Corina Cimpoca, founder of MKOR, participated as a speaker at the ESE 2022 conference, the ROaliment event dedicated to the Romanian food industry.
To illustrate how ethical consumers make purchasing decisions and how label information influences those choices, Corina presented data from Consumer Trends.Live, Romania’s first real-time market research platform.
This tool, developed by MKOR, helps entrepreneurs and company decision-makers understand market trends as they happen, regardless of macro-level changes.
Since 2021, we have been tracking ethical consumer behavior trends in the Romanian market through Consumer Trends.Live, in response to the shifts in consumption patterns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Discover ethical consumer behavior in Romania in 2021 in the dedicated article.
The Ethical Consumer in 2022 vs. 2021
To provide Romanian retailers with a comprehensive view of ethical consumer behavior in Romania, we conducted a comparative analysis of trends in 2021 and 2022, both years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the pandemic year 2021, we identified new consumption trends in the domestic market, discussing ethical consumption for the first time.
We identified the ethical consumer as coming from an urban background, with higher education and middle-level income.
In the post-pandemic year 2022, the ethical consumer profile remains the same, but we observe a growing interest in ethical consumption among those with secondary education as well.
The tendency to migrate toward ethical consumption, more pronounced with age, remains consistent across both analyzed periods.
Ethical Consumer Behavior in Romania 2022 vs. 2021
The ethical consumer is defined by pragmatism and a focus on sustainability, preferring products that cause the least harm to the environment and brands that align with their values.
They plan their shopping sessions and try to stick to the plan, but in 2022, speed is no longer a priority.
In 2022, the ethical consumer shows greater interest in environmentally friendly products, including sustainable packaging, and pays more attention to the information displayed on product labels.
Our comparative consumer behavior study for Romania found that the attributes ethical consumers look for when shopping remain constant:
- Quality of purchased products
- A fair price-to-quality ratio
- Detailed information about the products they purchase
They continue to be willing to pay more for products from socially responsible companies, even when cheaper alternatives are available.
While in 2021, the ethical consumer was willing to spend 8.5% more on sustainable Fashion items, in 2022 they are willing to spend up to 50% more for the same, compared to the general population.
Learn more about Fashion consumers’ behavior directly from the Consumer Trends.Live platform.
Furthermore, we find that when ethical consumers discover a store that satisfies their expectations, they tend to remain loyal and are willing to recommend it to others (becoming brand promoters).
Preferred Shopping Channel of the Ethical Consumer in 2022 vs. 2021
The ethical consumer shops omnichannel (both online and offline) and conducts thorough research before purchasing, making them less likely to return items compared to the general consumer base.
They primarily use mobile phones to gather information and to make payments.
They also favor digital technologies when shopping, such as QR codes and digital labels, and are more likely to return to a store because of the digital experiences it offers, compared to a typical consumer.
Methodology
Data extracted from Consumer Trends.Live, the digital panel research tool aligned with one of the most innovative and dynamic industries – retail.
- 2021 Sample: N=1,682 respondents
- 2022 Sample: N=4,416 respondents
- Sample characteristics: nationally representative by gender, age, and region. Confidence level 95%, max. margin of error +/-1.4%
- Target: general population of Romania aged 18 to 65
- Research method: opinion survey
- Instrument: questionnaire
- Approach: online, via MKOR Panel
- Data visualization: interactive online dashboard
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