As the focus on sustainability continues to impact every aspect of our lives, consumers are starting to see green options as a deal-breaker when shopping too, says a report by Doddle. Over two-fifths (43%) of Brits say they are now more likely to shop with a rival retailer if they offer a greater range of sustainable delivery options.   

The new research reveals that whilst consumers are going green in some areas of their lives – such as the adoption of reusable bags and coffee cups, or choosing products with less packaging – this hasn’t fully filtered through to the way they shop online. Only 6% always collect their shopping instead of having it delivered.
 
But this is changing. With urban congestion and air quality both issues in the spotlight shoppers are going to demand more from retailers in the future. Two-fifths don’t think retailers currently do a good enough job of offering sustainable options, and a quarter are annoyed that home delivery is often positioned as the default option, generating unnecessary emissions.
 
Green shoppers: age and gender matter
 
Retailers should be thinking about the way different audiences prioritise sustainability. While older shoppers are more concerned about packaging and clothes waste, women are more likely than men to prioritise sustainability in their day to day life, with 73% of women recycling clothes and 43% choosing products with less packaging – compared to 47% and 31% of men respectively.
 
Younger consumers (18-24 year olds) are adopting more environmental habits, with over half of them (53%) planning to use direct home delivery less in future – nearly double the number of 45 year olds (29%).
 
But all consumers are becoming more conscious of their impact, with 59% trying to trip chain – combining multiple tasks in a single journey – more than they used to. 76% say it’s to cut costs, but over half (54%) say they are doing it to be more sustainable. 
 
Going green will unlock customer loyalty
 
These changing attitudes could impact retailers’ bottom lines if they don’t give their customers green choices. Half (50%) only want to support retailers with a wide range of sustainable options in future – and for younger shoppers – a significant 56% would shop with a competitor who offered more sustainable options.
 
The cost burden may seem high, but shoppers are willing to put their money where their values are and pay a premium for sustainable options. Nearly half (47%) would pay £1 or more, and over a quarter (26%) would be happy to pay £2 or more.  
 
Tim Robinson, CEO of Doddle: “As shoppers continue to become more environmentally conscious, retailers need to mirror this in their offer. While convenience remains important for customers, it’s not enough for sustainable delivery to be an add-on or after-thought anymore - in an already tough environment, it will set brands apart in their battle for customer loyalty.
 
“With a quarter (26%) of consumers actually surprised by how many of their favourite brands still only offer home delivery, retailers need to make alternatives like click & collect, consolidated deliveries and store kiosks more prominent at checkout and be explicit about the environmental benefits.”
 
Doddle has also reviewed delivery figures to understand how embracing click and collect can benefit the environment. Doddle has estimated that there could be over a 80% reduction in delivery vehicles on the street if everyone used click & collect / pick up drop off points. This would be the extreme, but even moving towards this in a small way would have a big impact on the environment given every kilometre of a delivery emits 147g of CO2