|
Conscience shopping across Southeast Asia
remains strong with a number of countries leading the region in
purchasing products that are environmentally friendly and observe
fair trade principles, according to the latest MasterCard survey
on ethical spending.
The survey was conducted via online interviews
between 5 December 2011 and 6 January 2012 and involved 12,500
consumers from 25 markets across Asia Pacific, Middle East and
Africa.
According to the survey Thailand, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and China have a greater
willingness to pay more for items that are environmentally
friendly, observe fair trade principles, or where a percentage of
the item is donated to a good cause, as compared to their
counterparts in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
However, between
2009 and 2011 the only increase in consumers willing to pay for a
percentage of sale donated to a good cause was South Korea (7%),
while drops were recorded in China (-25%), Taiwan (-19%), Japan
(-18%), Hong Kong (-15%) and Singapore (-11%).
“The latest MasterCard survey demonstrates that
consumers are conscious and wary of the current economic climate,
and they continue to display a sense of responsibility about the
products they are purchasing,” said Georgette Tan, group head, Communications, Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard
Worldwide. “Through initiatives such as MasterCard Purchase with Purpose, MasterCard’s social responsibility and citizenship
efforts across the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, we
are actively encouraging shoppers to think before they buy.
Through Purchase with Purpose consumers can give back to
communities when they use their MasterCard cards; this is at the
heart of a drive by MasterCard to encourage responsible spending
and to make a difference to someone else's life.”
Shoppers were
also less willing to pay for environmentally friendly products in
2011 when compared with 2009, with Japan (-26%), China (-23%) and
Hong Kong (-19%) all showing less inclination towards
eco-shopping. Taiwan in particular went from 71% of respondents in
2009 saying they would purchase items because they are
environmentally friendly to 40% in 2011.
South Korea (18%)
recorded the largest rise for willingness to pay for items based
on fair trade principles, with Thailand (4%) the only other
country to see an overall increase since 2009. Thailand (94%)
consistently continues to have the highest proportion of respondents who based their purchases on fair trade principles,
above China (88%) and Indonesia (87%), with Australia (37%) and New Zealand (36%) ranked lowest.
Japan, which was impacted
heavily by natural disasters in 2011, saw a rise in terms of
charity donations – 42% indicating they were contributing to a
charity as opposed to 20% in 2010. In addition, 35% said they were
contributing more to charity this year compared with 2010.
Thailand, which
was affected by recent flooding, also shows more willingness to
donate with 31% saying they would contribute more this year than
last year.
Socially responsible merchants are a big draw for
respondents in the Philippines (76%), Indonesia (76%), Vietnam
(78%) and Thailand (82%), when making purchases. However, this is
less so for respondents in Hong Kong (45%), Japan (39%), and South
Korea (46%).
Amongst those surveyed, affinity towards social
organizations that deal with children’s health and education
appeared to be the strongest for respondents across Asia Pacific,
and environmental organizations have risen in importance in many
of the markets in the region. In emerging markets, affinity
towards social organizations that deal with poverty/starvation
remain highly important.
See other recent news regarding:
Airlines,
Airports,
Awards,
Flights,
Codeshare,
FFP,
Inflight,
Lounges,
First Class,
Business Class,
MICE,
GDS,
Rewards,
Miles,
Hotels,
Apartments,
Promotions,
Spas,
Yoga,
Retreat,
New Hotels,
Traffic,
Visitor Arrivals,
Cruises,
Free Deals,
Interviews,
Videos,
Tickets,
Shopping,
MasterIndex,
MasterCard
|
