Green information, green certification and consumer perceptions of remanufctured automobile parts

Manufacturers face several obstacles when marketing remanufactured products, and therefore need to be able to appeal to consumers’ motivational desires in order to influence their purchase decisions. Informed by regulatory focus theory, this research contributes to this area of research by examining the role that information regarding green attributes (energy saving, material saving and emission reducing) of remanufactured products and green certification play in influencing consumer perceptions. Potential consumers of remanufactured automobile parts in China were surveyed and the data were analyzed via structural equation modeling. The results suggest that energy saving, material saving and emission-reduction information regarding remanufactured products positively affect consumers’ perceived value and trust of remanufactured products. Green certification moderates the relationships between both the energy saving and material saving information and trust. This research improves understanding of how firms can influence consumer perception of remanufactured products, thus contributing to the discourse in the literature on remarketing of remanufactured products. The findings can be used to inform practitioners who seek to optimize the value proposition of achieving green certification and informing consumers about the environmentally friendly attributes of remanufactured products.