2009 Reports
December
Co-op Bank's Ethical Consumerism Report
Annual report into green spending.
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July
Recession pros and cons for ethical retailers
Record levels of savings inflow at the Ecology Building Society, increased mail order business for organic wine specialist Vintage Roots and more time to respond to customers needs and plan for the future are just a few of the changes for members of the Real Green Retail Group looking at the sunnier side of the recession. Hopes are high for a strong recovery within the sector and an increase in concious consumerism in response to the economic downturn.
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April
Shoppers expect companies to act responsibly
In a poll of 14,500 people in 15 countries, more than half said they were "active ethical consumers", characterized in the survey by their higher expectations of industry and business's environmental, economic and social responsibilities of industry. With 4 out of 5 people recognising the Fairtrade mark, the UK came out top for awareness levels.
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Ethical clothing sales soar
Sales of ethical clothing in the UK have more than quadrupled in the last 5 years according to a report by Mintel, which claims the market was worth £175m in 2009. It suggests that due to buyers “emotional attachment” to ethical practises, future growth prospects for the sector look good with the recession causing only very muted effects. However consumer research by Mintel showed that more than a third (35%) of Brits had no interest in ethical clothing; put off by price, lack of availability and doubts over the veracity of labelling.
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Economic downturn provides opportunity for ethical businesses
Consumer trust in PLCs is down whilst co-operatives are more trustworthy according to research commissioned by AccountAbility. 30% of those interviewed always tried to buy products and services from companies that behave responsibly. 45% were prepared to boycott products made by companies they do not trust and 30% felt they could influence the way a compnay behaves through their purchasing decisions.
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March
Support for Fairtrade sky high among young people
A survey of over a 1000 14-25 year olds suggested two thirds of young people think companies should be 100% Fairtrade, meaning they believe that Fairtrade workers should own the companies that sell their products. The research carried out by People and Planet over Fairtrade Fortnight also revealed that over 80% of those questioned thought that large companies, specifically Nestlé and Cadburys should make all their products Fairtrade and 82% felt that buying Fairtrade produce sent an active political message to the Government that other forms of trade are unfair.
February
Economic crisis turns UK customers to ethical banking, savings and investments
Research conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of Triodos Bank found that 55% of consumers are more likely to choose to save with an ethical bank than a year ago. Of the 998 respondants 92% wanted banks to have proper ethical values and 64% were more worried about what the bank did with their money than the interest rate. The survey linked unscrupulous banking practices with the recession; 78% believe the unethical behaviour of banks triggered the recession and nearly half of consumers (49%) now think that ethical banks are a safer bet than mainstream banks. In 2008 the number of Triodos customers increased by 25% and savings held in the UK by the bank increased by £39m as 69% of those surveyed admitted they wanted to save more.
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Shoppers are not leaving their ethical concerns at home when they go food shopping
International food and grocery expert IGD’s shopper trends report shows continued growth in ethical shopping in spite of the recession. Of the 1051 shoppers interviewed a quarter had bought foods that support Fairtrade in the last month, up from only 9% in 2006. Increases were also seen in the number of shoppers who regarded country of origin as important from 16% in 2006 to 23% and those who wanted to know about the standards of animal welfare, which has doubled from 10% in 2006 to 20%. The only decline within the sector was seen in organic food; only 19% of shoppers said they were buying organic food compared to 23% in 2006 however Chief Executive of IGD, Joanne Denney-Finch believed this was down to a swing towards other ethical options and that consumers “are not about to abandon their tastes, habits and beliefs that have been built up over the last decade or more.”
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January
Capturing the Green Advantage for Consumer Companies
According to research published by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in its report 'Capturing the Green Advantage for Consumer Companies,' more shoppers systematically purchased green products in 2008 than in 2007. In a survey of 9,000 adults in nine countries, some 34% of Europeans (up 2% from 2007) said they would continue to look for and purchase green products, while 32% of US consumers said the same. The findings suggest consumers have not abandoned their ethical principles as their financial woes have increased.
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Growth in ethical consumerism to slow
A new report by Key Note on green and ethical consumerism noted that ethical consumerism in the UK was worth £35.4m in 2007 with the sectors of food, drink and ethical finance experiencing the strongest growth between 2005 and 2007. They forecasted that growth in the value of the sector would slow between 2008 and 2012 due to a sluggish economy and the increased importance of price as a factor amongst consumers but that it should pick up again in 2011 and 2012 as the economy becomes more favorable.
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