Share of consumers trying to avoid buying new goods worldwide 2022

In 2022, more than half of consumers around the world intend to avoid buying new goods in order to limit their contribution to climate change. Instead, these individuals are considering whether or not they can acquire the product secondhand or if they could potentially fix the item(s) they already own. While less than 50 percent of U.S. consumers intended to avoid buying new goods, nearly 70 percent of those surveyed in China planned to take this approach over the course of the next year.

When are consumers encouraged to buy sustainable products?

A lot of consumers are inclined to do their bit to combat climate change. Often times, however, they will pull out if the sustainable option is simply too inconvenient or expensive. That is why it is important for these options to have external incentives, making them as accessible as possible. In late 2021, over a third of consumers worldwide said they would buy more sustainable products if the price of such items were comparable to similar non-eco-friendly products. Furthermore, a significant share of surveyed individuals stated they would be encouraged to buy the sustainable product if its quality transcended that of other products and brands.

Online eco-friendly shopping

In 2021, Vietnam, India, China, and the Philippines, were the frontrunners in terms of eco-friendly online shopping. For example, over 70 percent of Vietnamese online shoppers reported buying sustainable products very often or even every single time. While e-commerce users in quite a few Asian countries had a habit of buying sustainable goods, only about a fifth of online shoppers in Japan did the same. Given that more and more people are trying to live and consume sustainably, also when shopping online, an increasing number of e-commerce brands are investing in sustainable initiatives.