Sustainable shopping behaviors according to UK shoppers 2019

According to the results of a survey, from the consumer perspective, the most sustainable shopping behaviour is buying a product that is sustainably sourced, followed closely by buying packaging that is recyclable. ‘Sustainable consumerism’ has become somewhat of a buzzword in recent years, through an increased awareness of the importance of protecting and preserving our environment. Accordingly, many more UK shoppers are trying to shop in a more environmentally friendly way.

Which behaviour is the most sustainable?

‘Sustainable’ shopping behaviour is a rather vague term, as it can encompass many aspects of shopping behaviour from the origin of the product to the energy-intensive manufacturing of the product. According to this survey, seven percent of those surveyed reported they were ‘not sure’ of what constituted sustainable shopping behaviour.

Factors encouraging sustainable shopping in the UK

Although price is still an important factor in deciding whether to purchase sustainable products or not, it is not as important to UK consumers compared to ten years ago. Being better able to find the sustainable product in store became more important in the past ten years. In addition, the ‘plastic-free’ movement of recent years has also influenced the shopping behavior of UK citizens, with over 80 percent stating this affects their shopping behavior.