Today, we’re going to move our attention towards a very important and contemporary topic: sustainability. During April 2020, Horváth carried out a study with 300 participants from the German-speaking world, dedicated to sustainability, as well as on people’s willingness to pay for ‘green’ products. Down below, we are going to point out the most important findings.
The pandemic is generally shrinking consumption, but is hardly influencing the willingness to buy sustainable products at all
The coronavirus pandemic caused major economic cut- backs for many people. Among the respondents, 65 percent indicated having suffered financial losses. Eight percent lost over 50 percent of their income compared to before the crisis. However, only 17 to 26 percent indicate having spent less for organic and fair products. Savings are usually achieved elsewhere.
Sustainability is a matter of attitude, not of money
Advocates of a "green” lifestyle also exist among the low-income earners. And top earners who cannot get excited about sustainable thinking and actions also exist. The different system of values between the groups therefore is independent of income.
The willingness to pay for sustainability exists, but a true orientation is lacking
Transparency is top priority when it comes to sustainability. Numerous labels line up to demonstrate fair production conditions and “clean“ ingredients on the shelf; but the customer does not always catch on. The data shows that a freely invented label is “recognized” more often among all examined categories than one of the existing counterparts. The real challenge now? Helping consumers navigate in the myriad of labels.
