Shopping for grocery products in a sustainable way is now more difficult for 22% of consumers, in comparison to just 16% five years ago, new research shows.
According to NielsenIQ’s recent ‘The Changing Climate of Sustainability‘ report, 20% struggle to find sustainable products on the shelf, however 50% are taking their own shopping bags when shopping at the supermarket.
For 41% of global consumers, cost is the main barrier in shopping more sustainably, while 35% said that access stopped them from doing so and 26% agreed this was due to a lack of clarity.
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However despite these challanges, 55% of UK shoppers agree that living this way is important to society and 18% say this is important to their daily lives.
Sustainability was also found to be more important to 61% of consumers than it was two years ago.
In looking to improve sustainable shopping, 76% are calling out for companies to take initiative to reduce their environmental footprint, while 78% say companies should be mandated to give full transparency into their supply chain to allow shoppers to make informed decisions.
Almost 80% of global consumers said they would be swayed to shop from a particular retailer if they offered a wider assortment of sustainable options in-store.
“Consumers want help to live and consume in a sustainable way that aligns with other daily pressures. It’s critical to note that they also think that the responsibility to lead sustainability lies with retailers and manufacturers,” NielsenIQ vice president global throught leadership, Nicole Corbett said.
“We are now at a tipping point, where companies that have been proactive and genuine about climate action will be at a massive advantage as industries scramble to meet requirements and mandated sustainable efforts.”
Corbett added: “Businesses will look for easy wins in the short-term but the game changer is the requirement to report and validate their footprint of emissions and resource use across their whole value chain. This will require a long-term shift and for many a departure from how they currently operate.”
