Consumer Behavior
Sustainability bigger focus for young consumers
May 15, 2023
More than half, 60%, of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers have stopped buying from brands lacking when it comes to environment accreditations and more than two-thirds of Millennials have spent more on a product because it was sustainable.
Those are top findings from an ESW study, a global direct-to-consumer e-commerce company.
"Younger consumers are acutely conscious of a brand's efforts towards sustainability," Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, president and CEO, ESW Americas, said in a press release on the findings. "There's a well-known, ongoing debate over whether these consumers' values actually align with their shopping behaviors, but our most recent data shows that the majority will, in fact, take sustainability practices into account when making purchase decisions and may even refuse to buy from a brand that doesn't have (or make public) their environmental credentials. This shift toward eco-conscious consumerism should serve as a wake-up call for brands to be more transparent with their manufacturing, packaging and shipping practices."
The survey polled 16,000 shoppers from 16 countries on attitudes toward sustainability.
Additional highlights include:
- More than half (54%) of apparel and footwear shoppers have purchased secondhand apparel items instead of new items to be more sustainable.
- Awareness of greenwashing has increased, with 62% of consumers more aware of this practice today than they were a year ago.
- 46% of health and beauty consumers consider options for environmentally friendly packaging when making purchases.
- 75% of luxury shoppers say they expect transparency and information on the environmental credentials of the brand/retailer.
- 72% of consumer electronics purchasers care more about sustainability of products they buy now than they did a year ago.
