A new study confirms this sentiment,finding that affordability is the biggest factor in Australians’ purchasing decisions.
The latestAustralian Ethical Consumer Report,published by Baptist World Aid in partnership with Be Slavery Free,set out to determine Australian consumer attitudes towards modern slavery,sustainability and ethical consumption.
It found that value and cost matter most to consumers,with 73 per cent of responders saying they are driven by value for money,66 per cent by good quality and 54 per cent by price.
Despite this,it found Australians are increasingly aware of issues like modern slavery and sustainability – and wanting to shop better.
Sarah Knop,advocacy manager at Baptist World Aid,says she wants to see more Australians turning this knowledge into action. “What was disappointing to see is just how much the cost of living crisis has really impacted people’s ability to turn their awareness into action that will make a real difference to people working in global supply chains,but also to the planet.”
Eloise Zoppos,an academic at Monash University who specialises in retail behaviour and consumer research,agrees that price is the number one factor when it comes to purchasing decisions.
She adds that widespread greenwashing and confusing marketing tactics are another barrier. “Consumers can sometimes find it hard to work out whether a product really is sustainable or not,” says Zoppos. “There are a lot of terms that brands use that are not always made clear.”