Lower prices are the key factor for consumers when it comes to shopping sustainably, research by Asda has found.
The UK’s third biggest supermarket surveyed 3,000 customers to understand what lifestyle changes they were prepared to make when shopping to live more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint.
They found that most consumers want to make sustainable shopping choices, but are often unable or unwilling to pay more for ‘greener’ alternatives.
More than half of respondents (55%) said they were prepared to make significant lifestyle changes to reduce their carbon footprint, but often did not, with price the single biggest obstacle to them adding sustainable alternatives to their shopping basket.
When the shoppers were asked what factors would help them shop more sustainably:
- 76% said lower prices
- 56% said greater choice
- 45% said logos telling them what is sustainable
Half of those surveyed (50%) said they would not be prepared to pay over the odds for more sustainable everyday items, such as milk and bread, underlining the importance of making sustainable options affordable.
Susan Thomas, Asda’s senior director of commercial sustainability, said: “Our research shows that consumers from all backgrounds care about sustainability but many cannot afford to buy greener products when they shop.
“We believe that nobody should be priced out of making sustainable choices and our Greener at Asda Price promise aims to remove price as a barrier to purchase.
“The onus is on supermarkets, retailers and the industry as a whole to work collaboratively to make greener products more affordable. Consumers can also play their part too by embracing greener choices as investment will increase in line with shopper demand.”
Image courtesy of Asda.
