Share of consumers who consider sustainability in purchase decisions Australia 2022

Sustainability has become a key purchase criterion for several consumers across Australia, with over 38 percent of Australian consumers surveyed in 2022 indicating that they always considered sustainability in their purchase decisions. Only five percent of those surveyed reported never taking sustainability into consideration when shopping.

Sustainable consumption trends in Australia

Online shoppers increasingly prefer to shop from ethical and sustainable brands in Australia, with over 40 percent of Australian online shoppers viewing purchasing from ethical brands as important. Many consumers also indicated they were willing to pay more for sustainable products, with consumer expectations for sustainable product availability highest in the household cleaning products sector. Buying locally sourced and produced products is also on the rise among Australian consumers, with over 75 percent of shoppers frequently purchasing local products. Furthermore, in 2022, over two-thirds of consumers in Australia said that they preferred to buy local food produce.

Resale market in Australia

Australia’s resale market is gaining momentum as consumers nationwide become more sustainability-focused and increasingly try to save money due to cost-of-living pressures. As of July 2022, the value of trading second-hand items in Australia amounted to over 60 billion Australian dollars. Clothing, shoes, and accessories accounted for the largest share of used and second-hand items owned across the country that same year, with games and toys coming in second. Many Australian consumers are utilizing online resale platforms, such as eBay, Amazon marketplace, and Depop, to sell their unused or unwanted items, with several households reporting owning between one and twenty unused clothing items in 2022.