STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page G17)

GREEN RETAILING / RESEARCH Sponsored by Keeping Score BY KAREN M. KROLL Consumers say they are becoming more environmentally aware – and expect retailers to do the same ust how green are your customers? It appears they may be more interested in the environment than many retailers realize. That’s one of the conclusions of a recent study BIGresearch undertook in conjunction with the Boomer Project, an initiative of the Southeastern Institute of Research (SIR). J How strongly do you agree with these statements? I am concerned about the environment I am very concerned about direction of society Spending quality time with my family is important to me Do not agree at all Disagree Uncertain or neutral Agree Agree very much 2.5% 5.0 23.0 34.4 35.1 1.2% 2.6 15.0 30.0 51.1 1.4% 2.3 11.2 25.5 59.6 During the summer of 2008, about 5,300 adults answered a number of questions via an online platform. The survey quizzed respondents on a range of issues, including the environment, corporate responsibility and current events, although most questions focused on the environment. The survey marked the first time BIGresearch took such an extensive look at consumers’ interest in this topic. The respondents represented a solid cross-section of Americans: They were about equally split between men and women of all ages; about half were employed full- or part-time, 18 percent were retired; 63 percent were parents, and 36 percent were grandparents. The results were illuminating. Given that it’s only been in the past few years that green topics have captured mass attention in of respondents the United States, “one of the either agreed or things that surprised us was that agreed very much with the statement, people cared about this more than we thought,” says BIGre“I am concerned search analyst Dianne Kremer. about the About 70 percent of responenvironment.” dents either agreed or agreed very much with the statement, “I am concerned about the environment.” That’s more than indicated that they value their faith and spirituality (68 percent) or are engaged in their community (31 percent). Moreover, these respondents appeared to be quite mainstream. Fewer than 20 percent had seen the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Most (54 percent) drove cars; 16 percent were SUV owners. This suggests that retailers can proceed with and discuss their green initiatives without fear of seeming to be out on the fringe. When thinking about stores where you regularly shop, how important is it that they: Care about environment Have low prices Offer quality products Not at all important Not important Uncertain or neutral Important Very important 4.6% 6.9 26.2 32.3 30.0 0.7% 1.5 10.6 31.5 55.8 0.2% 0.6 7.6 33.1 58.5 70% To what degree are the following responsible for protecting the environment? Companies Individuals Governments Not at all responsible Not responsible Neutral or uncertain Responsible Very responsible 3.9% 9.2 23.7 24.3 38.9 2.3% 6.6 22.4 26.6 42.1 7.1% 10.9 20.3 18.7 43.0 In general, how much do you think people exaggerate the following? How much money they make How much they exercise How environmentally responsible they are Never exaggerate Sometimes exaggerate Neutral or uncertain Exaggerate Always exaggerate 0.8% 4.7 29.6 39.6 25.3 1.0% 5.3 30.3 40.3 23.1 1.4% 5.4 30.6 38.5 24.2 Defining “being green” To be sure, consumers still appear to be refining just what it is they mean by “being green.” Some may consider themselves environmentally-friendly because they toss their newspapers in the recycling bin, while others wouldn’t consider themselves green if they didn’t drive hybrids, comWWW.STORES.ORG Source: BIGresearch STORES DECEMBER 2008 G17 http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - December 2008

STORES Magazine - December 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Wrap Rage Unraveled What Shoppers Think Courting a Comeback 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Navigating the Road Ahead Website Strategy Concept2Watch Online Customer Service International Marketing Green Retailing Online Merchandising Signage Operations Online Strategies Pricing Strategy Kiosks RFID Human Resources Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - December 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.