Research on the circular economy has recently shifted from recycling to strategies extending product lifetimes, such as reduction, reuse, and repair. This shift requires more fundamental changes in consumption behaviour, and it is, therefore, essential to properly address the opportunities for uptake. This Master’s thesis explores the motivational factors and barriers Slovenian consumers face when deciding to repair. Drawing on an extensive literature review, we performed a structured questionnaire-based survey to investigate the impact of different aspects of these factors on the intention to repair consumer goods in three categories: (1) clothing, footwear and fashion accessories, (2) electronic devices and small household appliances, and (3) other everyday items. Our analysis revealed that consumers' perceptions of motivating factors and challenges for repair are broadly similar across the product categories. Slovenian consumers are most motivated to repair by the functionality and frequent use of the product, quality, high price, emotional attachment, life extension and waste reduction, while the biggest challenges include poor quality, low price of new products, high cost of repairs and spare parts, expired warranties, lack of repair skills and tools, and unavailability of repair services. Notably, repair intention for clothing, footwear, and fashion accessories is primarily influenced by the value and technical aspects of motivators and value aspects of barriers, while for electronics and other items, value-based motivations and emotional aspects of barriers are more impactful. The study identifies areas that could be addressed to promote sustainable consumer behaviour in Slovenia.
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