Eco-responsibility, an increasingly important purchasing criterion for ADEO retail brands

More than 8,000 people surveyed in 10 countries

ADEO’s “CSR Impact” study aims to help us anticipate and measure the behaviours of consumers in relation to CSR, as much in their every day lives as in their home improvement projects, whether big or small. Conducted simultaneously in 10 countries between March and November 2022, this study was carried out in 3 phases, with an initial phase of “social listening” to examine spontaneous conversations on the topic, followed by a qualitative and ethnographic phase that involved visiting inhabitants in 90 households, and finally a quantitative survey via a questionnaire addressed to more than 8,000 people, based on a representative sample of the population in each country. This article is essentially based on the last part of the survey: you will find other learnings here.

Environmental concerns are becoming more widespread

Nowadays, ¾ of respondents say they are concerned by the issue of eco-responsibility in their daily lives, and almost half (44%) say they want to change their habits and adopt a more sober lifestyle.
So it’s no surprise then, that 74% consider that initiatives in favour of the environment contribute to making the world a better place and 75% say that they’ve taken at least one practical initiative over the last year. However, only 11% have gone as far as calculating their carbon footprint. We also notice disparities according to age and gender: the under 35’s and women are both more committed and more pessimistic with regard to environmental issues.

In terms of purchasing behaviour, environmental awareness is growing and these days has a strong influence on consumer choices. 69% of respondents say they would opt for a brand they perceive as being eco-responsible, even if they haven’t heard of it before, rather than a known brand that doesn’t offer any kind of assurances on these matters. Understandably, 58% are looking for information concerning the commitments of brands from which they purchase products and services. 24% even say they’ve changed one of their consumer habits over the past year due to a company’s poor performance in terms of CSR.

These observations should encourage brands to be more and more committed to the environment, to take real initiatives on the subject and to improve the visibility of these initiatives.
As a Positive Home Platform, it is also ADEO’s responsibility to lead by example in relation to its partners and smaller companies, to continue to meet societal expectations.

Combining ecology and purchasing power

In terms of purchasing behaviour, there is a strong trend for consumers to seek both an economic and ecological benefit. As such, the decision to install solar panels, to change to an electric car, to fit a thermostat or a water-saving solution is often motivated by the budgetary aspect, combined with the ecological aspect.

For example, 31% of respondents say they want to install solar panels in their current home to save money and be more energy independent and 45% would like their next home to produce all or part of its own energy.

80% of consumers surveyed say they are prepared to pay 10% more for a “more responsible” product or service, that would enable them to make energy-savings for example. They also highlight the health benefits and the durability of products, making their purchases a better investment over the long term.

6 profiles with distinct expectations and behaviours

To continue to refine the range of products that ADEO brands offer consumers, the study has enabled us to identify typical purchasing profiles.

We have therefore identified 6 profiles of inhabitants, in ascending order of commitment. Among these 6 profiles, 4 are attentive, in varying degrees, to societal and environmental commitments.
The first is that of “eco-opportunists”: while they are not overly concerned with environmental issues, they are nevertheless interested in the financial benefits that may be gained, particularly through subventions or long term savings.
On the eco-commitment scale, they are followed by the “eco-smart DIYer”, who, as their name suggests, are experienced do-it-yourselfers and therefore attach great importance to reparability and ingenuity, two gateways for them to eco-responsibility. Each of these two profiles finds a different but real advantage in adopting more virtuous purchasing behaviour: it is up to us, in ADEO Group companies, to know how to attract the attention of these profiles, which make up a large proportion of consumers, with almost 39% of respondents to our survey.

Among the more environmentally committed, we find the “eco-quality oriented” inhabitant: for them, eco-responsibility rhymes with sustainability, but also with comfort. They are not afraid to pay the price for products and materials if they are of better quality and ecologically certified. They often tend to rely on artisans to carry out their work, which also implies that ADEO companies have a role to play in offering them a partnership with qualified and certified artisans.
Finally, the “eco-activists”, who are by definition the most committed inhabitants: they have more extensive knowledge and are the most demanding in terms of eco-responsibility, including when it comes to the life cycle of products. Together, these two most informed profiles represent 36% of consumers, whom our companies must convince through clear labelling of our products and strong societal and environmental commitments backed up by proof.