'Sustainability top of shoppers' minds despite economic challenges'

Sustainability remains at the top of mind for British consumers when they are shopping, despite the current economic climate, a recent report has shown, which also two out of five shoppers prefer to buy things locally.

According to a survey of 2,000 UK consumers on behalf of American Express published in "How We Buy: The Trends Shaping Shopping", two thirds (65 per cent) think about the environmental impact of the goods they buy when shopping. Four in 10 (41 per cent) say they prefer to shop locally rather than online, reducing the carbon footprint associated with deliveries driven by e-commerce.

The research found that a third (32 per cent) would spend more on an item that had better environmental credentials, jumping to almost half (45 per cent) amongst 18-34 year-olds. A similar proportion (30 per cent) of shoppers said that if the cost-of-living crisis wasn't impacting their day-to-day spend, they'd be more inclined to shop sustainably, stated the report.

Commenting on the survey's findings, Daniel Edelman, vice president & UK general manager, Merchant Services at American Express commented that the research shows that despite the current challenges, sustainability remains important to shoppers.

"However, as consumers become increasingly selective about where to spend and what they buy, merchants need to scrutinise their own sustainability strategy and how best to communicate that effectively to customers.”