The Global Language of Business

Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index in partnership with Amárach Research

Jul 23, 2024, by  - Category: Sustainability Insights

Irish consumers want to be more sustainable but not at any price

Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index, conducted in partnership with Amárach Research. Volume 4, Summer 2024: 

Sustainability – how it’s influencing consumers’ lifestyles and spending habits in Ireland.

Penneys has published new research into how sustainability influences Irish lifestyles and spending habits. Undertaken as part of its ongoing Pulse of the Nation Index series and conducted by Amárach Research, the report explores how Irish consumers are behaving and thinking and highlights a confused consumer who wants to do the right thing, but won’t pay more to do so.

Some of the key findings:

A public mindful of its wallet

While the Irish public is becoming more environmentally conscious, just over half (54%) said they would not pay a premium for more sustainable goods and of those that would, around half would only be willing to pay up to 10% more.

An increasingly environmentally conscious public

The Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index found many consumers are behaving more responsibly. Two-thirds (66%) of adults actively avoid plastic packaging and more than four in ten (44%) try to buy products made from more sustainable materials whenever possible. Similarly, approximately three in five (57%) adults say they try not to buy products they don’t need to help the environment.

The findings highlight a gender divide, with 71% of women avoiding plastic packaging where possible compared to 60% of men. Older people were more likely to be more environmentally conscious than younger people. Almost three-quarters of people aged 55 plus (74%) avoid plastic packaging compared to just over half (53%) of those aged 18-24.

Making sense of sustainability

Despite the progress, the research found many need help deciphering how to shop more sustainably. Only three in five (59%) adults were confident in their ability to decode clothing labels, which dropped to 2 in 5 (40%) when it came to confidence in making sense of a company’s sustainability credentials. Only a quarter (27%) of the public said they had read these.

Inside Penneys: To play its part, Penneys uses QR codes in its stores to direct customers online to help them learn more about its Primark Cares sustainability strategy. Resources like a Fibres Glossary on its customer website help educate customers about the fibres used in clothing and demystify some sustainability terms. Penneys also uses its social channels to communicate with customers in a simple and creative way.

The sustainability research is the latest in a series of ongoing insights commissioned by Penneys into the public’s attitudes to sustainability. These have informed the company’s Primark Cares strategy, which includes a series of wide-reaching commitments across its products, planet and people. This ten-year programme aims to reduce the impact its business has on the planet, improve the livelihoods of the people who make its clothes and end fashion waste – with the ambition to make more sustainable choices affordable to all.

To read the latest Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index, please visit here.

To find out more about Primark Cares, click here 

Pulse of The Nation stakeholder event

Director of Primark Cares Lynne Walker & Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy Ossian Smyth TD

Tags: Penneys, Amarach Research
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