Ethical Consumption: The debate heats up among consumer journalists

While sustainability has been a hot topic in the broadsheets for some time, we are starting to see these issues featuring more prominently in consumer publications and the mainstream media too as interest broadens and the debates widen.  The focus to date in retail has been on the food sector, but we are now seeing more attention paid to other areas such as home and fashion.  Reflecting this, our most recent annual studies of home & lifestyle and fashion journalists confirm sustainability as a top issue for these sectors.

Sourcing and sustainable manufacturing are highlighted by both groups of journalists and they believe that their readers are more conscious of these issues now.  In the home sector, this ranges from sourcing of timber to the use of sustainable materials including organic cotton and bamboo. There is also greater awareness of relevant labelling schemes such as the established FSC label to the development of carbon footprint schemes.  In the fashion sector, sourcing is also a top-of-mind concern, most notably the ecologically sound production of cotton and  the conditions under which the workers manufacture goods.  There is a real concern among these journalists about sweatshop conditions, especially in factories in developing countries such as China.

"There will be a lot more about sustainability which will go into more complicated areas, such as what effect on the environment do the production of certain cloths and woods have.  Also the issue of cheap labour, and carbon footprints of flights." 

The tension between cheap, fast fashion and quality, long-lasting products is heightened by the sustainability debate.  These journalists recognise that there is an appetite for ‘throwaway fashion' but believe that their readers increasingly understand that this comes at a social and environmental price. 

"There will be a clash between everything being cheaper and being ethical"

Companies such as Primark are singled out for criticism, where once they might have been praised for their ability to supply fashion at unbelievable prices. As one fashion journalist says: 

"In order to get incredibly low prices on the high street, you have to get extremely cheap labour. Everyone wants everything extremely cheaply, but on the other hand: at what cost?"

Mid-market players such as John Lewis and Marks & Spencer who have carefully honed their ethical positioning are well placed to take advantage of the greater demand for sustainable products, which seems to be particularly on the rise among mid-social groups such as C1C2s. Nevertheless, some sustainability experts suggest that this approach will be superseded, that sooner or later we will have to start addressing wider questions about the impacts of our whole model of consumption.  If our throwaway consumer culture is fuelling excess consumption, resource scarcity and a waste crisis, how do we move to a model that values durability, re-use and thrift?

Among sector journalists, it is felt that there is unlikely to be a sea-change in mainstream habits of consumption overnight; rather sustainability is something which most consumers are adding to their purchasing criteria to varying degrees and that 'eco-chic' high quality players will for now continue to service a small, committed niche market.

Clearly, few consumers will buy just because products are green - they also expect them to be well-designed and appealing.

"People don't want something that is worthy but looks rubbish.  It is not enough to be ecologically sound, it has to be fun and cool looking as well"

Issues such as recycling and the use of energy efficient products are also on the radar for the Home & Lifestyle Journalists and they see themselves as playing a role in raising these with their readers. It is likely that recycling will become more prominent in the fashion sector too as we see retailers such as Marks & Spencer introducing schemes to incentivise consumers to exchange their second hand-clothes in Oxfam stores for M&S vouchers. Along with Oxfam's recent launch of eco-chic "boutiques" in London, it is re-branding itself as a destination of choice for ethical shoppers looking for sustainable clothing.  This could help change perceptions of recycling and purchasing second-hand goods, encouraging such behaviour into the mainstream and making it no longer the preserve of the more 'savvy' or 'eco-friendly' consumer, particularly given the current economic climate. 

Undeniably, big players such as Marks & Spencer (described by more than one retail journalist as "a barometer of the High Street") are making strong and long-term commitments to improving the sustainability of their operations. Journalists have previously been loath to ascribe top priority to sustainability, not losing sight of the imperative to perform competitively. That imperative is now emerging.  In a tougher economic climate, it will be interesting to see whether it reasserts itself over journalists' current focus on sustainability. It will also be interesting to see the extent to which sustainable business strategies will be incorporated into businesses as a whole, played out against an increasingly volatile economic backdrop. For some this could mean that 'eco concerns' will be marginalised in favour of cost. However, more imaginative retailers will be looking to capitalise on consumer demands for eco-friendly, responsibly-sourced products by using innovative materials and creative designs to offer their goods and services in a way that is both competitive and sustainable.

For more information, please contact jane.robinson@ipsos-mori.com or matt.cavill@ipsos-mori.com