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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of distributing sustainable labels on the retailer’s corporate brand. More specifically, the objectives are to investigate how the scope of a portfolio of sustainable labels affects the consumer perceived ethicality (CPE) of the retailer that distributes them and to understand how the perceived ethicality affects retail patronage.

In total, 230 individuals participated in a street intercept survey. Data were analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Both the perceived scope of the portfolios of collective sustainable labels and retailer-owned sustainable labels improve the CPE of the retailer. In addition, the CPE of the retailer increases patronage. The portfolio of collective sustainable labels has more impact on the CPE of the retailer than the portfolio of retailer-owned labels, but the latter has more impact on retail patronage.

In addition to limitations inherent to the methodology (e.g. survey based on stated behaviours), the model developed is simple and exploratory and does not include potential boundary conditions of the highlighted effects.

Sustainable labels may not only contribute to product sales and product positioning, but also to position the retailer brand by improving the consumer perception of ethicality and indirectly increase retail patronage.

Anchored in the branding literature, this research is the first to conceptualize sustainable labels as a portfolio and measure their collective impact on the retailer’s corporate brand and indirectly on patronage.

This paper aims to provide an adequate instrument to measure involvement, its antecedents and its impact on behaviours relating to ethical product consumption, using the case of fair trade.

Based on an in‐depth analysis of the involvement literature and the specificities of ethical products, a model is derived using a hypothetico‐deductive approach. It is then analysed using structural equation modelling.

The new construct specific to ethical products is a strong predictor of involvement. In addition, the involvement in the ethical aspect of products is much stronger than the involvement in the product category to explain selected consumer behaviours.

It is likely that highly involved consumers are more prone to participate in such a survey, which limits the representativeness of the sample.

Beyond the theoretical contribution for ethical consumption analysis, practical implications for fair trade marketing can be derived. A section of the article discusses how to improve fair trade products' communication, how to make those products more competitive, and who should distribute them.

Current generic involvement models are insufficient to apprehend ethical consumers, who constitute a market in constant expansion. This research fills this gap by providing an original instrument which distinguishes the product‐specific involvement from the involvement in the ethical values carried by the product.