Indians shop less to become environmentally conscious

For the Asia Sustainability Foundational Study, Kantar surveyed 10,000 customers in nine countries, including 1,000 in India. This survey was conducted in Delhi and Mumbai, and it included customers from both cities as well as from Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. 48 percent of Indian customers are actively investigating sustainability problems, according to the survey. Indian consumers choose firms that are devoted to doing good. The vast majority indicated they would rather save money in real-world actions, but 77% said they were willing to support companies that are attempting to do good.

Despite their good intentions, the 'value-action gap' remains a problem for Indian customers, according to the study. For example, 65% of participants admitted to throwing recyclables in the garbage. In Kantar's study, three factors undermine sustainable consumer behavior: cost, comfort, and lack of information. Eighty-four percent of study participants said they prioritized saving money over saving the planet when making a purchase. Sixty-six percent said they don't know enough to choose sustainable options.

Regardless of the difficulties that come with being a third-world country, Indians are concerned about more than just their fundamental human rights, the report noted. Customers are most concerned about contamination of water (pesticides, oil spills), poverty and hunger, deforestation (cattle farming, palm oil, and soya), lack of access to adequate health care and immunization, and pollution of air. Consumers have a low level of confidence in corporations' sustainability efforts, with 68% of respondents stating that brands support social issues purely for commercial reasons.

According to a survey by analytics and brand consultancy firm Kantar, Indian consumers are interested in companies that are socially and environmentally conscious, but they choose to save money than make sustainable choices. Due to an increase in online purchasing, merchants are now competing for limited last-mile delivery capacity. Over 40% of internet adults in the United States say they dislike shopping in stores more now than they did before the epidemic. 

Covid-19 has altered the way we shop. What remains to be seen is whether the new behaviors will last once the pandemic has passed. Instead of standing in line on Black Friday for a cheap TV, customers bought it online and picked it up at the curb. Even people who had never purchased anything online before the outbreak turned to the Intertubes for everything from groceries to clothes to makeup. Oniomania, or the compulsive need to shop, can lead to debt and hoarding. If you or someone you know is suffering from a shopping addiction, you are not alone. Dopamine is a powerful neurotransmitter that influences human behavior toward pleasant objectives. It's issued anytime something interesting or novel happens to us. Just by glancing at anything (we like) online, we get an almost immediate sense of satisfaction. These highs can grow physically and psychologically addicted over time. Just several quarters into COVID-19, consumer internet purchasing has risen, brands throughout the epidemic suggest they expect to keep doing so.