Preference toward sustainability increases among younger, more affluent consumers, parents, and urbanites

Stamford, Conn. – Pitney Bowes Inc., a global technology company that provides commerce solutions in the areas of ecommerce, shipping, mailing and financial services, today released results from its latest BOXpoll, revealing online shoppers' perspectives on sustainability on Earth Day, 2021. BOXpoll found that more than one-third of consumers (38 percent) are more likely to buy products with sustainable features or packaging. Ten percent of that group are actively looking for these products, while 28 percent are more inclined to buy products based on environmentally friendly features such as sustainable materials, sustainable packaging, or a portion of proceeds going to environmental causes.

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Various demographics, including younger consumers (Gen Z and Millennials), affluent consumers with a household income of $100k+, as well as parents and those living in urban environments claim to be the most sustainable shoppers. Nearly half (47-48 percent) of each of these groups are deemed sustainability-minded shoppers.

“A growing number of consumers are demanding more environmentally friendly choices from retailers. This is clear not only in our latest BOXpoll survey results, but with brands also moving quickly to show progress on sustainable manufacturing and distribution,” said Gregg Zegras, EVP and President of Global Ecommerce at Pitney Bowes. “Ecommerce represents greater choice for consumers. As more shopping takes place online, consumers are wielding this power to support brands that care about sustainability.”

Still, despite the sustainable habits of the young, the affluent, parents and urbanites, sustainability isn’t yet a factor in purchasing decisions for the majority of consumers (59 percent on average), either because they don’t notice sustainability features, or because sustainability has no impact on their shopping behaviors.

One potential detractor might be cost. According to BOXpoll, 67percent of consumers believe a box shipped with sustainable packaging costs more than one of traditional packaging, despite having the same contents. Consumers believe that sustainable packaging is worth an average of $5.70 more than ‘traditional’ packaging.

Please visit www.pitneybowes.com/boxpoll for all of the latest BOXpoll findings.