The buying habits of young consumers are changing for the better despite gaps in knowledge about sustainable fashion and access to it, according to a new report by IFM – Première Vision Chair, the Institut Français de la Mode and Première Vision.
Based on a survey of 6,000 consumers from France, Italy, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S., the report found that a significant proportion of consumers in 18-24 and 25-34 age brackets are adopting more sustainable practices, favoring brands that respect both the environment and labor conditions.
While they’re often making more sustainable purchases than their older counterparts, young consumers’ relationships with sustainable fashion differs by region.
In France, the younger the consumer, the more likely they are to buy eco-friendly products. The survey found that 58.9 percent of 18-24 year olds and 55.1 percent of 25-34 year olds have already purchased one.
In Germany, 64.9 percent of 18-24 year olds have bought a sustainable fashion product during the year, compared with 51.4 percent of the general population. In the U.K., 65.7 percent of 18-24 year olds have done so, versus 47.4 percent of the general population.
The intent to shop more sustainably is proving to be multi-generational, however. The report found that almost one in two people in France are making sustainable fashion purchases. In Italy, 52.6 percent of the population already buys sustainable clothing. In Germany it is 51.4 percent.
When it comes to determining the sustainability of a product, material choice ranks as the most important factor, regardless of the country surveyed. In Italy, 46.7 percent of the population consider it as the main lever for a more responsible fashion industry. The U.K. and the U.S. also exceed 40 percent on this criterion.
“The use of higher-quality materials that are less harmful to the environment, or the use of recyclable or recycled materials, are likely to have a strong influence on young consumers’ choices across the world and particularly in France,” the report stated.
Young consumers in Germany, Italy and the U.S. named product quality as the most important factor in making a sustainable fashion purchase. In Italy, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. it is the most
important criterion cited when defining preferred brands, according to the report.
In France, it comes second only to price, though young consumers are still more willing to spend more on sustainable fashion than older consumers. The survey found that 18-24 year olds in France are prepared to spend 331 euros ($354) on a sustainable shopping basket for jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, compared with 208 euros ($222) for the general population.
“This is the case in all of the countries surveyed,” the report stated, with U.S. consumers aged 18-24 having the “most generous wallet” for sustainable products. Young consumers in the U.S. are willing to spend 347 euros ($371) versus 313 euros ($335) for the population as a whole.
The main reason for not making a sustainable purchase cited in the U.S. (34.5 percent) and the U.K. (37.4 percent) was the lack of information on the subject. In Italy, not knowing where to buy these products was the main reason 33.8 percent of the consumers surveyed.