Consumer behaviour and sustainability - what you need to know

1. Consumers value certification

Despite the array of labelling on shop shelves, Fairtrade Foundation’s Barbara Crowther says 76% of the public believe independent third-party certification is the best way to verify a product’s social or environmental claims.

However, according to Lucy Atkinson, an assistant professor at the University of Texas, while the trust of US consumers lies in government or third-party labels, the appeal of a company doing good is found in a brand’s own labelling. Could there be the need for a collaborative approach with a joint labelling scheme, asks Atkinson, or even standardised metrics based on specific concerns such as worker rights or environment, suggests reader, Eleanor Mc.

2. Ethical supply chains touch the heart, but not always the head

Eco fashion expert, Marci Zaroff, explained that sustainability speaks to the heart as it plays on “a connection for the greater good”. However, people use their heads to make purchases and consider factors such as style and quality, so these must be met first. Money is also a deciding factor. The added cost of ethical products is unaffordable for those on tight budgets while others can be swayed by discount deals, explained Crowther. “If conventional products are being deeply discounted, it really interferes with people’s desire to do the right thing.”

3. Tell emotive stories - but they have to be authentic

Consumers vary widely on what aspects or qualities of sustainability they value. For example, for some people the environment is an important factor, for others human rights. By focussing on one area and not another, you can alienate market segments, wrote Atkinson.

Envero’s James Cashmore explained that telling an emotive narrative is key: “Many brands use rational/corporate language and concepts when talking about sustainability, when what they need to do is think about creating consumer advocacy by building much stronger emotional connections.” But Atkinson adds, with “the vast majority of ads [being] ambiguous or misleading or deceptive” companies need to make sure claims have substance.

4. Brands should do the work, so that consumers don’t have to

In the US, often the onus is on the consumer to become informed but this is an unrealistic expectation for most shoppers, who are happy to spend time researching a high involvement purchase such as a computer, but less likely to invest in finding out about everyday, low involvement purchases like bananas.

Technologies like QR codes that can be scanned to provide further information are helpful, but it’s a two pronged approach said Crowther, and the consumer expectation is to trust that companies are “sorting this out for them”.

5. Product category matters

Consumer priorities differ depending on the type of product. Cashmore explained: “In certain categories - dairy, coffee, chocolate for example - consumers have a more developed understanding of what the supply chain is. In others - soft drinks, snacks, cereals, babyhood and most non-food categories except fashion - the concept of supply chain is a little vaguer.” For fashion and jewellery, aesthetics are always paramount so it’s only when the style and fit are right, that ethics come in to play, wrote Crowther.

6. Packaging doesn’t always tell the full story

While packaging that comes from a recognised renewable resource (ie wood) is often seen as being more sustainable, there are hidden benefits from non-recyclable materials that consumers are unaware of.

“In the case of plastic films for example there is actually some clever technology in use that enables a longer shelf life for the product. Although a consumer might see that style of packaging as ‘bad’ it is often much less impactful if it can minimise the product being wasted,” wrote Simon Oxley a packaging technologist at Marks and Spencer.

It’s also about the product inside the packaging too, said one reader: “Customers may feel they are making a sustainable purchase because of the packaging when the product itself is not ie a plastic Barbie doll.”

7. Consumer expectations vary from country to country

Perceptions of the role that business should have in ensuring ethical supply chains differs from market to market. “It’s interesting how broader cultural beliefs shape expectations of the obligation and potential for businesses to play their part in solving social and environmental problems,” commented Cashmore.

8. Education is not enough

Simply correcting consumers’ information deficit isn’t enough, said Atkinson. “Think about smoking. Most people know that smoking is bad for them, but many still do it. Providing information about the benefits (or dangers) isn’t sufficient,” she said.

Emphasising the human benefits of buying ethical is the most important factor, as Crowther explains: “It is not just about functional information or education, but a genuinely emotional connection to the positive benefits that can be delivered.” Bringing consumers closer to the farmers who produce their purchases is one way to forge this connection.

9. Sustainability should be a must, not a maybe

In an ideal world all products would be ethically produced, with sustainability embedded throughout the supply chain. An example of a supermarket already following these principles is Swiss chain, Migros, which won’t stock products it’s not happy with. “It’s decisions like this that consumers notice when they are decoding the underlying values behind a company or brand. Migros definitely earns trust and loyalty from its principled position,” wrote Cashmore.

While the long term vision is for sustainability to be the norm, until this is achieved “the public has a massively important role to play in sending a clear message to companies in where they spend their money,” Crowther concluded. The question is: How do we motivate consumers to value sustainable attributes and make those attributes a priority?

10. There is a conundrum between price and value

The true value of sustainability needs to be costed in to products as a norm, so consumers can see that sustainably-sourced goods don’t just reflect their values, but also provide better value. Also, adds Atkinson, we must make these options more accessible and more available to consumers who have less disposable income. “It shouldn’t just be the wealthy and better off who can afford to shop this way.”

Read more stories like this:

• Are sustainable supply chains valued by the consumer?
• Understanding the origin of products is key to ending supply chain scandals
• Advertisement feature: Fairtrade coffee offers women in Rwanda ‘a better tomorrow’

The supply chain hub is sponsored by the Fairtrade Foundation. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here.

Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox