What are consumers’ motives, behaviours and wishes regarding sustainability and sustainable products? These questions have been answered in a study conducted by Rothmund Insights with the respondi panel.

More than 1 000 household decision-makers aged between 18 and 70 were questioned about their attitudes and behaviour regarding sustainability. Additionally, in a 14-day insight community with more than 30 sustainability-conscious consumers, an in-depth qualitative-psychological study was conducted based on the respondi panel. Besides the consumers’ attitudes, their requests to corporate sustainability were also analysed.

The study revealed three different types of consumers: the “active sustainability-conscious consumers” represent 42% of the total sample. They expect companies to act in the sustainable but they do not actively act in a sustainable way themselves. The “passive sustainability-conscious consumers” (47%) request companies to be sustainable, but sustainability is not a priority for them. The “indifferent consumers” do not care at all about sustainability.

In sociodemographic factors, the active sustainability-conscious consumers do not differ from the general population, but regarding their psychological profile, they do. On average, they are more optimistic, more future-oriented and hands-on, are more willing to forego comfort and convenience and to pay higher prices for sustainable products. In general, they are agile and adapt their behaviour quickly to new insights.

For more information on this study, e.g. regarding the changes driven by the COVID19-pandemic or about the sustainability potentials in the different aspects of daily life and in different industries, please click here for the German press release or contact us.