To Respond To Consumer Demands, Environmental Factors Cannot Be Ignored!

There are many factors that influence consumers' shopping choices, such as free shipping, discounts and offers, etc. In addition, environmental factors also play an increasingly important role.

Data shows that consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of shopping on the environment. For example, a survey by Wunderman Thompson found that 85% of Generation Z consumers in the United States believe that brands cannot be just for profit, and 80% of consumers believe that brands should make people's lives better.

18% of Gen Z consumers said they are influenced by a brand’s ethics when making purchase decisions. For brands and retailers, this means ethical sourcing, appropriate packaging, reusable containers and low carbon emissions.

First, let’s take a look at what the e-commerce giants do:

Amazon is committed to and invested in sustainability. For example, Amazon has pledged to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2040. In addition, Amazon has ordered more than 100,000 pure electric trucks and plans to invest US$100 million in reforestation projects around the world.

Shopify launches sustainability fund to invest in carbon removal. Shopify is also rolling out options for merchants and their buyers to offset carbon emissions from order delivery.

To respond to consumers’ demands and create green e-commerce, sellers can refer to the following three suggestions:

Pay attention to your supply chain. 95% of a company's emissions may come from its entire supply chain. To do this, you can ask your supplier to calculate the carbon footprint of the product you purchase. This strategy both informs suppliers that you are monitoring your carbon footprint and enables comparisons between suppliers.

Providing green transportation alternatives. For less urgent purchases, you can offer slower but greener delivery options, or you can encourage shoppers to bundle purchases to reduce the number of deliveries. In addition, packaging is crucial, with more than half of U.S. consumers concerned about the impact of packaging on the environment, according to a McKinsey & Company survey.

Switch to renewable electricity. This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint. However, this may result in more expenses.

In summary, consumers are shifting towards green purchasing behavior and are willing to pay higher prices for environmentally friendly products. Sellers must also establish a sense of social responsibility to develop long-term brand benefits.