Fact. The pandemic has made consumers more sensitive to the environmental impacts of their shopping decisions. There’s a growing consensus that we, as consumers, need to change our ways, and customers are now starting to expect that brands and companies take environmental issues seriously. Companies need to start to seriously think about incorporating sustainable products and practices. This shift in mindset is especially evident in young people, with 63% of young consumers in the UK, saying that they would stop using a brand if they knew it was damaging the environment
Being pretty much stuck at home for the last 18 months or so has given us all more time to consider our everyday actions and choices, and, as a result lot of people have (finally) started focusing on the environmental impacts of their decisions. Consumers have begun to give priority to sustainability in their purchasing decisions. This is happening at both a domestic and professional level and an official study conducted by Visual GPS, in conjunction with market research firm YouGov, also indicates this shift during the pandemic. Their survey finds that 81% of people polled expect companies to be environmentally conscious in their products and their marketing.
One of the most interesting trends is consumers’ growing environmental conscience. More than a third of respondents (35%) would buy a product that’s better for the environment over another that’s slightly cheaper. And 56% are at least moderately or slightly likely, indicating that a majority of respondents would consider a higher price point for these products.
The preference for environmentally-friendly products is clearly increasing. This gives organisations good reason to develop new products and position existing ones in ways that align with the growing demand. Manufacturers and designers are only just beginning to explore elements like the sustainable fashion possibilities of initiatives like branded merchandise. By this I mean items like clothing or stationery which is deemed that the environmental degradation and their production is linked to a development process whose impact on the environment throughout their life cycle is as minimal as possible.
As it stands, neither consumers or companies seem inclined to backtrack on their environmental commitments, especially in light of worsening climate change. And as the emphasis on sustainability continues to intensify, companies will want to continue to focus on innovations that please consumers and are good for business while doing as little harm to the planet as possible.
