Spotlight on Sustainability
SPECIAL REPORT
ACRS conducted research into the attitudes and behaviours of Australian shoppers towards sustainability. In September 2022, we surveyed over 1,000 shoppers across Australia and asked them several key questions on sustainability as part of a larger survey on consumer behavior trends. n=1,005 Australian shoppers 19% 33% >1% 10% 8% 2% 25% 10% 20% 20% 19% 15% 16% 18–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65+ AGE 2% 4951% %
70% 49% 42% 38% 26% 24% 21% 18% 16% 16% Clothing, footwear, and accessories Personal care Household Books and stationery Consumer electronics Toys and games Travel and tourism Media and entertainment Automotive Sporting goods and equipment Products purchased in the last three months CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR & ACCESSORIES WERE THE MOST PURCHASED GOODS Across categories, 52% of Australian shoppers report that sustainability is an important factor when making a non-grocery retail purchase.52%
2% 5% 7% 9% 9% 12% 9% 13% 22% 30% 30% 30% 34% 38% 85% 73% 63% 62% 61% 54% 52% Durable/ last a long time Repairable/ fixable Locally produced Ethically produced Packaged in recycled materials Produced with minimal carbon emissions Made with recycled materials Unimportant Neither important nor unimportant Important Important factors when making a non-grocery purchase CONSUMERS SAY PRODUCTS THAT ARE DURABLE AND REPAIRABLE ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM, AS WELL AS LOCALLY PRODUCED PRODUCTS
77% 62% 44% 38% 34% 30% 29% 17% 4% Bringing my own shopping bags to stores Recycling product waste Buying locally sourced/ produced products Reducing the amount of new products I buy Composting food waste Taking public transport, riding my bike, or carpooling Buying second-hand products Recommending eco-friendly products to friends, family and peers None of these Sustainability practices engaged in within the last three months ALMOST ALL AUSTRALIAN SHOPPERS HAVE ENGAGED IN AT LEAST ONE KIND OF SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICE IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS F F 55-64 65+ 55-64 65+ Note: F=Females engaged in practice significantly more than males; 55 64 / 65+ = Engaged in practice significantly more than other age groups
6% 2% 4% 5% 5% 20% 25% 8% 25% 35% 26% 94% 93% 79% 74% 91% 69% 62% 70% Bringing my own shopping bags to stores Recycling product waste Buying locally sourced/ produced products Reducing the amount of new products I buy Composting food waste Taking public transport, riding my bike or car-pooling Buying second-hand products Recommending eco-friendly products to friends, family and peers Rarely Occasionally Frequently MOST CONSUMERS WHO HAVE ENGAGED IN SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES, DO SO FREQUENTLY Frequency of engagement
A THIRD OF SHOPPERS REPORT THEY ARE LIKELY TO BRING THEIR OWN SHOPPING BAGS TO STORES AND RECYCLE PRODCT WASTE IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS 8% 11% 7% 17% 33% 48% 33% 24% 25% 30% 42% 41% 32% 27% 34% 43% 67% 60% 50% 42% 35% 26% 33% 33% Bringing my own shopping bags to stores Recycling product waste Buying locally sourced/ produced products Reducing the amount of new products I buy Composting food waste Taking public transport, riding my bike or car-pooling Buying second-hand products Recommending eco-friendly products to friends, family and peers Unlikely Neither likely nor unlikely Likely Likelihood of engagement in the next three months
willing to pay more for locally produced products53% willing to pay more for ethically produced products45% willing to pay more for products packaged in recycled material 42%
AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER & RETAIL STUDIES Monash Business School Level 6, Building S 26 Sir John Monash Drive Caulfield East VIC 3145 T: +61 9903 2869 E: acrs@monash.edu W: monash.edu/business/acrs