Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart earn top spots in annual ‘Good Company’ poll
Socially responsible spending still trended in the right direction in 2024 despite slight decline from the previous year.
That’s according to 12th annual Conscious Consumer Spending Index, an ongoing benchmarking study from Good. Must. Grow., a socially responsible marketing consultancy that administers the index to gauge momentum for conscious consumerism, charitable giving and earth-friendly practices.
The index also released its annual top 20 “Good Company” poll, which was compiled by responses to the question, “What company or organization do you think of first when you think of socially responsible companies/organizations?” Based on unaided recall, organizations were ranked by how frequently they were named.
The companies that made this year’s top 20 are listed below.
- Amazon
- Salvation Army
- Starbucks
- Walmart
- Patagonia
- American Red Cross
- Apple
- Goodwill
- Bombas
- Microsoft
- TOMS
- Target
- Ben & Jerry’s
- Habitat for Humanity
- Greenpeace
- UNICEF
- Coca Cola
- Tesla
- St. Jude
Spending Index
After seeing a record-shattering score of 57 in 2023, this year’s index fell 12% to an even 50. In total, the number of Americans who reported shopping with socially conscious brands is down this year, as is the number of Americans who plan to spend more with such brands in the year ahead. Even so, this year’s score is the third-highest of all time, and caps the best three-year span in index history.
The index score is calculated by evaluating the importance consumers place on purchasing from socially responsible companies, actions taken to support such products and services, and future intent to increase the amount they spend with responsible organizations. Based on the design of the index’s algorithm, even a one-point change in overall score indicates meaningful movement of consumer sentiment.
“While we are reporting a decline in this year’s score, we also have established a new baseline for the index that demonstrates overall growth in do good behaviors over the last 12 years,” said Heath Shackleford, founder of Good. Must. Grow. “Prior to 2021, the index had never posted a score above 50, but in the four years since, we’ve consistently surpassed that threshold.”
In this year’s findings, 66% of Americans felt it was important to support socially responsible brands, while 64% confirmed they had purchased do good products or services in the past year. Additionally, 32% said they planned to spend more with socially responsible companies in 2025. All of these statistics trail 2023 results, which were all record highs.
Also, the success rate for socially responsible intentions fell to 55% this year. When comparing the number of Americans who plan to increase socially responsible spending with those who follow through the next year, the previous 10-year average success rate was 67%. This year’s results are a new historic low.
A few contributing factors for the lull in socially responsible spending are declining household incomes and increasing sensitivity around the cost of do good products and services. In 2024, 20% of Americans reported their household income declined over the past year. Meanwhile, half of Americans said the cost of socially responsible products and services was a barrier to their socially responsible spending habits. This was an all-time high.
For more information on the Conscious Consumer Spending index, visit www.goodmustgrow.com/ccsindex