Consumers expect retailers to show responsibility - but do not reciprocate

E-commerce does not unsettle traditional stores

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Finnish consumers expect that retailers take responsibility for their operations, even though the majority of people are not ready to voluntarily change their behaviour, or for example to pay more for organic products.
      Two-thirds of consumers call for bold political decisions in order to reduce the environmental harms caused by consumption, and the same number of people believe that their consumption choices could change the world for the better.
      However, only roughly one-third of consumers have consciously changed their buying habits for environmental reasons.
     
The data are indicated by a study on the changes in consumer behaviour conducted by the Turku School of Economics in the Turku region in the period from 1990 through 2011.
      A report of the study was presented on the Finnish Retail Research Day organised by the Finnish Federation of Specialty Retailers in Helsinki on Thursday.
      According to Professor Heli Marjanen, the leader of the research project, the problem is that of the so-called freeloaders: "Why should I do something?"
      ”The significance of accountability is being recognised, but people themselves are willing to do next to nothing on behalf of responsibility. Their attitude implies that someone else should force me to be responsible”, Marjanen said.
     
When it comes to their choice of a store, consumers appreciate ease and inexpensive shopping.
      However, especially on their days off they wish to have adventures and experiences.
      Yet only one in five shoppers is ready to pay for services which could make his or her everyday life easier.
      Consumers still prefer driving to a store in their own car, which is why easy and free parking is an important criterion in the choice of a shopping place.
      However, the most important selection criterion is a broad product range.
      In this respect, all shopping centres and malls are doing well.
     
Even though the significance of the Internet has been growing steadily, the share of e-commerce has continued to be small, the study indicated.
      A half of the households that were studied did not use online stores at all, while only one in five respondents was an active online buyer.
      Online business is not believed to unsettle the traditional trade.
      As many as 90 per cent of all respondents said that they want to go to a shop, even if it were possible to get the purchases by other means.
     
Regardless of the economic decline, the Finns’ consumption does not seem to be on the wane, but there are considerable differences between population groups in respect to consumption styles and attitudes.
      Older consumers believe that they will buy less in the future, while younger people believe that they will increase their consumption.
      Particularly women and those at the top end of the education scale are interested in ethical and ecologically-sound products, but otherwise responsible consumption is largely limited to reducing one's purchases and energy consumption.
      These data were indicated by the two-year Erika 2020 research project conducted by the universities of Tampere and Turku.
      The purpose of the project is to outline the vision of the markets of specialty goods in the future.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Consumers´ lowered confidence in economic outlook causes them to postpone purchases of expensive products (18.10.2011)
  City dwellers pollute more than country folk (24.5.2011)

See also:
  Finns spent nearly EUR 10 billion on online shopping last year (2.3.2011)
  Popularity of e-commerce came as surprise to retail trade (1.10.2010)
  Ethically flawless tomatoes are difficult to find (21.4.2009)

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