"Shopping for ethical products has become less of a priority for consumers due to the cost-of-living crisis and in a climate where the price of a product is more important…
UK
Retail
simple
UK Ethical Retailing Market Report 2023
"Shopping for ethical products has become less of a priority for consumers due to the cost-of-living crisis and in a climate where the price of a product is more important than how ethical it is, retailers need to work hard at convincing the value of ethically produced products over standard ones.
…and most people are feeling the effects of price rises
People are environmentally aware
Figure 34: Key factors driving consumer behaviour around Surroundings, 2023
Eating less meat helps the planet and people’s pockets
Figure 35: Benefits associated with eating less meat, 2022
Accessibility the main barrier for refill usage amongst BPC shoppers
Figure 36: Reasons for not using/being interested in BPC refill concepts, 2022
Defining Ethical Retailers
Promoting fair treatment of workers best defines an ‘ethical retailer’
Promoting sustainability is a top criterion for ethical retailing
Figure 37: Aspects that best define an ethical retailer, 2023
Equity, diversity and inclusivity matter to 16-34s
Figure 38: Aspects that best define an ethical retailer, by age, 2023
Promoting sustainability and having ethically certified products are defining aspects for over 55s
Figure 39: Percentage of consumers who think ‘promotes sustainability’ and has ‘ethically certified products’ best define an ethical retailer, by age, 2023
Ethical Shopping Behaviours
Over three fifths have recycled used products in the past 12 months
Buying locally produced products is a good way to support the environment
Three in ten are interested in saving food destined for landfill
Figure 40: Ethical shopping behaviours and future interests when shopping ethically, 2023
16-34s look to close the loop
Figure 41: Percentage of consumer who have bought second-hand products and/or sold unwanted clothes, by age, 2023
Over 55s upcycle and buy locally produced products
Figure 42: Percentage of consumers who have upcycled, recycled and/or bought locally produced products, by age, 2023
Ethical Efforts by Retailers Consumers Want
Recycling areas in-stores is a must-have for retailers
Incentives will help make ethical behaviours a habit
Transparency needs to be a focus to gain trust from shoppers
Figure 43: Ethical services that would encourage consumers to choose one retailer over another, 2023
Get the ethical shopping mix right
Figure 44: TURF Analysis – Ethical Retailing, April 2023
Hybrid workers look for sustainable delivery options
Figure 45: Percentage of consumers who would be encouraged by sustainable delivery options when choosing to shop at one retailer over another, by current working situation, 2023
Consumers Choose Ethical Products Over Standard Ones When…
Make ethical products affordable
Make choosing ethical products rewarding
Iron out inconveniences when shopping for ethical products
Figure 46: What would make consumers chooses ethical products over standard ones, 2023
Get the ethical product mix right
Figure 47: TURF Analysis – Ethical Retailing, April 2023
Price and quality matter for 16-34s when choosing between ethical and standard products
Figure 48: What would make consumers chooses ethical products over standard ones, by age, 2023
Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s UK Ethical Retailing Market Report 2023. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, the latest ethical retail market research, trends and consumer behaviours affecting your business. Get a 360° view of the ethical retail market to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Ethical Retail Market: Overview
Shopping for ethical products has become less of a priority for consumers due to the cost of living crisis. In a climate where the price of a product is more important than how ethical it is. As a result, retailers need to work hard at convincing the value of ethically produced products over standard ones.
Ethical retail market size: Ethical claims on product launches accounted for 21% in 2022, up from 19.5% a year before.
Ethical Retail Market: Opportunities and Challenges
Popularity of recycling
Recycling is the most common type of ethical behaviour for consumers to engage in. The popularity of recycling is accentuated by companies prioritising this as part of their wider sustainability goals for reducing single-use plastic packaging and giving a lending hand for consumers to do the same.
Ethical retail market trends: 62% of consumers have recycled used products in the past 12 months.
Call for accountability
Consumers are also calling for accountability when it comes to making ethical claims. Many are confused by ethical claims or don’t trust retailers to be completely transparent about their sustainability commitments. Retailers should have an active role in making ethical claims more comprehensible.
Ethical retail market opportunity: 76% think there should be more legal restrictions on ethical claims made by retailers.
To learn more about the ethical retail market, including consumer behaviour analysis, and market opportunities recommendations, purchase our full UK Ethical Retail Market Report.
Additional Features Included with Your Purchase
Interactive Databook: Each Databook is provided as an interactive website where you can deep dive into our consumer research data on your chosen topic so you can draw your own conclusions.
Consumer Confidence Tracker: Our Trackers paint the picture of the economic confidence and major concerns of up to 40 different demographics, tracking changes in attitudes over time.
Custom PowerPoints: Incorporate our consumer research data into your own work so you can win over your clients and stakeholders. Select insights from your report to create a custom presentation that is ready to download in minutes.
Different Digital Formats: PDF for conveniently sharing with your team, PowerPoint for quickly including in your presentations.
Mintel’s Clients Portal: Our portal provides instant access to actionable analysis, podcasts, and trend pieces relevant to your industry that are published almost daily, as well as our annual Global Consumer Trends. You can also browse our extensive catalogue of market research reports.
Expert Insights from a Research Analyst
This report, written by Emily Viberg, a leading research analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight trends in the ethical retail market and add expert context to the numbers.
An emphasis should be on the financial benefits of shopping ethically which are not always apparent to consumers. Retailers also have some way to go in eliminating confusion about ethical claims and consumers are calling on more legislation to hold companies accountable and for retailers to take a lead on transparency.”
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave