At In Good Company, we're all about conscious consumerism - making small changes in how we spend our time and money to have a more positive impact on people and planet.

Everywhere you look, there are reports and market trends showing that people are increasingly interested in shopping ethically. This is what's often referred to as conscious consumerism..

In this blog, we're going to unpack:

What is conscious consumerism?

Conscious consumerism is shopping in ways that you believe will make a positive social, environmental, or economic impact.

A conscious consumer will first think about whether they actually need to spend on buying something, and then if they do decide to buy, they'll look at:

In other words, it is a movement where consumers vote with their wallets by buying ethical products and services, avoiding unethical companies, or boycotting companies entirely.

Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

How conscious consumerism is making a difference

From shopping for green cleaning products and Fairtrade coffee to boycotting fast-fashion brands and companies that treat their employees unfairly, conscious consumerism can be applied in every aspect of life.

Responsible consumerism promotes sustainable farming and other eco-friendly ways of making products, as well reducing waste by only producing supply as needed.

Other factors such as pay equality and humane working practices also drive conscious consumption considerations. This movement capitalises on customers’ purchasing power to drive brands into making more ethical business decisions.

Ethical consumption is only on the rise. According to Garnier’s 2021 One Green Step report, 73% of UK consumers wanted to be more sustainable.

And this is reflected across different sectors’ sales reports. Reports have shown that sales of vegan food soared during the 2020 lockdowns. For example, the food website The Vegan Kind reported that its sales tripled.

The increased ethical concern in the food industry is also mirrored in the clothing sector. Frugi, a children’s clothing firm, makes its clothes solely from organic cotton and recycled plastic and has seen sales rise by 60%.

Photo by Marcus Kauffman on Unsplash

The impact of the pandemic on conscious consumerism

We might be able to explain at least some of this rise through our experiences with the Covid-19 pandemic. With more time at home to contemplate everyday actions, we became more aware of our choices and actions. Many people started focusing on the environmental impacts of their purchasing decisions.

There have also been countless reminders of the importance of making environmentally and socially responsible choices: wildfires devastating the USA and Australia, the voices of activists like Greta Thunberg, fast fashion giants being exposed for under-paying garment workers, and the pandemic shifting our focus to supporting small, local businesses over big brands.

A recent Trustpilot survey found that 47% of consumers now consider a brand’s stance on social, political, and environmental issues before buying products or services and 94% say a brand’s honesty and transparency is important when it comes to purchasing decisions. 

B-Lab also recently found that 80% of the UK public would favour shopping from companies that are doing good for people and the planet, yet only 22% find it easy to identify whether a company means what they say when considering buying from them.

Though these numbers differ (as with most statistics), they point to a growing trend where consumers are much more aware of, and demanding more from, the ethics of the businesses they support. 

Challenging business practices

There are multiple ways to keep challenging companies’ behaviour. One way is through laws and regulations to increase transparency and accountability. Ryanair and BMW have now both had adverts banned for misleading consumers, claiming to be more sustainable than their actual practices revealed. There are two of many examples out there. 

Mass campaigns also enact change. The Changing Markets Foundation reported on ‘Dirty Fashion’ and in an incredibly influential report, assessed where global clothing companies and viscose producers stood in the transition towards responsible viscose.

Through detailed scrutiny of 91 brands’ and retailers’ transparency and sourcing policies, and producers’ responsible production plans, they examined progress and gaps in existing commitments and pledges.

As a result, ten major brands and retailers – ASOS, C&A, Esprit, H&M, Inditex, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Next, New Look, and Tesco – made public pledges to integrate the requirements of the Changing Markets Roadmap towards responsible viscose and modal fibre manufacturing into their sustainability policies. This commitment sent a strong message to viscose manufacturers that the industry must move towards responsible viscose production by 2023-2025.

Image from Changing Markets Foundation website

The focus on conscious consumerism builds from the ground up. Voting with your wallet holds so much power – not only bettering your environmental, social and economic impact through your purchases but also encouraging accountability within companies and pressuring them into action.

In Good Company is here to help make those choices easy, helping you find the best ethical, sustainable companies to spend your time and money with. 

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