Consumer Insights report
This report provides insights into attitudes, consumer behavior and brand perception with regard to sustainability in the categories of food & beverages, beauty & personal care, and fashion. It is based on the representative survey "Sustainable Consumption 2021" and covers sustainable eCommerce as well as drivers and barriers of sustainable consumption. A total of 1,037 people from India aged 16 and over were surveyed for the study.
Topics include:
Sustainability is seen as a decision-forming purchase criterion
Around 30% of Indian consumers think that sustainability is a buzzword and will lose importance in the future. This could be caused by a lack of customer trust in companies that claim to be sustainable: Nearly 40% state that the term of eco-friendliness is exploited by brands for the benefit of selling products more expensively. But although consumers are suspicious about the future of eco-friendliness, they still change their behavior for sustainability reasons. Eco-friendliness also is an important purchase criterion for many: approximately one third of those surveyed name sustainability as an important factor for purchasing decisions in all categories. However, quality is especially prioritized.
Brands with a negative sustainability policy are at risk of being cancelled
Consumers also tend to punish brands and stores with poor sustainability policies by avoiding or even boycotting them: e.g., 30% say they have stopped buying a certain brand in the fashion sector due to a lack of sustainability. Consumers aged 30 to 49 are willing to go even further: every fifth respondent who changed purchase behavior for sustainability reasons reported boycotting a brand or store due to its negative sustainability policy.
Main drivers for sustainable purchases are quality, environment, and health
A better quality of eco-friendly products, a good impact on the environment, and personal and/or family-related health speak for sustainable purchases across all categories. Approximately every second respondent indicates these criteria as the main reasons for buying sustainable food & beverages, beauty & personal care products, and fashion items.
Good prospects for sustainable eCommerce
Although a majority of 60% of online shoppers have returned packages in the past year, nearly every consumer (90%) says he/she would be willing to pay more for delivery if CO2-neutral shipping were guaranteed in return. Sustainable aspects certainly play a role in eCommerce: environmentally-friendly packaging and minimal packaging waste are indicated as important delivery criteria by nearly 50% and nearly 30% of respondents, respectively. However, free and fast shipping is far higher up the priority list.
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