Some 80% of UK consumers believe that retailers are not doing enough to address issues around sustainability and climate change, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
UK Sustainability 2019, GlobalData’s latest report, found that those who are most likely to purchase more frequently are often more engaged with sustainability and ethics.
It found that 82.3% of consumers aged 16-24 agree that retailers should make more of an effort to source materials sustainably and ethically, in both clothing and footwear.
Consumer Responsibility
However, the report also found that young consumers may be unable to make more ethical purchasing choices, due to the higher price points associated with sustainable and/or ethical products.
According to the report, 78.8% of consumers agree that it is hard to find affordable sustainable and/or ethical clothing or footwear products.
This makes pricing an important factor on which many consumers are not willing to compromise and a barrier to consumers wishing to make more sustainable choices.
“The ‘war against plastic’ gained huge public awareness from the BBC’s Blue Planet 2 documentary, which illustrated the enormous damage that plastic is having on the marine environment and animals,” said Emily Salter, a retail analyst for GlobalData.
“A number of retailers – in particular, grocers such as Tesco and Marks & Spencer – quickly reacted to this growing consumer interest by reducing the use of single-use plastics,” Salter added.
“There are further opportunities for grocers to gain share and consumer trust based on their plastic credentials. For instance, 66.3% of consumers said they make an effort to purchase food without plastic packaging, so more plastic-free options should be explored,” she said.
More Sustainable Items
Sustainability in clothing and footwear has gained a lot of press recently, as the Environmental Audit Committee 2018 report deemed the British fashion industry unsustainable.
“Retailers have tried to tap into this demand for more sustainable items, such as H&M continuing to extend its Conscious Collection, PrettyLittleThing launching its Recycled collection, and Primark introducing garments made from sustainable materials,” Salter continued.
“However, fast fashion is inherently environmentally unsustainable. More sustainable and ethical options are growing in popularity, including dedicated retailers, slow fashion, and resale apps,” she said.
“Clothing retailers could capitalise upon this trend by launching rental services, as well as online second-hand marketplaces,” Salter added.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Helen Galgey. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
