Food Prices vs Principles

We have this report on conflicted consumerism that comes from the research company Asinia, How to Sell Direct in the age of the Conflicted Shopper. Is their report, new research, 8,000 global shoppers and over 1,000 US shoppers. And they showed that price now tops consumers key considerations for 52% in their buying decisions, followed by value for the money, 44%. Yet to spike cost of living pressures over three quarters of American shoppers consider themselves to be sustainably minded in their consumption habits. And that when it comes to the millennials is 85%. So when we look at this conflicted consumerism, they're also saying that 70% of shoppers say they plan to cut back on spending in 2023 due to the economic uncertainty and the reevaluating how and what they buy to minimize their environmental impact. So when I read this, what came to mind is that the real, which is buying and selling used stuff, clothing, pocketbooks, shoes, whatever else, and guilt.com now has more previously owned products than ever before. What do you think, do you think that we're actually going to move more into the secondhand buying? Because this report also found that over two fifths, 38% plan to consume less but more sustainably by purchasing secondhand items in 2023. So it's a real interesting dynamic of what's going on with this conflicted shopper. What do you think? 

Sally: Yes, Phil. It is interesting. And I do believe that there are a lot of different values that are coming to mind here of modern shoppers, particularly our younger generations that seem to be more concerned about the planet. They need to be more concerned about carbon emissions as it relates to transporting products. So they're interested in looking at their ordering and delivery habits and how that affects the planet, but also looking at cutting down on waste. And all of this is related to the higher cost of items, I believe, that things have become more expensive, but also, we've started to learn how to minimize our waste and how to do that in a way that actually can make us happy. Social media has made, as you mentioned, the real and the fashion world and secondhand clothing that can be a really hip and cool and fun way to shop for modern lovers of style and fashion. So there are these concepts of using less, are buying less and using more of what we already have is really coming to the forefront of shopper's buy ins, I believe.

Phil: The one part of this survey that was confusing to me is that everything that we've talked about, that these conflicted shoppers want to do better for the environment, they wanna save money and so on. But what they're finding is that the demand for next day delivery is up 73% and 69% said the demand for same day delivery, same day delivery is up. These are retailers that are doing it. So it's sort of like an oxymoron. I wanna take good care of the planet, but get me my delivery today or I'm gonna be upset. 

Sally: Yes, we have an addiction to 'we want it when we want it'. And that is a hard habit to break. The convenience, especially with technology and what we got used to during the shutdown, has become such a part of our lives that we rely on getting things delivered to us quickly. But what these delivery companies could start thinking about is that these shoppers are looking towards, according to this research, they're looking towards options for electric vehicle fulfillment. 32% said that they would order from those types of companies. So if you are a delivery company thinking about a way to make your transports more planet friendly and to message that to your shoppers, then you might be in a winning situation. 

Phil: And it's a great call out to all the supermarkets who have delivery, who are doing it themselves versus doing a third party, yeah. Get electric trucks and vehicles and you'll probably attract a whole bunch of new consumers.