Generation Z are committed to sustainability, but are their shopping habits?
Generation Z are more sustainable than ever, but gaps between attitudes and shopping behaviours still remain, according to new data from Australian strategic insights agency Qualie, Mumbrella can exclusively reveal.
The agency’s latest ‘Green Grocery Guide’ study dives into the complexities of Gen Zs behaviour, particularly the alignment between their pro-environmental attitudes and purchasing behaviour when supermarket shopping.
76% of Generation Z are shopping more sustainably than they were two years ago, the report found. Attributed to greater environmental awareness and increasing personal income, the same proportion of survey respondents believe they will continue to shop more sustainably in the future.
Generation Z are committed to the cause, shopping sustainably across more than one category. 45% claim they buy environmentally products from between four and six categories. However, gaps still remain.
Stand out categories including skincare and cleaning, as sustainable dimensions are hard to miss. The biggest gaps lie where these dimensions aren’t as obvious, including the dairy, sanitary protection and confectionary categories.
The study found that when placed under the cognitive load of a busy supermarket, Generation Z’s sustainable and ethical thresholds are much lower, emphasising the need for brands to provide systematic and consistent cues to help. So while Generation Z is committed to sustainability, their shopping carts often do not reflect this.
“I felt all the research coming out today about Gen Z and how ‘green’ they are wasn’t telling the full story. So their attitudes are green but how is that translating to their behaviour in the aisle? What’s insight if it’s not based on attitude and behaviour?,” said Ainslie Williams, CEO of Qualie.
“Our video methodology allows us to capture the in-store and out-of-store environments that significantly influence shopping behaviours. This study shows that Gen Zs green hearts aren’t always translating to their purchase decisions. Different rules exist for different categories and green adoption is being driven in part by the maturity of the category in this space.”
With Australian-made week coming up later this month, where locally made products are celebrated and the importance of supporting the local market is highlighted, the research found stark differences between older generations and Gen Z’s commitment to the local market.
According to the research, Gen Z shop Australian made products to reduce food miles, thus reducing carbon emissions, while for older generations, it’s about economic prosperity and keeping jobs on-shore.
The study engaged a nationally representative group of nearly 300 Australian Generation Z participants. It used Qualie’s video-based methodology to offer a unique view of consumer behaviour in store. The insights were peer-validated to enhance relevance and accuracy.
Keep up to date with Mumbrella Daily
Got a tip?
Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
Linkedin
You may also want to check other categories – Schein & Temu are booming, largely driven by the younger shopper & it is debatable whether their products are produced on a sustainable basis. Not consistent with their principles?
User ID not verified.
Have your say