opinion poll
One in three would pay more for sustainable products
Sustainably produced clothing hangs on hangers at a stand at the “Fair Trades” trade fair. Almost every third consumer in Germany is willing to pay a premium for sustainable products or services. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Cheap fashion has its price – for the environment. Those who rely on sustainably produced goods usually pay more. But more and more consumers are apparently ready to do so.
Almost every third consumer in Germany is willing to pay a premium for sustainable products or services. That comes from a survey published on Monday by the management consultancy Simon-Kucher Partners.
Especially younger people would therefore let their good conscience cost themselves a little.
For his “Global Sustainability Study 2021”, Simon-Kucher surveyed more than 10,000 people in 17 countries around the world, more than 1,000 of them in Germany.
In the eyes of 58 percent of the people surveyed in Germany, sustainability is a relatively important to very important purchase criterion. In the eyes of consumers, however, the price and quality of the product are still more important.
88 percent of the respondents in Germany stated that they had changed their consumer behavior more or less strongly in the past few years in the direction of sustainability. The survey revealed that sustainability often influences purchasing decisions, particularly when it comes to energy / supply, construction / house, travel and tourism, but also with consumer goods.
“The importance of sustainability in the purchasing process will continue to increase,” predicted Simon Kucher boss Andreas von der Gathen. Even today, half of the people cite sustainability as one of the most important value drivers.
According to the survey, anyone in Germany who is willing to pay a premium for more sustainable products would accept additional costs of 18 percent on average.