Evangelical Work Still Needed

There’s good news and bad news to report out of a new study on sustainability at retail by TNS Retail Forward. The good news is about half of consumers surveyed said efforts around workers’ rights, product recycling and minimizing waste in packaging are important or very important to decisions on where and how they shop.

The not-so-good news is consumers are failing to put there money where their mouth is. When asked about the three most important criteria for store-choice decisions, less than 20 percent listed responsibility and sustainability efforts among their top three. More than 80 percent did not rank such efforts at all. Perhaps more surprising, the respondents who ranked responsibility and sustainability among their top concerns remained relatively unchanged since November of 2006, when a similar survey was taken.

Granted, those surveyed represent all consumers and not just “outdoor consumers,” who may express more social awareness. But anyone truly interested in a greener planet has to consider the overall picture and not just our little world.

Interestingly enough, when asked about their willingness to pay a bit more for items purchased, respondents said that products “produced or grown locally” were as appealing or more appealing than products that were produced in energy efficient manners, packaged to reduce waste or were recyclable.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t exactly jive with the overwhelming trend whereby outdoor gear and apparel is produced half way around the globe.