manager_1 Attest has published its report on sustainability trends for 2022.
Attest conducted a survey of 2,000 US consumers aged over 18 to find out how important sustainability is for brands.
According to the report, nine out of ten Americans believe that climate change is real. Their opinions on the causes of climate change are however different.
50% believe it’s due to both human activity and natural causes. 28% blame humans alone, while 16% think it’s due to only natural causes.
52 percent of Americans say that their views have changed over the last year due to natural events. One in ten of those surveyed said their views had changed.
Some people were quoted saying that it was “much more evident that this is a huge problem” and that it has become an urgent situation for them. 27 percent of those surveyed plan to reduce their meat consumption due to increased concerns about climate change.
According to the report, Americans are more likely to be appreciative of brands that promote their environmental credentials. 42 percent said they were grateful, 25 percent said it increased brand loyalty, and 16 percent felt more confident buying from them.
Eight out of ten Americans said it was important that companies act in an environmentally-friendly manner. More than half agreed. 62% said that they wouldn’t buy from brands that exaggerate their environmental policies.
However, 11% of respondents felt that brands’ promotion of sustainable measures made them suspicious, 9% feel’sold’ to, and 19% simply felt indifferent.
In 2019, 62 percent of respondents were concerned about the impact of throwaway products. This is compared to 70 percent who are worried. 72 percent also tried to reduce single-use plastic.
500 UK shoppers were also surveyed by Attest about the most important factors in choosing a retailer. 42% said sustainability was very important, while 38% said it was important.
But, sustainability is not as high as quality and price. 73% of respondents ranked value for money as an important aspect, while 64% ranked product quality as a key component.
23 percent stated that they shop at a store because of sustainable practices. However, 33 percent indicated they would shop sustainability if they had more options.
The availability of sustainable products is a major reason why consumers don’t purchase more sustainably. 35 percent stated that there aren’t enough options to choose from and they won’t buy them. 34 percent stated that they don’t have any products in their local stores.
Only 8 percent said they don’t want sustainable products. And for 40%, the products are too expensive.
So sustainability must be balanced with traditional priorities such as convenience and money. 54 percent also indicated that they valued easy access to retailers.
Eighty percent of respondents felt that it was important for brands that they offer money-saving deals on sustainable products. Seventy-four percent believe that retailers should offer more options and sixty percent feel that brands need to promote their green message in-store.
Popular brands like Hirestreet, a UK-based rental platform, are sustainable.
According to numerous studies, rental and retail are expected to increase their market share. According to this, we anticipate that rental will be very much “the norm” for many consumers, especially for items in the occasionwear, outerwear, and babywear categories,” stated Emily Wade, head of partnerships at Hirestreet. We expect to see rental directly from consumers, rather than 3rd-party rental platforms.”
Both US and UK surveys show a lot of interest in sustainability measures. Consumers are open to retailers including more green initiatives.
