Selling sustainable products? Pay attention to these 4 consumer demands

We conducted research through a Research Community and presented the following statement to consumers: "We can't ignore sustainability anymore, we have to pay attention to this. 85% of consumers agree with this and 11% are neutral about it. Only 4% disagree with this statement. In addition, 92% of all 250 consumers buy a sustainable product at least occasionally. We can conclude that sustainability is an important concept in society today.

Consumers about sustainable products

But why is sustainability an important concept? Why do consumers buy or not buy sustainable products? A few consumer responses to the question, "What is important to you when you buy a sustainable product?

'What kind of product it is about, what the price is compared to non-sustainable, what kind of impact it might have (in the long run).'

'Whether the price is right, sustainability should not become a profit motive.'

'This depends on the kind of product, some products I am more inclined to buy sustainable than other products. Also very much on the price. If the difference between sustainable and non-sustainable is very small, I am more likely to buy the sustainable version.'

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4 requirements that sustainable products must meet

From all the consumer responses, there appear to be four key factors, or while "requirements," that factor into whether or not someone buys your sustainable product.

1. The price of sustainability must be relative to unsustainable products If a "sustainable" bell pepper is twice as expensive as an unsustainable bell pepper, most consumers will choose the unsustainable bell pepper. So the question of how much someone should pay extra for a sustainable product is essential. In terms of price, is your product, whether a bell pepper or an energy supplier, proportionally much higher than an unsustainable product? Then consider creating a new financial plan and re-pricing the product.
2. A sustainable product must really be "sustainable" The price of products is important. A sustainable product may seem more expensive to produce. Consumers often understand that the price goes up. In some cases, however, it does not come across as very credible. For example, a consumer says, "I am quite willing to live more sustainably, so less use of energy and plastic, etc. But I have the feeling that sustainability is now being used to scare people because of crisis, and then there will be taxes again anyway. So why should I pay extra even now? Why do I pay more, for example, for a cucumber without plastic? After all, it costs less...' So think carefully about the credibility of a "sustainable" product and the price you charge for it. It must remain fair to the consumer.
3. The quality of the product must be "good" Sustainability sometimes sounds better, but consumers quickly figure it out when something turns out to be less good than it looked after all. Consumers want quality and value for money. For this, taste is especially important. If something doesn't taste good, hardly anyone will buy your product a second time. So make sure the quality of your product is good, and certainly not inferior to non-sustainable products.
4. Sustainability should not get in the way of "convenience." Many consumers find it too much trouble to have to go to a different store specifically for that one sustainable product than where they normally do their shopping. This takes time. The best thing you can do as a company is to make sure your sustainable product is on the shelves at stores and/or supermarkets where most consumers do their daily shopping. If you do want to offer your product at a specialty store, scout the neighborhood and find out if there are enough other larger stores/supermarkets within a certain radius. That way, consumers are more likely to walk into that specialty store to buy your product than if they had to go elsewhere entirely.

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