Hello readers.
Welcome to #FactFriday on CleanbuildVoices!
We bet you hear a lot about the rise of the conscious consumer but we wanted to find out whether people’s shopping habits are actually different this holiday season.
Here’s what we found out: sustainability is sure on the wish list this holiday season and because we love numbers, we are very excited to share this trend with you.
According to a poll by coupon code site, WeThrift, shoppers across the globe are going green for the holidays.
Almost 40% of the shoppers who participated in the poll said they were very likely to go out of their way to find eco-friendly gift options this holiday season.
Also, almost 70% of the 1,000+ respondents said they were likely to use recycled gift boxes, and 60% of them indicated they were likely to recycle gift wrapping. The interesting part? half of the respondents said they would be excited to receive an environmentally friendly gift this season.
On Etsy, searches for eco-friendly and sustainable items are up by 28% so far this year compared with the previous year, according to its spokeswoman, Lily Cohenin.
Cohenin further added that in the past six months, searches for eco-friendly, sustainable, and biodegradable gifts are up by 48% compared with the same time in 2020. The sustainability trend did not stop at Etsy.
Similarly on Pinterest, searches for sustainable and eco-friendly Christmas decorations were up by 50% in October compared with the same time in 2020, according to its spokeswoman, Azizza Brinson.
Brinson further stated that the number of people looking for sustainable gift ideas rose by 33% in October compared with the same month last year.
The trend continued on Google, as the search engine giant recorded a 43% rise in October in the number of people looking for sustainable gift ideas compared with the same month a year earlier.
Beyond gifts, consumers are also seeking out brands that use fewer chemicals and more organic ingredients in their products, and offer eco-friendly products and packaging.
It’s exciting to see this positive change as it indicates a rise in conscious consumerism.
This sustainable gifts trend and the change in the mindset of consumers were fast-tracked by the lockdown as a result of the pandemic which had everyone stuck at home and more aware of wider social issues.
It had people receiving and sending out packages daily which made them, not only pay attention to the climate but want more meaning behind the sustainability of things that they were engaging in.