Re-Evaluating Sustainability Priorities - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Consumer Behavior Impact

Summary

Consumer approaches to environmental issues are shifting. Environmental and ethical issues such as sustainable packaging, animal welfare, and food waste are taking on varying levels of significance in the context of COVID-19. For example, concerns over excess packaging are being overshadowed by a preference for packaging formats and materials that more effectively preserve hygiene.

Environmental and ethical considerations are a secondary purchase influence for consumers, who are more likely to base purchases on trust, value, convenience, and health. However, consumers are not necessarily disregarding broader sustainability issues during the health crisis. In fact, the pandemic may even be highlighting the need to act with urgency on other global matters to mitigate the damage of imminent and future crises.

Scope

• Half of consumers prefer sealed or packaged drinks over those that are freshly prepared, while slightly fewer prefer packaged food over fresh. Concerns over hygiene have thus led to a consumer preference for additional packaging as a safety precaution.
• The merits of “buying local” are already acknowledged by consumers, and the current pandemic has only reinforced this. Indeed, the speculated origins of COVID-19 have led to some reservations over imported food.
• Demand for plant-based food and drinks has been gathering pace in recent years. The outbreak of COVID-19 has only reinforced such preferences, particularly as the suspected origins of the virus highlight the potential links between meat consumption and animal-borne illnesses.

Reasons to Buy

• Identify the reasons underpinning consumers' evolving approaches to sustainability.
• Gain insight into the key consumer trends that are most likely to drive innovation.
• Put innovative products into context by connecting them to specific consumer trends and preferences.