Study Explores Attitudes of Sustainable Shoppers

A reusable British shopping bag. Wikimedia

A new national study released by Ceres in partnership with Northwind Climate explores how US adults think about the environment when they shop for goods and what drives—or prevents—them from acting on those intentions.

Drawing on monthly surveys of more than 2,500 adults, the research finds that interest in sustainable products has grown in recent years; yet, structural and psychological barriers still influence purchase decisions. The report identifies a value-action gap that says that while many consumers express a preference for environmentally friendly goods, actual purchases depend on trust, perceived value, and clarity of sustainability information.

The study uses Northwind Climate’s Value Segmentation model to show that psychological motivation—not age, income, or demographics—better predicts whether someone will follow through on sustainable shopping intentions.

Highlights from the Study

• Of the more than 2,500 US adults polled monthly, 3 in 4 consumers now actively or passively prefer environmentally friendly goods.

• More than half of respondents report their interest in buying sustainable products has grown in the past few years.

• Two-thirds of Americans are willing to pay more for sustainable products, even if others won’t know they did so.

• High earners and highly motivated consumers are more likely to pay more for sustainable products, with 36% of those earning more than $150,000 agreeing they are more likely to “choose the sustainable option even if it costs more.”

• Cost, perceived quality, and lack of credibility remain key reasons consumers opt out at the point of purchase, with 23% saying they would buy the sustainable option if it cost about the same as the one they normally buy.

  
  

Important Takeaway

The report’s segmentation shows that psychology—not demographics—best predicts sustainable purchase behavior, ranging from highly motivated “Climate Doers” to skeptical “Climate Deniers.”

The full report is available from Ceres’ Resources page.