According to a survey from Massachusetts-based research group Grail Research, 86% of U.S. consumers have bought at least some green products. The survey found that that only 1% of those who previously purchased green products had abandoned that category and about two-thirds of consumers changed their green purchase behavior because of the recession, but nearly 80% of those who changed stuck with green products. Many opted for less expensive green products or reduced usage of green products.
The study also found that price is the main reason consumers choose not to buy green products. Asked why they didn't sometimes buy green products, 69% said they're too expensive, 40% said there's not enough choices, and 34% said they're not easily available. Asked about which categories they currently buy green products, only 23% said they currently do so in apparel. On the bright side, 71% said they plan to buy green apparel in the future.
The highest categories seeing purchases of green product currently were cleaning products, paper products, fruits and vegetables, electronics/small appliances, and dairy products. Important corporate sustainability initiatives, such as reducing water usage, are not perceived as green practices by most consumers. When asked what attributes they associated with green products, the top was made of recyclable or re-usable material/packaging.
