Ahead of this year’s Black Friday, UK shoppers are thinking more eco-consciously than ever before, as they prepare to contribute to the release of less carbon with their online shopping this year, according to research from Money.co.uk.
It’s predicted that sales this Black Friday will be at least 10% lower this year and, as a result, carbon emissions are estimated to be down by 11% to 386,243 tonnes – although, this is still equivalent to 215,778 return flights between London and Sydney.
Moving in the right direction, 22.05% of shoppers now consider how carbon friendly a delivery will be, with 39.3% more likely to purchase through an online retailer offering an eco-friendly delivery option. Furthermore, 34.25% of the 2,000 UK consumers surveyed said they consider carbon offsetting to be an essential part of their purchasing decision, putting it on par with free delivery.
The research also found that those aged 18-23 and those aged over 55 are the most environmentally conscious shoppers. Gen Z shoppers are willing to pay the most to offset the carbon produced by their purchases, while 38.38% of shoppers over 55 are more willing to shop with an online retailer with eco-friendly delivery options than if those options didn’t exist.
“With more UK shoppers considering the environmental impact of their online delivery purchases than last year, it is clear that consumers are stepping up to the challenge of making their online shopping habits more eco-friendly,” said Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at Money.co.uk.
“Our research shows that more than a third of UK shoppers now consider being able to offset their carbon equally as important to them, as obtaining free delivery, when shopping online. And while we do still undoubtedly live in a society accustomed to almost instant delivery, these figures suggest that many of us are now beginning to consider how our day-to-day lives have a wider impact on the environment.”
Money.co.uk also analysed eight delivery companies to see which ones are the most environmentally friendly.
Royal Mail was found to be the most carbon conscious delivery company, closely followed by Amazon – both a long way clear of DPD, Parcelforce, Hermes, UPS, DHL, and FedEx.
“Over the past 12 months, the delivery companies analysed in our research have implemented significant changes in order to become more environmentally conscious. For example, Royal Mail has recently introduced 3,000 more electric vans to their fleet, a tenfold rise on the 300 plug-in vehicles it operated last year,” said Haqqi.
“UPS has also increased their electric vehicle fleet, with 10,000 electric vans set to be rolled out in the UK, Europe and the US between 2020 and 2024.
“Suggesting that consumers’ attitudes are potentially altering the way businesses operate, especially as our research suggests that 60.45% of UK shoppers would be less willing to make a purchase if an online retailer uses a particular delivery company.”
