Eco-friendly Retail-trends
Developing of consumerism habits
The trend of dis-owning and de-cluttering has become more popular in recent years. The Swedes are well known for practicing the art of ‘Death Cleaning’, and Mari Kondo’s theory that an item should only be retained if it ‘sparks joy’ made us all question our eclectic tea towel collection. Anyone working towards the possession of only 288 items however will be finding it particularly hard this year!
For anyone who has been using the excuse of the national restrictions to buy less and desire less, Christmas has always been the excuse to do otherwise. Gifting brings its own sense of joy, and the need to spread cheer and happiness is great in today’s climate whilst we’re still unable to socialise with as many loved ones as usual. In the UK, £26.9 billion was projected to be spent on Christmas gifting1, with many having begun their shopping last year as early as September. Whilst the use of shopping malls has plummeted, shopping online for Christmas gifting was the preferred retail choice for 65% of the British population.
The Retail sector had certainly fought back in 2020 and there were some really great success stories for those enterprises who have proved their resilience and agility to respond throughout the pandemic. 59% of customers initially discovered their goods online, and 16% of all purchases made online were categorised as impulse purchases2. Whilst Christmas loomed, especially where online deliveries reign, it might surprise you to know that the younger generations are fighting back against the frivolity of Christmas 2020 and beyond. The global topic of landfill is a modern challenge for retailers and their response comes in the emergence of green schemes. Fashion brands are adopting a second hand marketing approach and offering buy-back and re-sale of its items, in order to appeal to those who are passionate about the effect of retail on the planet. Younger people in the UK are increasingly adopting the ‘make do and mend’ mindset of the wartime generation and websites that offer guidance and spare parts for everyday items are reporting a surge in interest from young people.3
Retail is changing, of its own volition and from pressures from consumers, but is certainly here to stay. It will be interesting to watch the evolution of online shopping and propels our consumer habits into a new age of Retail.
1 Finder 2020
2 Geoblink 2019
3 The Week, December 2020