The French are increasingly attentive to the impact of their consumption

Responsible consumption is on the rise and is becoming more and more part of the French shopping basket. This is confirmed by a new survey carried out by Odoxa on behalf of France Active and Réseau Entreprendre.

3 out of 4 French pay attention to the origin of their purchase

According to the 1,005 people surveyed in April 2023, 77% say they are careful that the products they buy are made in France or in their region. This need to consume local has experienced strong growth (+7 points since 2018) and is even the most cited criterion ahead of environmental impact (63%) and social impact (57%).

In detail, it is food that the French scrutinize the most (69% of those surveyed and 81% among those over 65), well ahead of hygiene and beauty products (33%) or clothing and accessories (24 %). Regarding services, consumers seem more concerned about the social and environmental impact of their holidays (35% and 43% between 25-34 years old), followed by leisure (28%) and bars and restaurants (26%).

On the other hand, only 1 in 2 French people (53%) do not check how the brands behind their favorite products really behave in terms of social and environmental exemplary.

Responsible consumption judged 75% complex to achieve

However, there is still a long way to go: 3 French 4 consider that it is still difficult to consume responsibly. Two reasons are given: on the one hand, a large majority highly doubts the sincerity of companies in terms of CSR (69%) and trusts small companies much more (82%) in this area. On the other hand, 51% of those surveyed consider that responsible products are too expensive, especially in times of inflation.

Given this observation, 63% believe that it is up to companies to lower their prices, although 36% say that they are still willing to pay more for these products even if it means consuming less. A trend that is especially noticeable among young people (47% aged 18-24 and 49% aged 25-34).

In general, 8 out of 10 French people want committed and responsible companies to be valued more and a large majority (81%) affirm the need to talk more about Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) companies. While the way to achieve more responsible consumption remains subject to interpretation, there is no doubt that it is the most virtuous companies that will benefit from this trend.