Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market and audience overview
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on retail, December 2020
- Opportunities and challenges
- Stand for something beyond selling products
- Provide tangible proof through ongoing actions
- Support the local economy
- Empower and educate
- Speak up on matters related to diversity, equity and inclusion
Impact of COVID-19 on Retail
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- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on retail, December 2020
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- COVID-19: US context
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Target Audience – Key Takeaways
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- Attention levels vary among consumers
- Mission-driven consumers are young, affluent and growing
- Deepening relationships through mission-driven efforts
Mission-Driven Consumers by the Numbers
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- Attention is divided
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- Figure 3: Attention level to brand missions, October 2020
- Positive reinforcement far outweighs expressions of disapproval
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- Figure 4: Advocacy versus boycotting tendency, October 2020
- Those who shop with purpose tend to be younger, urban, educated and affluent
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- Figure 5: Profile of mission-driven consumers, by gender, generation, race and Hispanic origin, and parental status, October 2020
- Income is a factor in how consumers choose to support brands
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- Figure 6: Profile of mission-driven consumers, by household income, employment, financial situation and education, October 2020
- Where people live can shape their attitudes and behaviors
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- Figure 7: Profile of mission-driven consumers, by region and area, October 2020
Trend Drivers Impacting Mission-Driven Retail
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- Surroundings
- Rights
- Identity
- Wellbeing
- Value
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Cause-related efforts with tangible impact draw most support
- All in on “made in the USA”
- Shoppers most likely to express their support via monetary donations
- Majority learn about brand’s CSR efforts secondhand
- Skepticism abounds regarding impetus for CSR efforts
- Diversity, equity and inclusion a growing area of focus
- Some consumers are just tuned out
Important Missions
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- Health and wellbeing top list of missions consumers want to support
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- Figure 8: Shopping habit changes due to COVID-19, July 2020
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- Figure 9: Bombas shares impact from charitable partners
- Figure 10: Important missions, October 2020
- Conscious consumers care about a lot of issues
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- Figure 11: Important missions, by generation, October 2020
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- Figure 12: Consumer attitudes regarding their surroundings, by age, July 2020*
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- Figure 13: Important social issues, by generation, June 2020
- Parents focused on education-oriented missions
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- Figure 14: Important missions, by parental status, October 2020
- Multicultural groups gaining attention and clout
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- Figure 15: Support of diversity, inclusion and equity, by gender and race and Hispanic origin, October 2020
Motivating Claims
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- Claims are important, but may not be enough to drive purchase
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- Figure 16: Motivating claims, October 2020 versus April 2018
- Product origin important to rural residents
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- Figure 17: Made in USA and locally made, by area, October 2020
- Older consumers’ interests are diverse
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- Figure 18: Motivating claims, by age, October 2020
- Women very passionate about animal welfare
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- Figure 19: Motivating claims, by gender, October 2020
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- Figure 20: Hourglass Cosmetics commits to protecting animals
- Multicultural consumers care about natural ingredients
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- Figure 21: Motivating claims, by race and Hispanic origin, October 2020
How Consumers Learn about Missions
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- A divided approach to gathering information
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- Figure 22: Passive versus active approach to learning about brand missions, October 2020
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- Figure 23: Advocacy versus boycotting tendency, by passive versus active approach to learning about brand missions, October 2020
- Fragmented attention levels require multichannel communication approach; social media is a central requirement
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- Figure 24: For Days uses social media to promote its sustainability efforts
How Consumers Support Brands’ Missions
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- Donating money is an easy way in
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- Figure 25: Preferred ways of involvement, October 2020
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- Figure 26: McDonald’s and Ronald McDonald House Charities promote round-up feature
- Women like to donate items and change; men will donate their time
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- Figure 27: Preferred ways of involvement, by gender, October 2020
- Monetary support reigns supreme across all income levels
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- Figure 28: Preferred ways of involvement – Nets, by household income, October 2020
- Younger generations open to showing support in a variety of ways
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- Figure 29: Preferred ways of involvement, by generation, October 2020
- Any consumer can be a possible supporter
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- Figure 30: Preferred ways of involvement, by attention level to brands’ missions and advocacy versus boycotting tendency, October 2020
- Black consumers will go all in to show support
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- Figure 31: Preferred ways of involvement, by race and Hispanic origin, October 2020
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- Figure 32: Consumer attitudes and actions toward corporate social responsibility, by race and Hispanic origin, October 2020
Attitudes toward Corporate Social Responsibility
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- Consumers expect brands to stand for something other than making money
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- Figure 33: Brand opportunities when considering CSR programs, October 2020
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- Figure 34: Brand opportunities when considering CSR programs, by generation, October 2020
- Consumers want to do the right thing
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- Figure 35: Consumer attitudes and actions, October 2020
- More education needed on sustainability
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- Figure 36: Supporting sustainability, by gender and age, October 2020
Attitudes and Behaviors toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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- To make a public statement or not; majority say yes
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- Figure 37: Attitudes toward companies making public statements about social justice, by generation, October 2020
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- Figure 38: Nike speaks out against racial injustice
- Figure 39: Attitudes toward companies making public statements about social justice, by race and Hispanic origin, October 2020
- Majority think brands lack authenticity
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- Figure 40: Attitudes toward companies’ social unrest response, October 2020
- Actions over statements – internally and externally
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- Figure 41: Likelihood to support brands that take action, October 2020
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- Figure 42: Kroger DEI initiatives and communication
- Figure 43: Likelihood to support brands that take action, by gender and age, October 2020
- Supporting Black Lives Matter through shopping
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- Figure 44: Likelihood to support brands that support Black Lives Matter, by generation, October 2020
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- Figure 45: Likelihood to support brands that support Black Lives Matter, by gender and race, October 2020
- Over time, conscious support of Black-owned businesses will increase
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- Figure 46: Likelihood to support Black-owned businesses, by gender and race, October 2020
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- Figure 47: Target supports Black-owned brands
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- Figure 48: Discover supports Black-owned restaurants
Reasons for Apathy
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- The basics come first
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- Figure 49: Reasons for apathy, October 2020
- Consumers might be well-intentioned, but convenience still wins out
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- Figure 50: Select reasons for apathy, by household income, October 2020
- Young females are skeptical
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- Figure 51: Skepticism regarding CSR, by gender and age, October 2020
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- Figure 52: Pela Plastic Meter
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Get local
- Be visible, vocal and active
- There is no one right approach to executing CSR efforts
- Consumers will take note of how brands act and respond
Brand Opportunities
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- Proudly promote CSR efforts
- Consider a local angle
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- Figure 53: American Express “shop small” campaign
- Consider the role of the product
- Vary the mechanisms for consumer support
Competitive Strategies
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- Top performers in consumers’ eyes
- Multiple missions, multiple expressions
- DEI activism
- Ben & Jerry’s
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- Figure 54: Ben & Jerry’s social mission
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- Figure 55: Ben & Jerry’s continually takes a stand on social issues
- Dove
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- Figure 56: Dove co-founds the CROWN Coalition
- Kroger
- Apple
- Health and wellbeing
- Outdoor Voices
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- Figure 57: Outdoor Voices email promotes its mission, not products, January 2021
- Environmentalism and sustainability
- Patagonia
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- Figure 58: Patagonia’s Public Trust film
- Figure 59: Patagonia calls for people to buy less and demand more
- Amazon
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- Figure 60: Amazon’s Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
- Johnson & Johnson
- Giving back
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- Figure 61: Toms supports grassroots organizations
- Figure 62: Allbirds donates shoes to healthcare workers during COVID-19
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- Figure 63: OuiPlease asks customers to donate goods to women’s shelters
- Missed opportunities
- Gap
- Starbucks
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 64: Total US retail sales, at current prices, 2015-25
- Figure 65: Total US retail ecommerce sales and forecast, at current prices, 2015-25
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- Qualitative research
- Examples of companies that consumers think are doing a good job at communicating their mission
- Impact of company QSR efforts on consumers’ shopping habits
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