DE4CC0DE-5FC3-4494-BCBF-4D50B00366B5

Ethical Spending In The UK Surpasses £100bn: Report

By Dayeeta Das
Share this article
Ethical Spending In The UK Surpasses £100bn: Report

Annual spending in the UK on ethical products and services surpassed £100 billion (€119.4 billion) in 2020, amounting to £122 billion (€145.7 billion), according to Co-op’s latest Ethical Consumerism Report.

The report, published on a yearly basis, has been tracking consumer shopping habits since 1999, when the total value of ethical consumer markets in the UK was £11.2 billion.

Sales of vegetarian and plant-based food and drinks have seen 34% growth, to approximately £1.5 billion, reflecting a change in the diets of the British consumers.

In addition, sales data from the Co-op UK has indicated that plant-based burgers have out-performed meat-based counterparts by 24% in 2021.

'A Barometer On Consumer Behaviour'

Steve Murrells, Co-op Group CEO, said, "Our Ethical Consumerism Report is a barometer on consumer behaviour, and shoppers are turning up the heat to boycott businesses that fail to act on ethical or social concerns.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The report is a warning to brands that they must do business a better way for workers, communities and the planet, but it offers clear evidence to policy-makers that they can positively influence change."

Other Highlights

Independent certification continues to be an important factor influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions, Co-op noted.

The Fairtrade, RSPCA Freedom Assured, and Rainforest Alliance brands all rose in value, while spending on MSC-certified sustainable fish fell from £899 million to £818 million.

The sales of free-range eggs exceeded £1 billion for the first time in 2020, helped by an increase in market volume as more supermarkets joined the Co-op in only selling free-range eggs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read More: Britain's Co-op Reports H1 Loss, Says Supply Disruption Could Hit Profit

© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.

Get the week's top grocery retail news

The most important stories from European grocery retail direct to your inbox every Thursday

Processing your request...

Thanks! please check your email to confirm your subscription.

By signing up you are agreeing to our terms & conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.