Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Green market poised for renewed growth
- Economic woes eclipse environmental concerns for stressed consumers
- Green labels seek to cut though greenwashing, but confusion remains
- Some segments stagnant, others still growing despite recession
- Green tech trends spell progress for electronics and auto segments
- Hospitality industries lead service providers in green efforts
- Energy prices and government policy key drivers of green market
- Outlook positive for green services and durable goods
Insights and Opportunities
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- Few cut back on green spending, despite recession
- Asians and Hispanics are future of green market
- Tailored messages will make green claims more convincing
- Green products now seen as available and effective
- Green attitudes don’t always translate into willingness to pay
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Media Evolution
- What's it about?
- Trend Observation: App Helps Consumers Buy Local
- Buy local, feel good
Market Size and Trends
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- Key points
- Measuring the green market
- The U.S. Healthy Products, Healthy Planet Market
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- Figure 1: HP2 market size and forecast, at current and constant prices, 2004-14
Competitive Context
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- Concern about the environment recedes in the face of economic worries
- Looming carbon policies a spur to action for business
- Parents key to green marketplace
- Green labels seek to cut though greenwashing, but confusion remains
Segment Performance
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- Key points
Segment Performance—Food and Beverage
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- Key points
- Recession has slowed growth of natural food, but consumers stand by organic staples
- Niche categories continue to grow even as consumers trade down to cut costs
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- Figure 2: U.S. FDMx and natural supermarket sales and forecast of natural/organic food and beverage, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-12
Segment Performance—Personal Care
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- Key points
- Natural and organic personal care making greater gains than conventional
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- Figure 3: U.S. sales of natural and organic personal care products in FDMx and natural supermarkets, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2006-10
Segment Performance—Building, Building Materials and Home Improvement Supplies
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- Key points
- Green building defies trends in real estate market
- Private sector dominates market, but government support remains a key driver
Segment Performance—Electronics
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- Key points
- Innovation in green electronics continues despite recession regulation
Segment Performance—Cars and Trucks
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- Key points
- Fuel prices and government policy key drivers of green vehicle market
- Range of fixes under development to boost fuel economy, with caveats
Segment Performance—Restaurants, Hotels and Hospitality
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- Key points
- Restaurants find that green practices boost bottom lines, even in recession
- Green practices trickle down to mid- and low-priced lodging, as customer demand grows
Market Drivers
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- Green market has not escaped the impacts of the recession
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- Figure 4: U.S. retail sales, 2005-09
- Figure 5: U.S. retail sales, selected months, 2005-09
- Energy prices key to green market
- Government purchasing policy drives demand for green products
- Demographic changes should benefit green market
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- Figure 6: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2004-14
Green Market Stalled but Stable
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- Key points
- Use of green household consumables down slightly
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- Figure 7: Change in frequency of purchasing different categories of green products, 2007-09
- Awareness of green household consumables high
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- Figure 8: Percentage of people unfamiliar with different categories of green products, November 2009
- Use of green durable and infrequently purchased consumer products
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- Figure 9: Influence of green factors on major purchases, by category, 2008 and 2009
- Use of green consumer services
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- Figure 10: Influence of green factors on purchases of consumer services, by category, November 2009
- Under-45s, Asians and Hispanics most interested in green services
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- Figure 11: Current use of green consumer services, by age, race, and Hispanic origin, November 2009
Green Attitudes and Behaviors by Demographic
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- Key points
- Older consumers green but thrifty
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- Figure 12: Environmental attitudes and behaviors, by age, April 2008-June 2009
- High-income consumers lighter green
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- Figure 13: Environmental attitudes and behaviors, by household income, April 2008-June 2009
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- Figure 14: Environmental attitudes and behavior, by mosaic segment, April 2008-June 2009
- Figure 15: Environmental attitudes, by education level, April 2008-June 2009
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- Figure 16: Environmental behavior, by education level, April 2008-June 2009
Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- Attitudes and behavior
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- Figure 17: Environmental attitudes and behavior, by race/Hispanic origin, April 2008-June 2009
- Green shopping habits
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- Figure 18: Purchase of green household goods, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2009
- Willingness to pay
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- Figure 19: Attitudes toward the cost of green products, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2009
Reasons for Buying or Not Buying Green
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- Key point
- Effectiveness/quality
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- Figure 20: Attitudes toward effectiveness of green products, by age, November 2009
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- Figure 21: Attitudes toward effectiveness of green products, by household income, November 2009
- Health, safety and savings drive many green purchases
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- Figure 22: Attitudes toward health benefits of green products, by gender, November 2009
- Availability
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- Figure 23: Consumer experience with the availability of green products, by age, November 2009
Willingness to Pay for Green Products
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- Key points
- Will consumers pay more for green and energy-efficient products?
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- Figure 24: Attitudes toward the cost of green products, by age, November 2009
- What is an acceptable premium for green products?
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- Figure 25: Willingness to pay extra for green products, by age, November 2009
- Willingness to pay is shaped more by race and lifestyle than by income
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- Figure 26: Willingness to pay extra for green products, by HH income, race/ethnicity, presence of children, and type of green consumer, November 2009
The Impact of the Recession on Green Shopping
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- Key points
- Majority of consumers have not cut back on green spending
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- Figure 27: Change in spending on green products, by age, November 2008-November 2009
- Race and Hispanic origin
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- Figure 28: Change in spending on green products, by race/Hispanic origin, November 2008-November 2009
- Families with children
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- Figure 29: Change in spending on green products, by presence of children in the household, November 2008-November 2009
- Higher income groups face fewer tradeoffs; increase green spending
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- Figure 30: Change in spending on green products, by household income, November 2008-November 2009
How Do We Know It’s Really Green?
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- Key points
- Consumers less skeptical of green claims
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- Figure 31: Change in beliefs about verifying and trusting green product claims, 2008 and 2009
- Higher income groups more skeptical of green claims
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- Figure 32: Skepticism about green claims, by household income, November 2009
Cluster Analysis
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- Cluster 1: True Greens
- Cluster 2: No Greens
- Cluster 3: Sometimes Greens
- Characteristic tables
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- Figure 33: Green living clusters, November 2009
- Figure 34: Frequency of purchasing different categories of green products, by green living clusters, November 2009
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- Figure 35: Influence of green factors on major purchases, by green living clusters, November 2009
- Figure 36: Influence of green factors on choice of service providers, by green living clusters, November 2009
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- Figure 37: Beliefs about green product claims, pricing, and convenience, by green living clusters, November 2009
- Figure 38: Willingness to pay extra for green products, by green living clusters, November 2009
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- Figure 39: Change in spending on green products, by green living clusters, November 2008-November 2009
- Figure 40: Beliefs about green product claims, pricing, and convenience, by green living clusters, November 2009
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- Figure 41: Beliefs about green product claims, pricing, and convenience, by green living clusters, November 2009
- Demographic tables:
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- Figure 42: Green living clusters, by gender, November 2009
- Figure 43: Green living clusters, by age, November 2009
- Figure 44: Green living clusters, by household income, November 2009
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- Figure 45: Green living clusters, by race, November 2009
- Figure 46: Green living clusters, by Hispanic origin, November 2009
- Cluster methodology
Custom Consumer Groups
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- Dads willing to pay for a range of green products
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- Figure 47: Influence of green factors on major purchases, by parents and non-parents, November 2009
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- Figure 48: Influence of green factors on choice of service providers, by parents and non-parents, November 2009
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- Figure 49: Beliefs about green product claims, pricing, and convenience, by parents and non-parents, November 2009
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- Figure 50: Willingness to pay extra for green products, by parents and non-parents, November 2009
- A closer look at green Hispanics
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- Figure 51: Frequent purchasers of green household products, by Hispanic origin and household income, November 2009
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- Figure 52: Influence of green factors on purchases of consumer services, by Hispanic origin and household income, November 2009
Appendix—Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Attitudes toward green products
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- Figure 53: Attitudes toward green products, by parents and non-parents, November 2009
Appendix: Trade Associations
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