Closing the Say-Do Gap in Sustainable Shopping

A common refrain, whispered in sustainability circles and shouted in more skeptical ones, is that consumers say they care about the environment and social impact, but when it comes to what they actually do, they're not buying these products. 

For example, about 76% of Americans and Canadians consider themselves to be conscious consumers, finds new research from Public Inc, a social impact agency. Yet they only shop based on social, ethical, or environmental factors 38% of the time.

A cynical explanation might be that consumers know what they "should" be doing, and respond as such to surveys, but they don't actually want to change their behavior. Another explanation could be that factors like inflation are stopping consumers from voting with their wallets for more responsible brands.

While there could be elements of truth to these issues, the larger reality seems to be that brands are often missing the mark from a communication standpoint. 

In particular, companies need to recognize that the say-do gap is driven by both conscious and unconscious shopping habits, as is the case with any purchasing decision, not just sustainability-related ones.

"When you're in the shopping environment, your unconscious mind takes over," said Caleigh Farrell, head of research at Public, while speaking at the GreenBiz 25 conference. Everything from what's in your bank account, to what you ate yesterday, to whether you have a toddler shopping with you affects what you're going to buy, she said.

So, trying to win a customer over with fine print on packaging talking about 2050 net-zero goals is probably a losing proposition. But if you've developed a brand that connects with consumers more instinctively — like by associating sustainable materials with durability — that could help close the say-do gap.

"It's about meeting consumers where they are, which is what we've really failed to do in the present," said Farrell.