When it comes to buying food products, Swiss consumers are more often sensitive to price than to sustainability labels. One possible reason for this is that many are not aware of the significance of these labels. These are the findings of a survey conducted by the Swiss Retail Federation.
The “BauernZeitung” reports on a representative survey carried out by the Swiss Retail Federation on the purchasing behaviour of Swiss consumers. Although online shopping has become increasingly important, 84% of those questioned still prefer to shop in-store. A further 14% buy online. Only 2% of those surveyed buy their food exclusively online. When it comes to making a purchase, price still plays a dominant role in the choice of product.
Price takes precedence over (obscure) sustainability labels
A product’s sustainability label is more important than its price for only a quarter of those surveyed. In fact, 38% said that their purchasing decision was based on a combination of label and price. 37% said that price was more important to them than a sustainability label. For 13% of them, the question of sustainability plays no role at all when making a purchase. The “BauernZeitung” notes that consumers are becoming more aware of the issue of food waste. Those questioned said that they buy products with a short shelf life or minor defects so that they don’t end up in the bin. The focus then shifts to labels or certifications. Labels seem to enjoy a high level of trust: more than a quarter of those questioned said they knew about a label, but didn’t know exactly what it stood for. It would be interesting to know whether greater transparency about the criteria of sustainability labels influences purchasing behaviour.