First Insight and the Baker Retailing Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School surveyed consumers across the United States about sustainable practices and their effects on shopping habits and purchase decisions. They also surveyed retail executives. The results demonstrated that sustainability has become a bigger topic of consideration across demographics, with Generation Z influencing other generations, sometimes to the extent that older consumers are sometimes more environmentally driven in their purchasing today.
As retailers reach out to Generation Z, sustainability has been an important part of their strategy to address social concerns considered critical to their purchasing decisions. Gen Z, however, isn’t one-dimensional, so it’s important to think about members of the generation in broader terms.
Market research suggests Gen Z does make sustainable practices a major part of purchasing considerations, but the demographic cohort itself is at a crossroads, with its youngest members just approaching their teenage years and the oldest entering adulthood. As such, their understanding of social issues and ability to respond economically varies.
Sustainability is an important issue, but it is one retailers and their suppliers should recognize is interwoven with other issues, many traditionally recognized as key, such as price/value, and others, such as transparency, becoming more important. Businesses, in general, should also consider that sustainability may now be an even more important consideration among older consumers than is the case with Gen Zers. As things are evolving, retailers and suppliers may be well serviced by aligning their practices more closely with consumer priorities.
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