44% of shoppers buy products that have less impact on environment - even if they cost more, reveals survey

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23rd September 2020 11:33 - Retail

44% of shoppers buy products that have less impact on environment - even if they cost more: A survey of shoppers has found that 44% actively buy products which have less of an impact on the environment - even if it means their shopping bills are higher.

The research by Ubamarket polled 2,000 UK adults for its Retail Trends Report 2020 - an annual survey that looks at the experiences and behaviours of shoppers. It found that while many people want to change their habits, many are faced with barriers such as cost. Almost two-thirds (65%) said that they would like to change to using products that are better for the environment, however, these products are often ‘significantly more expensive’.   

Also revealed in the findings was that more than two-fifths of respondents (42%) want to be more environmentally conscious, but feel they don't know enough about plastic pollution and recycling to make a change. A similar number (41%) believe that plastic packaging is having an adverse effect  on their health. 

More than three-quarters of respondents believe that manufacturers and supermarkets are responsible for causing the most plastic pollution  (77%), with 82% saying the packaging on food and drink items needs to change drastically. 

Other key findings from the survey revealed that more than half the respondents polled (52%) are okay with retailers using their consumer data if they are rewarded with money saving offers in return, while a quarter (24%) said that UK food retail is the only sector that does not leave them feeling annoyed by personalised offers. Almost a quarter (23%) of shoppers said they believe that not using their loyalty card has caused them to miss out on ‘hundreds of pounds worth’ of savings and offers. 

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