Industry Intelligence webinar: 86% of US shoppers consider sustainability when buying groceries

Dec. 12, 2012 - PRLog -- LOS ANGELES – Industry Intelligence Inc., a market intelligence and information management company serving the forest products, packaging, and food and beverage industries, today shared highlights of the EcoFocus annual trend survey in a webinar with industry professionals presented by Linda Gilbert, the CEO of EcoFocus Worldwide. Gilbert’s presentation on October 24, 2012, focused on the characteristics and expectations of the “eco-friendly shopper.”

The results of the annual EcoFocus survey support sustainability as a “mainstream consumer trend” that will transform the grocery industry, according to Ms. Gilbert. Already some 86% of U.S. adult grocery shoppers match the requirements of the EcoFocus category “consumers who care”—people who say they sometimes, usually or always take sustainability into consideration when shopping for products.  

According to the EcoFocus survey, 51% of “consumers who care” say it is extremely or somewhat important to select a retailer who is environmentally friendly. These shoppers ranked Save-A-Lot, Wal-Mart, IGA, Winn-Dixie and Sam’s Club as the least eco-friendly. Ms. Gilbert noted these stores could do more to showcase green and eco-friendly products. According to Gilbert, green products that are easy to find help create an impression that the store is eco-friendly While Wal-Mart has made a considerable commitment to sustainability in its supply chain, it is apparent that consumers have not gotten the message.

Ms. Gilbert urged retailers not to be reticent about publicizing their sustainability efforts. “In every aisle in your store, you should be trying to find ways to share both the small steps and the big ones with shoppers,” she said.

The Oct. 24 webinar was produced by Industry Intelligence, Inc. as part of its ongoing series of market-relevant, value-added accessible content. The presentation was sponsored by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), an association of 1,500 food retailers and wholesalers, and the Packaging Strategies newsletter, which covers key trends, technologies, business developments and opportunities in the packaging industry.

About Industry Intelligence Inc.

Industry Intelligence Inc. (http://www.industryintel.com/) has provided market intelligence to more than 600 companies worldwide from independent startups to Fortune 500 companies since it began as Forestweb in 1999. Over the years, Industry Intelligence has grown to cover the forest products, packaging, and food and beverage industries from a high-level industry view to in-depth data, which clients use to prepare for meetings, generate sales reports, produce competitive analysis and create other business documents. Industry Intelligence innovation comes from industry experts using patented technology to deliver the market intelligence that companies use to compete, make informed decisions and succeed.

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About i2live

i2live (http://www.i2live.net/) is the events unit of Industry Intelligence, Inc. i2live brings together business leaders to address issues that cut across industries and market sectors, especially the forest products, packaging, and food and beverage industries. Through online events and interactive conference programming, i2live helps businesses interpret industry trends and capitalize on emerging opportunities. For more information visit http://www.i2live.net.