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Consumers Believe Online Is Best For Going Green

Friday, May 7, 2010 - 10:34 by Mike Price

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There is little doubt that many consumers are placing greater emphasis on ecological matters which is having a positive impact on e-commerce and safe shopping online. According to a new e-Customer Service Index study conducted by retailer group the IMRG and eDigitalResearch, the UK's consumers see online retailers as not only capable of offering safe shopping online but as helping to save the environment in the process.

Of the 2,000 consumers polled in the survey, 36 per cent stated that they preferred to shop online, 74.6 per cent of this group also indicated that pollution reduction was a significant factor in their decision to shop online.

Simply by heading online, consumers can avoid consuming the fuel they would otherwise use to drive to various retail outlets in searching for the best bargains. Instead, consumers can simply sit back and browse for the best deals. 53.5 per cent of consumers in the survey also commented that not only does online shopping do wonders for your personal carbon footprint, but that it is often a route to finding items that may be better for the environment than similar products found in stores.

The survey also found that awareness as to green issues among online consumers has increased significantly: 56 per cent of people shopping on the internet now consider the environment, an increase of 12 per cent over figures from earlier in the year.

And consumers are also concerned with the level of product information provided, with the survey identifying that 41 per cent of consumers believe that, whilst online, they have better access to detailed information as to the energy consumption of goods such as domestic appliances and that it is far simpler to perform a direct comparison between products in this context.