This year’s survey of 1,000 consumers’ attitudes toward environmental products and practices was conducted twice to see whether COVID-19 changed consumer sentiment. The survey was first launched on March 6 when many thought COVID-19 would be contained to a few “hot spots,” and then again on April 10 when the scope and scale of the pandemic was apparent.
Kearney wrote in a statement, “We found actual consumer purchase behavior is beginning to catch up with stated intentionality in measured incremental steps. We also found that while consumers hold retailers and consumer goods manufacturers accountable for taking strong pro-environmental positions and bringing sustainable goods to market, they are often disappointed in what they find for sale.”
In terms of how COVID-19 is impacting consumer attitudes:
- 48 percent of respondents said the pandemic had made them more concerned about the environment; and
- 55 percent of respondents said that as a result of their COVID-19 experiences they were “… more likely to purchase environmentally friendly products.”
“This year we see consumers expressing a more direct link between their health and the health of the planet,” said Corey Chafin, a principal in Kearney’s Consumer practice and one of the co-architects of the 2020 study. “This tells us consumers’ pro-environmental sentiments are more than idealistic assertions. When it comes to the environment, consumers mean business.”
Among the study’s other highlights are:
- 78 percent of consumers believe companies could be doing more to help them make decisions that improve environmental outcomes;
- 65 percent of consumers expect companies to clearly explain environmental benefits on product labels or websites;
- Since 2019, 11 percent more consumers reported shifting their purchases of core products based on environmental claims;
- 4 percent fewer respondents reported price as their most frequent barrier to selecting environmentally friendly products. The availability in local stores also saw an uptick of 4 percent;
- Consumers’ biggest behavioral shifts were plans to decline plastic utensils with food orders (85 percent increase) and buying in bulk (164 percent increase); and
- In the future, 59 percent of respondents said they were very likely to bring reusable shopping bags to stores with 57 percent very likely to carry reusable mugs or bottles.
“The time for ‘evaluating market response’ is over. It’s past time that brands, retailers and manufacturers take clear, authentic leadership on environmental issues,” said Greg Portell, lead partner in Kearney’s global consumer practice. “In the middle of a pandemic, we see consumers telling us—loudly and clearly—that it’s not enough to cut a check to an environmental organization or have some polished messaging in the annual report. What’s important here is executing against those lofty positions in the form of very tactical solutions consumers will perceive as authentic during and after COVID-19. Consumers demand a lot more out of the companies they support.”
The study covers a broad range of topics from fast fashion and plastics to consumer attitudes toward government and their trust in corporations. The full report can be found here.
