61% of people have concerns about the environment – yet just 9% see it as a priority when doing their Christmas shopping, reveals poll

December 2019

61% of people have concerns about the environment – yet just 9% see environmental impact as a priority when doing their Christmas shopping: A survey designed to find out more about consumers' shopping priorities this Christmas and their views on the environment has found that despite six in ten (61%) feeling 'concerned' or 'very concerned' about the environment, just 9% consider 'environmental impact' a priority when it comes to their festive shop. 

The research by KIS Finance found that when shopping for Christmas gifts, the top priority of consumers was 'price' (45%), followed by 'quality' (29%). For 15% of those polled, buying local goods was a priority, with environmental impact the fourth consideration (9%). The speed of delivery was the least important priority for Christmas shopping according to the poll, with just 1.5% of respondents selecting it as a top concern. 

Breaking it down further, almost a quarter of respondents (23.4%) said environmental impact was their lowest priority, with just under 30% of people placing it fourth out of five.

When asked about their Christmas shop, just 13% of respondents said they make a conscious effort to ensure their shopping is eco-friendly.

So why the disconnect between people claiming to be concerned about the environment, and their eco-lacking festive shopping habits? 

The research asked consumers about the barriers to eco-friendly shopping and found that almost four in ten respondents (39%) felt that environmentally-friendly goods are too expensive, while 36% said that finding eco-friendly goods is too challenging with not enough shops selling them. Other factors included a lack of information displayed on product packaging, quality, and people feeling like their purchase won't make a difference on its own. 

James Child, Head of Retail and Industrial Research at Estates Gazette, who commented on the research said:

“Many UK retailers are finding that this shift in consumer consciousness has yet to translate into a shift in sales for more environmentally-friendly alternatives – that there is a lag between consumers advocating a shift and actually adopting different, greener, shopping habits.”