THE CONSCIOUS SHOPPING PARADOX

TOLUNA According to research by , most consumers believe companies should try to make the world a better place. However, the same research found that consumers still place value over values in most instances, exposing a discrepancy between the way consumers would like to shop and how they actually shop.

Most people want to live in a way that is authentic to them, align their shopping habits with their values and support others who care about the same things. Afterall, next to voting in elections, the easiest way to make change is by voting with your wallet. So, why then is this so hard to put into practice?

When buying anything from a food product in their weekly grocery shop, to a large household item, consumers are faced with a huge number of purchasing decisions and factors they must weigh up. In an ideal world the only decision necessary would be ‘which product or service aligns best with my values?’ but in reality it is ‘which product or service provides the best value for me and my family?’ and ‘which product or service can I afford this week?’

WHAT WE DISCOVERED

To learn more about what influences consumer purchasing decisions Toluna surveyed 500+ people and found that despite best intentions the majority (55 percent) prioritise brands that offer affordability and good value for money.

The next most important influencing factor to those surveyed was consistent high quality (41 percent) and offering good customer service (36 percent).

Brands that are honest and authentic are also ranked highly (32 percent) while ensuring security and privacy of customer data was next on the list of importance (20 percent). Interestingly, providing environmentally friendly and sustainable products was recorded as the least important deciding factor with only 17 percent of survey respondents saying this influenced their purchasing decisions.

In somewhat of a juxtaposition, as many as 76 percent of consumers believe that companies should try to make the world a better place and almost half (46 percent) stated that they purchase from brands because these brands share their same values.

Similarly, 46 percent of consumers say they will never purchase from brands whose stance on an issue which is important to them is different from their views.

Despite prioritising affordability and good value, 53 percent of consumers consider environmental issues and climate change as being most important to them personally.

Fifty percent of respondents listed education and children as being more important to them followed by poverty, hunger, and homelessness (50 percent) while many consumers also considered causes such as animals and wildlife (43 percent) gender equality (36 percent) and curing or treatment of a disease (35 percent).

When it comes to putting these words into action and supporting organisations that do share their values, 40 percent of consumers say that if they are faced with two competing brands, they will pay 10 percent more for the brand if it supports their favourite cause. That’s if the two brands offer the same quality, while one in five consumers will pay 50 percent more for a brand that shares their value. It is in this regard that brands can find themselves in a tricky situation.

While market research often shows that consumers want companies to support good causes, in reality, when faced with rising costs of living and the responsibility of shopping for their families, they are less likely to prioritise buying socially conscious brands if it comes with a higher price tag.

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“In somewhat of a juxtaposition, as many as 76 percent of consumers believe that companies should try to make the world a better place and almost half (46 percent) stated that they purchase from brands because these brands share the same values as them.”