How to meet the demands of a socially conscious Gen Z
From vegan cosmetics to upcycled jeans, Gen Z wants to consume more sustainably and a growing number of brands are taking action to meet their expectations.
To better understand our youngest shoppers, we take a look at the values that are most important to them, the trends to note and what retailers can do to be more socially responsible.
In a 2019 report, 60% of Gen Z shoppers said that they preferred to buy from sustainable brands that reflected socially responsible values across their business, while a recent IBM study of 19,000 consumers in 28 countries reported nearly 60% were willing to change their shopping habits to reduce their environmental impact. Most interestingly, 70% of these respondents said that they would pay a premium of 35% in order for retailers to make their processes and products more sustainable.
And you don’t have to look far to see the statistics playing out in real terms. According to a recent report, 56% of women in the UK now buy more vegan makeup in an attempt to live more sustainably, contributing to a global vegan cosmetics market estimated to be worth 20.8 billion USD by 2025.
Concerns about sustainability have also had a big impact on the way Gen Z consumes fashion. Once about single-use, throwaway items, younger influencers are now gaining credibility and social kudos by showing how they can max out a single outfit while encouraging their followers to do the same. Circular fashion is also on the rise with fashion rental and resale websites such as DePop, By Rotation and HURR allowing consumers to enjoy fashion in a fun and sustainable way.
So how can retailers do more to meet the expectations of the socially conscious Gen Z while gaining greater trust and loyalty in the process? Read on to find out how you can implement more environmentally friendly and responsible practices into your business.
Encourage responsible consumption habits
According to Inside Packaging, 34% of Gen Z consumers believe that compostable packaging is under-used by brands and would like to see it more readily available. Moving away from single-use plastics and excessive packaging is a great start, in addition to introducing reusable packaging in biodegradable materials. Many retailers should as JD are also supporting more sustainable and responsible consumption habits by offering customers the choice of returning boxes so that they can be reused or recycled.
Combat waste and pollution
With tonnes of clothing being thrown away each year, Gen Z favours brands that are actively looking to combat waste and pollution and 59% regularly buy upcycled products. Follow the lead of brands such as Ragyard who upcycle unwanted fabric and vintage pieces in order to create ‘new’ designs, and think about incentives where customers can exchange unwanted clothing and materials for vouchers or discounts to use in store. You could also consider organising clothes drives and campaigns to collect unwanted items on behalf of local charities and non-profit organisations.
Make it easy for your customers to make ethical choices
The ethical viability of a product is of the upmost importance to Gen Z shoppers and they expect brands to make it easy for them to make better choices. Well Made Clothes is a great example of an online retailer doing it well; customers can search for items according to their values such as vegan, handmade or manufactured locally and be directed to pages full of products that align with their belief system. Product copy pages are another great way to provide customers with clear information about the environmental impact of a product and help them to make a quick yet considered decision. Look to Clearpay retailer Rêve En Vert for inspiration – it uses simple icons to denote details such as handmade, organic, and natural dyes.
Make achievable promises
Gen Z places a huge amount of trust in the brands they love so it’s important to communicate with integrity and clarity – especially when it comes to areas of the environment and community. If you’re working towards more sustainable and greener business practises and philosophies, keep customers updated on your progress via blog posts, marketing campaigns and social media content and avoid making empty promises that can’t be executed in a realistic timeframe. Small, steady changes can make a big difference over time.
