Student Opinion Students, shopping and business behaviour. March 2016

Transcription

1 Student Opinion Students, shopping and business behaviour March 2016

2 SUMMARY

3 Student Opinion Students, shopping and business behaviour In January 2016, we asked students about their views on their shopping habits, how business behaviours, and what changes they d like to see. Here s what they told us 6 agree ethical and environmental standards of companies, and the products they sell matters to them at least a fair amount. Q. To what extent are the ethical and environmental standards of companies and the products they sell an issue that matters to you? [Base: 1563] The most important issues related to business behaviour are Human rights Animal welfare Living wages Fair trade 84% 84% 83% Waste 77% prevention Q. How important are the following issues to you personally, in relation to company or business behaviour? [Base: c.1558] 9 Two thirds say their shopping decisions have been influenced by ethical or environmental standards in the last year. Q. When, if at all, did you last make a buying decision that was influenced by the ethical or environmental standards of a retailer or a product? [Base: 1563] Those who have made purchases influenced by ethical and environmental standards considered the following issues Fairtrade Animal welfare Human rights Barriers to purchasing ethical and environmentally friendly products include Price (63%) Information (37%) 84% 84% 9 Q. Which of the following ethical or environmental issues, if any, have influenced your buying decisions? [Base: 1015] Availability (33%) Q. Which of the following factors, if any, prevents you from buying ethical and environmentally-friendly products? [Base: 1560] Reputation and accreditation is important when making purchasing decisions 8 say the reputation of the brand is important 8 say the reputation of the product is important 69% say accreditation (e.g. Fairtrade, MSC) is important Q. When making decisions whether to buy products for ethical and / or environmental reasons, how important are the following factors? [Base: ] Top actions students would like to see businesses take are 92% say paying a living wage is important 9 say minimising waste is important Q. How important, if at all, do you think it is that companies and businesses do the following? [Base: c.1558] Research was completed through an online survey with NUS Extra cardholders in January A total of 1566 responses was achieved from respondents in higher and further education. For further details please see the full report. Image credits [clockwise]: Shopping Juan Pablo Bravo; Pound, Mourad Mokrane; Trash, Adrien Griveau; Out of stock, Montu Yadav; Price tag, Alex Podolsky; Man, Giovanni Tagliente. From thenounproject.com.

4 INTRODUCTION

5 Introduction Objective, method and survey details Objective: To understand student attitudes and opinions towards responsible business practices. Method: This report presents the findings for an online survey research carried out in January A final sample of 1566 was achieved. Survey details: A prize draw of 100 was offered to encourage response. The survey was advertised via the NUS Extra student database. The survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete.

6 THE RESPONDENTS

7 The respondents Course type: 33% are FE students 5 are HE students Age: Half of respondents are aged Gender: 68% are women 3 are men Ethnicity: 74% are White British Nationality: 9 are UK citizens studying in the UK 9% are international students studying in the UK Mode of study: 69% are full time students Living arrangements: 42% are living with parents / guardians 24% are living in rented accommodation

8 SHOPPING HABITS AND BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR

9 Price, quality and personal budget are the three most influential factors considered by respondents when making purchases (88%, 79% and 77% respectively). Approximately two thirds (63%) also consider brands they recognise and trust when making purchasing decisions. Price Quality of the products How much money I have 79% 77% 88% Brands I recognise and trust 63% Convenience The availability of products in the shops I go to Habit or routine 29% 34% 4 Female respondents significantly more likely to say they consider ethical credentials than male respondents. Ethical credentials of products 23% Environmental credentials of products 2 Other None of these 3% 0.26% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Base: 1566 respondents. B1. In general, what factors do you consider when making purchases?

10 6 of respondents say the ethical and environmental standards of companies, and the products they sell matters to them at least a fair amount. Only 6% of respondents say that these standards don t matter at all to them. Matters a great deal 18% Male respondents significantly more likely to say standards matter a great deal than female respondents. Research carried out in June 2014 with the general public in the UK highlighted that 15% say it matters a great deal and 34% say it matters a fair amount. Matters a fair amount Matters just a little 3 43% Female respondents significantly more likely to say standards matter a fair amount than male respondents. Does not matter at all Don t know 4% 6% Male respondents significantly more likely to say standards don t matter at all than female respondents. Base: 1563 respondents. Balance: no reply. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% B2. To what extent are the ethical and environmental standards of companies and the products they sell an issue that matters to you?

11 Human rights and animal welfare are reported as the most important issues in relation to company or business behaviour for respondents (9 and 84% rank as very important or important respectively) however there are some significant differences in rankings between female and male respondents. Human rights (n=1559) Animal welfare (n=1560) Living wages (n=1555) Fair trade (n=1558) Waste prevention (n=1555) Labour standards (n=1557) Climate change (n=1556) Global warming (n=1531) Energy efficiency (n=1557) Water scarcity (n=1556) Ethical investment (n=1551) 56% 50% 43% 33% 3 32% 30% 29% 27% 25% 35% 5% 34% 9% 3% 3% 4 9% 5% 50% 10% 4% 46% 13% 6% 43% 9% 12% 45% 14% 3% 6% 45% 14% 3% 7% 47% 16% 3% 7% 39% 16% 3% 16% 18% 39% 16% 3% 22% Very important Important Neither important nor unimportant Unimportant Not important at all Female respondents significantly more likely to say animal welfare is very important compared to male respondents. Male respondents are significantly more likely to say energy efficiency is very important compared to female respondents respondents are significantly more likely to say animal welfare is very important compared to 2015 respondents respondents are significantly less likely to say global warming is very important compared to 2015 respondents. Tax avoidance (n=1553) 25% 3 17% 4% 20% Biodiversity (n=1549) 16% 33% 19% 3% 27% Freedom of association (n=1550) 16% 3 16% 2% 33% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% I don't know enough about this top to answer Male respondents significantly more likely to say tax avoidance is very important compared to female respondents. Base: (in brackets). Balance: no reply. B3. How important are the following issues to you personally, in relation to company or business behaviour?

12 Respondents are concerned about a range of ethical and environmental issues in relation to business / company behaviour Main themes Creation of waste and use of resources Animal testing / welfare Child labour / human rights / equality Fair pay The major supermarkets should be made to use recyclable packaging. It is criminal the amount of packaging that has to go to land-fill. Why can't tomatoes etc, be packed in recycled or recyclable packaging? Anything that anyone does to exploit people (in terms of wages and conditions including manufacture/harvesting of products sold), animals (their welfare and life before slaughter, egg collection, etc.) and the environment (pollution, land clearances, etc) is a no-no for me. Base: 492 respondents. Balance: no reply. I think it's important that employees working the same job are paid the same wages regardless of race, gender, sexuality etc. which is sometimes not the case. Companies should provide their workers with a suitable wage for people to live on rather than creating a huge profit to keep for themselves. B4. Are there any other ethical or environmental issues which are important to you in relation to company / business behaviour?

13 Just over a fifth (23%) of respondents report making a purchasing decision that was influenced by ethical or environmental standards in the last week, with a similar proportion (22%) report making decisions along the same line within a month. In the last week 23% Over 1 week up to 1 month ago Over 1 month ago up to 3 months ago Over 3 months ago up to 6 months ago Over 6 months ago up to 1 year ago More than 1 year ago 4% 3% 3% 10% 22% Research carried out in June 2014 with the general public in the UK found that 39% of respondents said their shopping decisions were influenced by ethical standards in the last year compared to 62% of students purchasing for ethical or environmental reasons. Never 1 Don t know 24% 0% 10% 20% 30% Base: 1563 respondents. Balance: no reply. B5. When, if at all, did you last make a buying decision that was influenced by the ethical or environmental standards of a retailer or a product?

14 Of those who said they had made a buying decision based on ethical or environmental standards, over half (58%) indicated this decision had been influenced by Fairtrade or animal welfare issues (56%). Just under half had made decisions due to concerns about human rights (45%). Fair trade Animal welfare 58% 56% Female respondents significantly more likely to say they have made a purchasing decision based on fair trade compared to male respondents. Human rights Living wages Labour standards Waste prevention 34% 30% 29% 45% Female respondents significantly more likely to say they have made a purchasing decision based on animal welfare compared to male respondents. Global warming Climate change Energy efficiency Tax avoidance 25% 24% 22% 2 Male respondents significantly more likely to say they have made a purchasing decision based on climate change compared to female respondents. Ethical investment Biodiversity Water scarcity Freedom of association 19% 13% 12% 8% Male respondents significantly more likely to say they have made a purchasing decision based on tax avoidance compared to female respondents. Other 2% Not applicable 2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Base: 1015 respondents. Balance: those who didn t make a buying decision that was influenced by the ethical or environmental standards of a retailer or a product, and no reply. B6. Which of the following ethical or environmental issues, if any, have influenced your buying decisions?

15 Respondents report taking action to ensure their purchases meet their views on ethical and environmental standards Main themes Avoided certain products or specifically chose others e.g. free range / not tested on animals / fairtrade Avoided certain retailers or chose others based on ethical / environmental reasons e.g. tax avoidance, fair treatment of workers Potentially spend more for a more ethical / environmentally friendly product Buying fairtrade goods rather than other well known brands. Buying goods not tested on animals. I didn't shop in a specific place due to the fact that I don't believe the shop will treat their workers with the right attitude towards their human rights. I bought free range eggs at a more expensive price than normal eggs. Did not shop at large corporations known for tax avoidance. Palm oil is causing soil degradation, deforestation - I avoid palm oil products. Could have gone for a cheaper product in order to save myself money but bought the more expensive one, being aware that it was fair trade and would go along way for someone else. Base: 654 respondents. Balance: those whose buying decisions weren t influenced by the ethical or environmental issues listed in B6, and no reply. B6b. Please tell us a bit more about how this issue influenced your buying decision and why.

16 8 of respondents say that the reputation of brands/companies and products is important or very important. The accreditation products receive is slight less important to respondents, however 69% rated accreditations such as Fairtrade, MSC and Rainforest Alliance as important or very important. Very important The reputation of the brand / company (n=1322) 26% 55% 1 2% Important Neither important nor unimportant The reputation of the product (n=1558) The accreditation the product has received e.g. Fairtrade, MSC, Rainforest Alliance (n=1561) 26% 26% 43% 55% 12% 3% 16% 5% 5% Unimportant Not at all important Don't know Female respondents significantly more likely to accreditations are very important compared to male respondents. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Not applicable Base: (in brackets). Balance: those who say the ethical and environmental standards of companies and the products they sell is not an issue that matters to them / they don t know (B2), and no reply. C1. When making decisions whether to buy products for ethical and / or environmental reasons, how important are the following factors?

17 For almost two thirds (63%) of respondents, the price of ethical and environmentally-friendly products is a barrier to purchase. A lack of information on and availability of such products is also a barrier to around a third of respondents (37% and 33% respectively) The price of the products 63% Lack of information on the ethical and environmental credentials of products Lack of availability of ethical and environmentally friendly products The quality of the products Lack of knowledge about what the ethical and environmental labels /accreditation on products means Not knowing which ethical and environmental label / accreditation is best 24% 37% 33% 32% 3 Female respondents significantly more likely to report concerns over price compared to male respondents. Male respondents significantly more likely to report concerns over quality compared to male respondents. I don t believe my actions will have any impact It is not my responsibility to take action in this way Other Don t know 10% 2% 6% Research carried out in June 2014 with the general public in the UK found that 5% had concerns about the quality of products and 39% had concerns about the price of products. None of these 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Base: 1560 respondents. Balance: no reply. C2. Which of the following factors, if any, prevents you from buying ethical and environmentallyfriendly products?

18 Minimising waste and paying a living wage are seen as the two most important actions companies and business can take with 9 and 92% respectively reporting these actions to be very important or important Minimise waste (n=1557) Pay a living wage (n=1559) Reduce carbon emissions (n=1549) 54% 50% 59% 37% 39% 33% 4% 3% 4% 3% 5% 4% Female respondents significantly more likely to say paying a living wage is very important compared to male respondents. Ensure ethical tax payment (n=1548) Invest in local communities (n=1553) Ensure ethical investments (n=1549) 4 38% 34% 43% 39% 4 8% 9% 13% 4% 10% 10% 2015 respondents also highlighted minimisingwaste and paying a living wage as the most important actions for business to take. Reduce focus on profits (n=1551) 26% 33% 24% 7% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Very important Neither important or unimportant Not important at all Important Not very important I don't know enough about this topic to answer Base: (in brackets). Balance: no reply. D1. How important, if at all, do you think it is that companies and businesses do the following?

19 Respondents would like to see companies / businesses taking action to Main themes Use less packaging / waste / carbon emissions Consider living wage / fair pay / fairtrade / welfare of staff Improve animal welfare Be more transparent / honest / pay tax fairly Improve labelling Fair treatment of workers, fair treatment and minimal damage of and to the environment. Pay taxes and living wages. Be open and honest about their ethics so that the consumer can make an informed decision. Increase the use of recyclable/biodegradable and environmentallyfriendly materials. Reduce the amount of waste being produced. Make all products animal friendly. Make it very clear on the product about the ethical of environmental issues so you don't have to search for the details and it can be clearly seen and understood. Base: 812 respondents. Balance: no reply. D2. Please tell us what action you would most like to see the companies or businesses that make the products you buy take in relation to ethical or environmental issues.

20 Respondents think NUS should be ensuring companies are addressing the ethical and environmental concerns raised throughout the survey by Main themes Focusing on behaviours outlined previously in the report Education / awareness / information / promote understanding and ethical products Create availability of products Use leverage to create change Demand they use more bio-degradable products in packaging and provide more fair-trade products. Do not buy unethical products full stop. Support local business. Pay a living wage. Creating the availability for these products and by creating awareness among the students for the same. Release the data on their environmental and ethical behaviour. Promotion of ethical goods. Encourage companies and businesses to support charities and include more information about how they are helping on the NUS website. Give more companies with fair trade and ethical morals more advertising to give them the funds to continue. Base: 760 respondents. Balance: no reply. D3. What ethical or environmental actions do you think NUS should work with these companies and businesses on to improve?

21 58% agree that as a consumer, they can make a difference to how responsibly a company / business behaves Strongly agree 17% Agree 4 Neither agree nor disagree 19% Disagree 14% Strongly disagree 3% Don t know 6% Rather not say 0.45% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Base: 1556 respondents. Balance: no reply. D4. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? "As a consumer, I can make a difference to how responsibly a company / business behaves."

22 66% of respondents agree that NUS can make a difference to how responsibly a company / business behaves Strongly agree 20% Agree 46% Neither agree nor disagree 19% Disagree 5% Strongly disagree Don t know 9% Rather not say 0.45% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Base: 1548 respondents. Balance: no reply. D5. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? "I believe that NUS can make a difference to how responsibly a company / business behaves."

23 DEMOGRAPHICS

24 A quarter of respondents are taking Level 3 equivalent courses, whilst a fifth are taking Level 4 equivalent courses Entry-level (e.g. Skills for Life or ESOL) Foundation / Level 1 2% GCSEs / NVQ 2 / other equivalent Level 2 qualification 4% A / AS-levels / NVQ 3 / BTEC National / Access course / equivalent Level 3 qualification 26% Apprenticeship (Intermediate / Advanced / Higher) 4% BA / BSc / BEd / Foundation Degree / HNC / HND / other equivalent Level 4 qualification MA / MRes / MSc / MEd / MPhil / MBA / PGCE / other postgraduate qualification 9% 40% PHD / D.Phil / professional doctorate other doctoral degree 2% Other qualification 7% I graduated / finished studying within the last year 5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Base: 1566 respondents. A1. What year of study are you in?

25 Half of respondents are aged and under I would prefer not to say 9% 8% 6% 4% 7% 5% 4% 5% 4% 5% 18% 24% 0% 10% 20% 30% Base: 1566 respondents. A2. How old are you?

26 Two thirds of respondents are women Significant differences between female and male respondents are highlighted throughout this report. 0.64% 0.57% Man 3 Woman In another way 68% I would prefer not to say Base: 1566 respondents. A3. Which of the following best describes your gender identity?

27 Three quarters are White British White English / Scottish / Welsh / Northern Irish / British White Any other White background Asian / Asian British Indian Asian / Asian British Any other Asian background Asian / Asian British Pakistani Mixed / Multiple ethnic White and Asian Black / African / Caribbean / Black British Caribbean Mixed / Multiple ethnic White and Black Caribbean Asian / Asian British Chinese Black / African / Caribbean / Black British African Black / African / Caribbean / Black British Any other White - Irish Mixed / Multiple ethnic Any other Mixed / Multiple ethnic Asian / Asian British Bangladeshi Mixed / Multiple ethnic White and Black African Other ethnic group - Arab White Gypsy / Traveller Any other ethnic group Prefer not to say 5% 3% 2% 2% 0.19% 3% 74% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Base: 1561 respondents. Balance: no reply. E1. To which of the following ethnic groups do you belong?

28 The majority are UK citizens I am a UK citizen studying in the UK 9 I am an international student from within the EU studying in the UK 4% I am an international student from outside the EU studying in the UK 5% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Base: 1555 respondents. Balance: no reply. E2. Which of the following statements best describes you?

29 Two thirds of respondents are full time students Full-time student 69% Part-time student 2 Work-based learning e.g. apprenticeship 5% Other 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Base: 1557 respondents. Balance: no reply. E3. Are you classed as a part-time or full-time student by your institution?

30 A fifth report that they are living at home with their parents / guardians. At home with parent/s/guardian/s 42% Rented accommodation 24% Own home (owned) 18% University halls 1 University managed accommodation 2% Private halls 2% Other 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Base: 1558 respondents. Balance: no reply. E4. Where do you live during term-time?

31 For further information about this research, please contact: Rachel Drayson Insight manager (sustainability)