UK consumers more focused on recommerce than US counterparts

The report has revealed fundamental differences between UK and US consumers when it comes to their preferences on sustainable shopping. While recommerce is an important sustainable shopping format in both countries, major differences arise in its utilisation. The report found that 57 per cent of the UK respondents sell items to secondhand markets while fully 61 per cent of the US respondents do not sell items to secondhand markets. Moreover, on a generational basis, 40 per cent more UK Gen Z sell to resale platforms such as ThredUp or Tradsey than their US counterparts, with nearly 30 per cent more UK millennials than US doing the same.

More than 1,100 UK-based consumers were queried for The State of Consumer Spending: UK Shoppers Are Motivated by Recommerce, Reducing Carbon Footprint, and Sustainable Packaging, the fourth in a series of First Insight reports focusing on consumer sentiment and shopping behaviour around sustainability. Differences between the two countries’ preferences were identified on topics including pricing for sustainable products, recommerce, defining and prioritising sustainable products, and packaging.

The report discovered that while an almost equal number of consumers in both the US and UK prefer to shop sustainable brands, 30 per cent of the UK consumers do so in order to reduce their carbon footprint, as opposed to 22 per cent in the US. The study also concluded that 80 per cent of UK consumers believe too much packaging accompanies online purchases compared to only 71 per cent of the US consumers.

UK consumers were also found to be more skeptical and demanding on transparency than those in the US. Only 49 per cent of the UK consumers believe that retailers and brands are sufficiently transparent around their sustainability efforts compared to 59 per cent in the US. Furthermore, 82 per cent of consumers in the UK expect retailers to be more sustainable compared to just 76 per cent in the US.

“In a world where global commerce is quickly becoming the norm, geographical nuances must be understood in order for brands and retailers to remain competitive,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight. “A cookie-cutter approach to producing, marketing, and selling sustainable products will no longer work for brands and retailers across borders. It’s critical, especially with ESG priorities, that brands understand how to communicate effectively with their communities.”