Sustainable Shopping: The Gap Between Values & Habits

Environmental impact. It’s a problem but it’s not my problem

Many consumers believe their single purchase won’t make a difference — especially if the sustainable option costs more. This mindset fuels collective inaction, even as most people say they want a better world.

For brands and retailers, the challenge is steep: building sustainable supply chains, sourcing ethically, adopting new materials, and creating products that tread lightly on the planet — all while staying competitive on price and convenience.

The “green” path forward lies in making sustainability the easy choice: options that don’t compromise on cost, quality, or convenience. Get that balance right, and the rewards are significant — from stronger brand loyalty to a genuine positive impact on the planet.

Understanding a series of key questions will undoubtedly offer a strong starting point for shaping your strategy in this area…

Download The Future Shopper 2025

The Future Shopper 2025 report shows that 52% of shoppers say they would choose a more sustainable option if price and convenience were the same. This means brands must integrate sustainability into the value proposition without creating trade-offs for the customer. Strategies include:

Offering eco-friendly packaging at no extra cost
Optimizing supply chains to reduce emissions while maintaining delivery speed
Using local fulfilment to cut transport miles and costs
Partnering with suppliers who meet sustainability standards without inflating prices
Clearly labelling sustainable products so customers can make informed choices quickly

When sustainability is built into the default experience, rather than positioned as a premium add-on, adoption rates rise significantly.

While sustainability is a stated priority for many shoppers, actual purchase behavior often tells a different story. The report notes that while consumers say they care about the environmental impact of their purchases (50% claim to have changed their shopping habits due to concerns around sustainability), they continue to prioritize price and convenience.

This gap between intention and action is influenced by price sensitivity, convenience, and lack of trust in sustainability claims. Many shoppers will choose the greener option only if it matches or beats alternatives on cost, availability, and ease of purchase.

Many consumers express strong concern for the environment — half say they have changed their shopping habits due to climate concerns — yet when it comes to actual purchasing decisions, price, convenience, and speed often take priority. Rising living costs and inflation are the top financial stressors for shoppers, and while 76% say sustainable packaging is important, it ranks far below competitive pricing (92%) and product availability (91%) when making a purchase.

Convenience frequently overrides eco-intentions. Two-thirds of shoppers say they would accept slower, more sustainable delivery, yet 40% will not buy from a retailer that can’t offer next-day service. Speed and ease are deeply ingrained expectations, and consumers are reluctant to sacrifice them even for environmental benefits.

Trust and understanding also influence the gap between sustainable attitudes and actions. 41% of shoppers admit they don’t understand what constitutes high or low carbon output, and concerns about greenwashing make them wary of paying more without proof. Many expect brands to provide clear, credible impact data — yet 67% believe businesses, not consumers, should absorb the cost of making products carbon neutral.

Ultimately, shoppers want sustainability built in as standard, without adding visible cost or friction. They favor brands that take the lead — 65% prefer companies adapting products and services in response to climate change — and make the sustainable choice the easy, default choice.

Overcoming inaction requires making sustainable choices the easiest choices - with research suggesting that ease and convenience are the biggest barriers to adopting sustainable behaviors. Brands should aim to:

Introduce take-back or recycling programs with clear instructions and rewards
Offer discounts or loyalty points for sustainable behaviors, such as choosing slower, lower-emission delivery
Provide transparent reporting on the environmental impact of products and operations
Use behavioral nudges, such as making the sustainable option the default at checkout
Partner with trusted third parties to verify sustainability claims and build credibility

By removing friction and rewarding positive actions, brands can shift sustainability from an abstract ideal to a habitual behavior.

Sustainable e‑commerce is evolving beyond packaging and carbon offsets into systemic change. Research uncovered that that 67% of 18-34-year-olds purchased or sold pre-loved items online last year. Notably, 61% of 35-54-year-olds did too (Source: Evri).

Consumers claim to be willing to pay 10% more for sustainably produced goods too (YouGov). When Amazon started offering their ‘Climate Pledge Friendly’ badge on products, revenue for those products went up an average of 8.4% (Momentum Commerce).

Emerging strategies to support this include:

Expanding resale and recommerce programs for electronics, fashion, and home goods
Offering resale or second-hand sections on brand sites (as embraced by the likes of Levi’s and Patagonia)
Offering product-as-a-service models, where customers rent or subscribe instead of owning
Designing products for durability, repairability, and eventual recycling
Using AI to optimize inventory and reduce overproduction
Partnering with logistics providers to consolidate deliveries and reduce emissions

Upcoming rules such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Digital Product Passports (DPPs) in EU will also have an influence, making transparent, data-backed sustainability reporting a competitive advantage.

At a Glance

50%

of global consumers claim to have changed their shopping habits due to concerns around sustainability.

At a Glance

66%

say they’d accept slower delivery if it were more eco-friendly — but do their actions match their words?

At a Glance

41%

of consumers globally admit they don’t know what constitutes high or low carbon output.

Read the full report to understand:

Why consumers say they care about sustainability but resist paying more for it
Where consumers feel the responsibility for sustainability lies in retail
How businesses can create sustainable shopping options that don't compromise consumer price and convenience
The reality of how environmental impact influences purchasing decisions
Sustainability’s role in delivery choices

The role of sustainability in the shopping experience is just one of the crucial themes we investigate in our new report which covers insights and recommended actions spanning the end-to-end shopper journey. Click for all ten themes to champion the e-commerce and hybrid retail challenge, through unified customers journeys and touch points, frictionless shopping, integrated channels, meaningful innovation and connected commerce.