Deloitte: One in five consumers will buy more eco-friendly products this holiday season
Many willing to pay more for green gifts
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, December 11, 2007
NEW YORK — The environment is increasingly on consumers' radar screens, according to the 22nd Annual Holiday Survey of retail spending and trends, commissioned by the consulting group Deloitte.
The survey reports that almost one in five consumers (18%) will purchase more "eco-friendly" products this holiday season than in the past, and a similar number (17%) will shop at more "green" retailers.
Additionally, almost one-third of consumers (27%) surveyed will use fewer plastic bags from supermarkets and other stores this holiday season, and one in five (20%) will consider not wrapping holiday gifts to conserve paper.
These responses concerning the environment and holiday shopping intentions were consistent across gender, age and income groups.
"Most importantly, a significant number of people — 17% — are willing to pay more for 'green' gifts or supplies, which tells us that this issue is on shoppers' minds this year and is becoming more central to consumers' purchasing decisions," said Stacy Janiak, Deloitte's U.S. Retail Leader. "Savvy retailers are taking concrete steps to become more environmentally friendly, and are incorporating this sensibility into their operations, as well as their customer communications.
“At the same time, they should be cautious about promoting their eco-initiatives too early, before they've made real progress, due to the potential for consumer backlash."
Almost two-thirds of consumers (63%) say they enjoy the experience and spirit of the holidays. However, a similar number (61%) say they avoid holiday shopping crowds, an increase from the 56% that said this in 2006.
Consumers said that over-commercialization, rude people/bad manners and crowded stores are the aspects of holiday shopping they find most frustrating, with younger age groups most likely to cite these frustrations.
"These findings may help explain why American consumers continue to turn to the Internet in droves," said Janiak.
Seven in 10 consumers (70%) said they would do part of their holiday shopping online, and one in five (19%) said they will shop primarily or entirely online this holiday season. Almost half (48%) say they like the convenience of shopping with multi-channel retailers, those that have some combination of stores, Web sites and catalogs.
"Retailers who sell across multiple channels can increase their chances of success with this year's holiday shoppers," said Janiak. "In our survey, almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers told us they have made at least one multi-channel purchase over the past year, most frequently purchasing in the store after viewing the product on the retailer's Web site or catalog, or purchasing on the Web site after seeing it in the retailer's store.
“Further, younger generations' affinity for the Internet and dislike of crowded stores tells us that online and multi-channel shopping will be an increasing trend. To be most successful, retailers must provide an exceptional customer experience in every channel, ensuring that these shopping experiences are not only seamless, but also as convenient, pleasant and as easy as possible."
The survey was commissioned by Deloitte and conducted online by an independent research company between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4. The survey polled a sample of 14,135 consumers and has a margin of error for the entire sample of plus or minus 1%.
For more information, visit www.deloitte.com/us/2007HolidaySurvey.
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