Survey: Most consumers still look to buy sustainable, but only some will pay extra
Despite ongoing cost pressures, consumers are still making an effort to buy sustainable products – with some limitations.
A new global survey from supply chain management company Blue Yonder reveals that more than three-quarters (78%) of consumers say that sustainability considerations are somewhat or very important when choosing to buy a product or shop at a retailer. These considerations are especially important in younger generations like Gen Z (88%) and millennials (86%) compared to Gen X (77%) and baby boomers (66%).
From a regional standpoint, consumers in France (86%) are most likely to buy sustainable products, followed by Germany (79%), the U.K. (78%), Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) (75%) and the United States (74%). The U.S. figure represents a small decrease compared to the 78% observed last year.
Consumers face several barriers in aligning their purchasing behaviors with sustainability, most important of which is the higher cost of sustainable products (54%). When asked which product categories they’ve focused their sustainability efforts in, consumers cited food and beverage (48%), cleaning products (37%), personal care and beauty (30%) and clothing and footwear (26%) most often. More expensive categories like appliances (20%), consumer electronics (19%) and automotive (19%) proved less popular, according to the survey.
[READ MORE: Consumer actions lag sustainability support]
Nearly half (47%) of those surveyed reported a willingness to spend an additional 5–9.9% more on sustainable products, most notably among Gen Z (52%) and millennials (50%). An additional 14% of consumers are willing to spend 10–19.9% more, while 4% are willing to spend more than 20%.
Just over one-third (36%) are not willing to spend more money on sustainable products, which is especially true among baby boomers (52%) and regions including ANZ (42%), the U.K. (39%) and U.S. (38%). In this year’s survey, U.S. consumers were much less willing to pay more than 10% extra on sustainable items, as just 12% expressed interest in spending 10–19.9% more, dropping from 22% in 2024 and 2023.
“Our respondents are sending a message that ethical sourcing and clean ingredients matter when it comes to food, cleaning products, beauty, and clothing,” said Lesley Simmonds, VP of industry strategy, retail, at Blue Yonder. “Retailers in these categories can gain a clear competitive advantage and grow their business if they execute with credibility, affordability and convenience in mind.”
Sustainability continues to be incorporated into corporate brand messaging. However, only 20% of consumers believe that brands are accurately communicating their sustainability initiatives in their ads and marketing. The trust is highest in France (25%), followed by the U.S. (23%), Germany (22%), the U.K. (17%), and ANZ (13%). However, U.S. consumers have grown more trusting of these claims in the past year, increasing from 17% in 2024.
One quarter (25%) of consumers feel they cannot trust brands’ sustainability claims, with 17% saying they feel the need to do additional research and 9% saying they feel brands capitalize on sustainability as a trend whether their actions are authentic or not. However, more than half (55%) of consumers feel they can sometimes trust brands’ sustainability claims, depending on the message, brand, or history.
Other insights from Blue Yonder’s survey include:
- Consumers are willing to increase delivery timeframes for sustainable purchases, with 30% willing to delay one to two days and 36% willing to wait up to five days. In addition, 15% of consumers are willing to wait up to one week for their deliveries if it means being more sustainable.
- When it comes to upholding sustainability efforts, one-third (33%) of those surveyed say the onus is on brands and corporations, 28% say it should be government agencies and policymakers, and 32% say everyone has a role to play. Only 8% say environmental nonprofits and advocacy groups bear responsibility.
- One-third (33%) of respondents are optimistic that AI technology could lead to new innovations and more sustainable outcomes, but an equal share (33%) said they are unaware of how it might be beneficial while 12% do not believe it will have a significant impact on sustainability. The remaining 22% of consumers are concerned about the increased environmental impact of AI and data centers.
In February 2025, Blue Yonder surveyed more than 5,000 consumers across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), France, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S for the survey.
