Sustainability important for shopping habits

60% of Germans say that the thought of sustainability influences their eating and shopping habits.

This is the result of a YouGov study that investigated attitudes towards environmentally friendly and sustainable food shopping as well as general shopping behaviour of consumers in nine European countries. Turkish and Italian consumers make this statement most frequently (77% each), Norwegians least frequently (31%).

For half of the Germans (52%), the offer of sustainably produced products plays an important role in their choice of shopping venue. Turks and Italians also make this statement most often (72% each), Norwegians least often (29%). This is shown by data from the new study “Sustainability matters” by the international data & analytics group YouGov, for which more than 10,000 people in nine European countries were surveyed. The analysis looks at the willingness to act sustainably when buying food, certain consumption patterns, possible changes in eating habits for sustainability reasons and other aspects.

When asked about their willingness to pay more for products whose packaging is particularly environmentally friendly, Italians are the most likely to agree (65%). 63% of Spaniards agree too. Norwegians and Finns are the least likely to agree (44 % each). In Germany, half of all respondents (49%) say they are willing to pay more for products whose packaging is particularly environmentally friendly. Almost three out of five Germans (57%) say they pay attention to whether food has been sustainably produced when they buy it. This group is predominantly older and female: 45% are over 55 years old (vs. 41% of the total population), 56% are female. Among those who look for sustainable production when buying food, 85% say they prefer products made in Germany (vs. 73% of the total population). 61% try to buy only products from companies that are environmentally-conscious and take responsibility for society (vs. 43% of all respondents in Germany).