Connecting Sustainability and Electronic Word‐of‐Mouth in Luxury Markets: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Sustainability has become an increasingly important strategic priority in the luxury industry as consumers demand greater environmental and social responsibility from brands. At the same time, electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM) has emerged as a powerful influence on consumer perceptions and purchase decisions. Despite growing research on sustainable luxury and eWOM, these two streams of literature have largely developed independently, resulting in limited understanding of how sustainability initiatives shape consumer eWOM behavior in luxury contexts. To address this gap, this systematic literature review examines the sustainability–eWOM relationship through the Stimulus‐Organism‐Response (SOR) framework. Based on a review of 76 peer‐reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2025, the study identifies six key themes: Sustainability/Ethical Consumption, Socially Mediated Influence/eWOM, Consumer Motivation/Psychological Drivers, Luxury Product/Brand Attributes, Digitalization/Innovation, and Behavioral Outcomes/Purchase Intention. The findings show that sustainability initiatives influence eWOM through consumers' perceptions of authenticity, value alignment, and emotional responses. Credible and value‐congruent sustainability efforts encourage positive eWOM, whereas perceived greenwashing generates negative eWOM and weakens brand trust. By integrating sustainability and eWOM within a single SOR‐based framework, this review provides a consolidated understanding of how sustainability signals shape consumer communication in luxury markets and offers directions for future research on emotional appeals, cross‐cultural differences, and digital transparency.