News • 23.12.2019

The greenconsumption effect

Concordia research shows that using green products leads to a warm glow in shoppers

A man with glasses holding a bottle in his hands
Onur Bodur, Professor of Marketing at Concordia University
Source: Concordia University

Canadians spend a lot of money around this time of year, on gifts, food, entertainment and travel. In its annual study of holiday season spending habits, the accounting firm PwC estimates that the average Canadian consumer will drop close to $1,600 in 2019.

And while the holidays are associated almost as much with stress as they are with shopping, a new paper out of Concordia's John Molson School of Business suggests that spending some of that money on green products might make consumers feel quite a bit better about their purchases. The study looks at the so-called "greenconsumption effect" -- how using a green product creates a "warm glow" feeling in users -- and what it means for retailers in an increasingly eco-conscious marketplace. 

Onur Bodur, professor of marketing, and his now-former PhD student Ali Tezer, currently an assistant professor at HEC Montréal, published the paper in the Journal of Consumer Research. "The warm glow is a good overall feeling," Bodur says. "It is found in other literature relating to pro-social behaviour. You get the feeling when you help others and have a sense of accomplishment that gives you satisfaction." Bodur says Tezer approached him with the idea after watching a 3D movie and learning that the disposable glasses were made of recycled plastic. That knowledge led to a heightened sense of enjoyment while watching the movie, even though he had no say in choosing to use the product.

Feel green, feel good

To conduct their research, Bodur and Tezer set up five experiments using a variety of products. They were looking to test the conditions under which participants say they experienced a warm glow feeling. They looked at how green options affect product enjoyment, their perceived quality, the consumer's sense of social worth, how social exclusion affects green product enjoyment and whether the product's environmental impact mitigates the warm glow feeling. They found that green products do generally affect consumers in a positive way. Participants who listened to music on a set of green-labelled headphones reported enjoying the music more than listeners using conventional headphones and added that they would be more likely to purchase them. Participants also reported overcoming inherent, long-standing biases against the quality of certain green products, in this case cleaning fluids. Bodur notes that, fairly or not, green dish and laundry detergents are widely believed to be less efficient than their conventional counterparts. After using them, respondents felt that belief no longer applied.

They also reported a higher sense of self-worth and lower perception of social exclusion. Green product users said they experienced warm glow feelings and people who felt isolated from their communities reported feeling less so after using a green product. However, the researchers did note that the warm glow feeling was absent when consumers felt the environmental impact of the product was low. This was the case when participants were told the ink in a disposable Bic pen was supposedly environmentally friendly, but with negligible impact.

Live the green feeling

To someone who, like Bodur, studies marketing for a living, this greenconsumption effect has serious implications for retailers. Consumers obviously prefer using high-quality sustainable products -- but service providers can benefit by providing greener experiences. "Imagine that the chair you are sitting on is certified bamboo, or the tablecloth at a restaurant is made of recycled materials and the utensils are made of wood," he says. "You can opt to use sustainable, green products that are more likely to improve your customer's experience." He is also aware of the risk that unscrupulous businesses may see his research and decide to exaggerate or outright falsify their environmental credentials. Doing so, he believes, would be at their own peril. "I believe consumers are becoming a lot more conscious of green attributes, despite all the confusion with regard to certifications of sustainability," he says. "The risk will only be eliminated when there is some sort of regulation or standardization of certification." 

Quelle: Concordia University

related articles:

popular articles:

Thumbnail-Photo: “REWE voll pflanzlich” – The store concept of the future?...
25.04.2024   #brick and mortar retail #sustainability

“REWE voll pflanzlich” – The store concept of the future?

German supermarket chain experiments with first vegan store

Have you heard about REWE's (pronounced ‘ray vuh’) latest project? Two weeks ago, the food giant opened its first ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Communication at the POS in focus at Meto
15.05.2024   #labels #price labelling

Communication at the POS in focus at Meto

Price labellers, labels, ESL fasteners and sales promotion solutions: Meto International GmbH offers everything for ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Trends for Mothers Day and Fathers Day: How retailers can score...
10.04.2024   #sustainability #marketing

Trends for Mother's Day and Father's Day: How retailers can score

How to make the holidays a success for your business with creative gift ideas for mom and dad

Mother's Day and Father's Day are just around the corner – two special occasions to shower our parents with thanks and appreciation. Traditionally, we use these days ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Glory receives 2024 Red Dot award for Product Design...
09.07.2024   #customer experience #design

Glory receives 2024 Red Dot award for Product Design

Glory’s new CI-X Series of retail cash recycling solutions have been awarded a “Red Dot Design Award 2024”, in the product design category.

The Red Dot Award is an international product design award for new products that demonstrate innovation and impact ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Extenda Retail expands into the German market...
17.04.2024   #customer experience #POS software

Extenda Retail expands into the German market

New leadership and innovative POS solutions

Leading Nordic POS provider Extenda Retail is expanding into the German market, focusing on acquiring new customers ...

Supplier

Meto International GmbH
Meto International GmbH
Ersheimer Straße 69
69434 Hirschhorn
GLORY Global Solutions (Germany) GmbH
GLORY Global Solutions (Germany) GmbH
Thomas-Edison-Platz 1
63263 Neu-Isenburg
Extenda Retail Ab
Extenda Retail Ab
Gustav III:s Boulevard 50A
169 73 Solna