product consumers, the antecedents of long-term relationships, and consumer loyalty are analyzed. Copyright Eurasia Business and Economics Society 2012