Most of us now make efforts to be more environmentally friendly in the home - recycling, sourcing local goods and trying to reduce our waste. However, how much do our green ethics extend to our purchasing decisions, and what efforts do we now expect retailers to make? In December, 1&1 conducted its 'Greener Shopping Survey' of 1,500 UK consumers, which found that more than half of shoppers now look for 'green' credentials when choosing retailers on the Web.
Whilst supermarkets and high-street stores often loudly champion their eco-friendly policies, the data suggests that Britons now have equivalent expectations for the online retailers they use. Some 59% consider an online retailer's use of eco-friendly practices such as recycling and using renewable energy as part of their buying decision. Nearly three quarters believe that online shops have a responsibility to act. In fact, 37% of shoppers now expect online retailers to tackle the issue to the same degree as high street stores.
Consumers now expect online stores to adopt a wide range of practices. As well as the more obvious efforts such as recycled packaging (44%) and reduced packaging (43%), the services used by the retailer are also viewed as important. One in four online shoppers (24%) now seek retailers that use ‘green services' across their operation such as renewable energy.
Interestingly, demand for 'greener' retailers appears to vary with gender, with women on average more concerned about retailers' efforts. Significantly, all age groups appear to be equally aware and committed on the issue of green credentials. Londoners are most influenced by eco-friendly practices (70%), whilst residents of Yorkshire (49%) are by far the least. Some shoppers admit to suffering from 'eco-guilt' concerning the impact of their online purchases. One in ten will weigh-up the environmental cost of each online purchase they make.
The issue is now firmly established within the consumer's psyche. As a result, the data suggests that many consumers seek support and reassurance on the issue from all sizes and types of retailer they use. For an online retailer, their website material should address their eco-credentials. For example, one in five consumers will spend more with a retailer that explains its carbon usage on its website.
The research lends much weight to the principle that businesses can enjoy a financial benefit from implementing more eco-friendly services. For online stores, this should surely start with their website. One in four shoppers believe they are more likely to buy from a retailer which powers its website and servers with renewable energy - the same proportion that look for the use of eco-friendly vehicles. The use of cleaner energy is viewed by 20% as equal in importance to the use of recycled packaging. The majority of consumers view a green-powered website to be just as vital as using less polluting delivery vehicles.
The use of web hosting powered by greener energy sources and leveraging energy-saving technologies, is a simple step that any size of online retailer can take. In response to consumer attitudes, 1&1 now provides its hosting users with a logo they can display on their website to indicate that it uses 'green hosting'. In such a way, consumers can be made aware that an online retailer is committed to lowering their environmental impact from their technical infrastructure upwards.
It is a common misconception among SMEs that ‘greener' technology services are more expensive or only relevant for large multi-national retailers. Consumers are now telling us that they view all retailers as equally accountable when it comes to the environment. Britons are willing to reward companies that choose to implement Green-IT and services. Thus, there has never been a better time to ask suppliers for details of what green initiatives they may have in place. With more eco-friendly technologies such as green-hosting, smart retailers of any size can demonstrate their effort to lower environmental impact and can bolster customer loyalty and spend in doing so.
In the coming months, more businesses will ramp-up their eCommerce efforts in pursuit of increased online sales and brand awareness. Many could receive a boost from switching to ‘greener' services, and promoting their commitment within their online communications.
For more information please visit www.1and1.co.uk
