Knowing the environmental cost of ultra-fast fashion isn't stopping Australians from buying it, according to new RMIT University research.
The study, published in the Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, found price and convenience can outweigh sustainability concerns, even for shoppers who understand the impact.
This follows a Roy Morgan survey showing Temu and Shein picked up more than one million extra Australian customers between them last year. Five million Australians now buy from Temu and 2.9 million from Shein.
Study co-author and associate professor Carol Tan said the behaviour wasn't simply thoughtless or impulsive.
"These shoppers weren't necessarily acting without thought. Some spent time building wish-lists, parking items in their carts and waiting for the right time to buy, even though they still experienced the eventual purchase as spontaneous," she said.
The researchers identified two psychological patterns behind the contradiction: "strategic spontaneity" and "cognitive buffering".
Strategic spontaneity describes shoppers building wish-lists, parking items in carts, monitoring discounts and waiting for payday, while still experiencing the purchase as spontaneous. Social media played a key role, exposing shoppers to trends and speeding up the move from discovery to purchase.
"I'll be scrolling through TikTok and see someone styling a Shein haul. Ten minutes later, I've got the same three items in my cart," one participant said.
What shoppers clicked on, searched for and saved also shaped the recommendations and promotions they saw next, which could keep them engaged with the platforms.
Cognitive buffering describes shoppers using budgets, spending limits and other rationalisations to make purchases feel more acceptable despite their concerns. Study co-author and associate professor Saniyat Islam said participants were often aware of the environmental impact, but that knowledge didn't necessarily change their behaviour.
"Instead, some created personal rules or limits that helped them feel more comfortable going ahead with a purchase," he said.
One participant put it bluntly: "I know it's bad for the planet, but when I'm on a budget and need an outfit for Saturday, I just block that out."
Tan said the findings suggest raising awareness alone may not be enough to change behaviour.
"Many participants already understood the environmental concerns, but affordability, convenience and the desire for something new could still take priority," she said.
The researchers said sustainability messaging could be more effective if it spoke to shoppers' immediate priorities, including affordability and value for money. Showing a garment's cost per wear, for example, could help consumers compare the long-term value of durable clothing with cheaper items that may only be worn a few times.
The study drew on interviews with 20 Australian millennials and was designed to give deeper insight into purchasing decisions, rather than measure how common the behaviours are across Australia.