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COTTON LIFESTYLE MONITOR FAST FACTS
Supply Chain Insights: Shades of the Green Consumer
Consumers’ awareness of environmentally friendly products has increased in the past few years. However, concern for the environment continues to be tempered by economic concerns. Although many consumers take steps to conserve energy and resources in their own homes, they are motivated as much by the desire to save money as by the desire to save the environment — 80% conserve energy, 74% purchase energy-saving appliances, and 68% limit water use. Nonetheless, 2010 saw significant shifts in two forms of environmental activism that are not economically motivated — the percentage of consumers opting not to use plastic bags jumped from 39% to 45%, and the percentage checking corporate environmental policies increased from 23% to 28%.
When it comes to apparel, however, the choice to actively seek out environmentally friendly clothing remains restricted to a niche retail market and consumer segment. Overall, 43% of consumers said they had purchased products labeled as environmentally friendly in the past year, while another 34% were not sure. According to Cotton Incorporated’s Retail Monitor™ survey, environment-related claims were found on 0.6% percent of apparel products consistently for the past two years, and these products were priced 7% higher on average than apparel not marketed as environmentally friendly. Just over a third of consumers said they would be willing to pay a premium for clothing or home textiles labeled as environmentally friendly.
Although environmental concerns do not drive most consumers’ apparel purchase decisions, Cotton Incorporated’s 2010 Consumer Environment Survey reveals considerable diversity in consumers’ attitudes about environmental friendliness in the apparel industry and in how these attitudes influence apparel shopping habits. For brands and retailers appealing to the “green consumer,” it is useful to recognize that consumers come in different shades of green. The 2010 survey identified a spectrum of green consumers based on their attitudes towards environmentally friendly apparel, defined by (1) how likely they are to seek environmentally friendly clothing and (2) how they would feel and what they would do if they found out that an apparel item they had purchased was produced in a non-environmentally friendly way.
Who are the green consumers? For demographics, click here.
WHAT DRIVES GREEN SHOPPERS?
Regardless of their position on the green-consumer spectrum, consumers consider fit, style, color, and price to be the key factors driving their apparel purchases. Yet among the greenest consumers, factors such as environmental friendliness and fiber content are nearly as important, and more than 7 out of 10 dark green and green consumers rate laundering instructions and brand name as important. Dark green consumers, in particular, cite a wide range of factors as important purchase drivers, suggesting that they are well-informed consumers who are willing to research their purchases. This may reflect their demographics — compared with other segments of the spectrum, dark green consumers have the highest educational level and highest household income, which could give them more freedom to shop selectively and to let their purchase decisions reflect their environmental views.
NATURAL FIBERS: SEEN AS GREEN
Regardless of their place in the green-consumer spectrum, consumers relate to “natural” products, including natural fibers, and are united in the belief that natural fibers such as cotton are better for the environment than synthetics. In fact, 83% say that clothing made from 100% natural fibers is better for the environment than clothing made from recycled synthetic fibers like polyester, a belief shared by consumers of all shades, even non-green (79%). To determine whether apparel is environmentally friendly, all shades of consumers look first to the fiber-content label — 75% of dark green, 75% of green, 61% of light green, and almost half of pale green and non-green consumers rely on fiber content to gauge environmentally friendliness. Whether or not consumers care about the environmental friendliness of their apparel, 78% of consumers name cotton as their preferred fiber, according to Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ survey, and 90% of consumers consider cotton to be safe for the environment — a significantly higher percentage than for other natural fibers or any synthetic fiber.
WHO�S ACCOUNTABLE?
Consumers have high expectations of the products they purchase, and they expect manufacturers and brands to operate in an environmentally friendly way. When asked whom they would hold responsible if they purchased an apparel product and later found out that it was manufactured in a non-environmentally friendly way, the largest percentage of consumers (42%) cited the manufacturer. However, the percentage who would blame the brand was up from 2009 (11% vs. 6%), and greener consumers were more likely to hold the brand responsible. Furthermore, in consumers� minds, the manufacturer and brand are closely identified with each other. Brand name may be more important to dark green consumers because they take claims of environmental friendliness more seriously; for example, they are more likely to check corporate environmental policies before purchasing from a brand (86%, compared with 71% of green, 27% of light green, and 5% of pale green consumers). Dark green consumers also are the most likely to take action against brands they perceive not to be environmentally friendly � over half (52%) said they would not purchase the brand in the future, compared with 38% of green and 33% of light green consumers. In the latter two groups, the majority of consumers were on the fence about whether they would purchase the brand again. As brands look to promote their environmental awareness and the steps they are taking to decrease their environmental footprint, they will increasingly be held accountable for their actions and claims in this area.
About the Research
Cotton Incorporated’s 2010 Consumer Environment Survey was conducted via the Internet by Bellomy Research, Inc., in a nationwide sample of consumers aged 14 to 54 who considered themselves to be their household’s primary or secondary decision maker for clothing purchases. The sample was 60% female and 40% male and was representative of the U.S. population based on the ethnicity, income, education, and geography.
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