UK shoppers buying ethical Christmas presents

Over 15 million UK shoppers will show how big hearted they are this festive season by buying ethical Christmas presents, according to a new survey by Friends Provident the founder of the UK’s first ever ethical retail fund, Stewardship.

The research, carried out by 72 Point, shows that at least one in three people (34%) are planning to buy ethical gifts this Christmas. As the rise of the conscious consumer continues to gather pace, more than half of those surveyed (57%) also believe that, compared to last year, people are thinking more about ethical matters when buying Christmas gifts.

Charity Christmas cards are the most popular way to give back this Christmas with more than half (58%) of those questioned expecting to send these. The findings also revealed the different types of presents that people will be giving this Christmas:

Gifts, clothing and food that are ethically produced, organic or naturally sourced: 31%
Charity gifts or donations: 29%
Green gifts with an environmental theme: 18%

It is not only gifts that people are thinking about in ethical terms this Christmas, ethically produced consumables are also in demand. Throughout the festive period, people will be buying organic fruit and vegetables (37%), Fairtrade or organic coffee (22%) and chocolates (35%) and more than a third (36%) of people will be using organic produce for their Christmas meal.

The festive season is not only about consumerism: over a fifth (21%) are putting ethical gifts on their shopping lists because they think Christmas has become too commercialised, while more than a quarter (29%) think that ethical gifts give more meaning to Christmas or see it as a way of making a difference.

Women are by far the most ethically minded with more than one third (37%) planning to buy at least one ethical gift compared to just over a quarter of men (26%). The survey also reveals that those in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties (26 – 35 years) are the most ethically conscious with almost half (42%) planning to buy ethical gifts while the younger generation (19 to 25 year-olds) are slower to catch on - fewer than a quarter of them (18%) will be buying ethical gifts this year.

The research also showed that people’s good intentions are not just for Christmas as nearly three quarters of those surveyed (70%) are taking ethical considerations into account when deciding where to shop and almost a quarter (22%) are avoiding shops that have a poor or unethical reputation. The findings suggest retailers could do more to encourage consumers: over half those surveyed (59%) say there is not enough choice of ethical products and even more – nearly three quarters (72%) - think retailers don’t give enough information about their ethical policies.

Julia Dreblow, socially responsible investment marketing manager at Friends Provident, said: “This is a timely piece of research – adding to the consensus that people are definitely becoming more ethically astute when it comes to what they’re buying, eating and wearing. The research also looks very positive for companies with sound ethical reputations, as many shoppers will be voting with their feet this Christmas - strongly favouring these companies over and above their less reputable counterparts.

“We are seeing this trend continue into people’s investing habits with the growing popularity of our Stewardship range of funds, which invest in ethically screened companies.”