Consumers want retailers to align with sustainable values, but also provide low costs.
According to “How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper,” a study of 8,000 global shoppers (including U.S.) from e-commerce and mail delivery solutions Asendia, a leading 52% of U.S. respondents consider price in their buying decisions, followed by value for money (44%).
Looking ahead, 70% of U.S. respondents said they planned to cut back on spending in 2023 due to economic uncertainty.
Sustainability findings
Three-quarters (76%) of U.S. respondents considered themselves to be sustainably minded in their consumption habits, including 85% of millennials. Over two-fifths (38%) plan to consume less but more sustainably by purchasing second-hand items in 2023, while 26% intend to buy less by using retailers’ repair or upcycling and circular retail initiatives.
In addition, 47% of U.S. respondents said they are buying organically, 36% are buying eco-friendly products, and 24% are choosing vegan goods.
Despite the popularity of sustainable consumption, 26% of U.S. Gen Z respondents who identified as sustainable shoppers buy fast fashion, and 18% of U.S. millennial respondents who identified as sustainable shoppers buy denim, often considered to be an environmentally poor apparel choice.
Other sustainability-related data points from U.S. respondents include:
- The top consideration for international fulfillment was knowing where their order is being shipped from to better understand the cost and distance (carbon impact) of the product reaching them (41%).
- In terms of steps to improve deliveries, preparing orders with reusable-only packaging topped demands across international and domestic fulfillment (36% and 35% respectively), while 23% wanted 100% carbon-neutral deliveries on international orders and 24% wanted the option for electric vehicles (EVs) to provide domestic fulfillment.
- Close to half (48%) would pay more for faster fulfillment, while 23% would pay more for greener fulfillment options, even if the item took longer to arrive; and 21% would pay more for 100% carbon-neutral deliveries.
[Read more: Why, when and how consumers care about sustainability]
Asendia performed original research of more than 8,000 global shoppers in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Hong Kong. Each individual market polled had a sample size of over 1,000 shoppers. The research was conducted via online polling by Savanta on behalf of Asendia in February 2023.