Ethical spending up 9% as UK consumer awareness increases
As awareness of ethical issues grow, UK consumers are increasingly opting to spend their money with brands that reflect their values and think about the impact their money is having, according to a new report, writes Blue and Green Tomorrow.
The Annual Report from Ethical Consumer has been published since 1999 and is deigned to act as a barometer for ethical spending in the UK. The figures suggest that ethical spending increased by 9% in 2013, when compared to the previous year. The report argues that the performance looks particularly strong when it is compared with inflation and economic growth over the same period, which saw increases of 2.4% and 1.9% respectively.
Seeing the largest growth in the food and drink section were Freedom Food and free range eggs, both of which saw sales increase by 19%. Sustainable fish sales also saw impressive growth of 17%, and has seen increased media coverage in recent years, suggesting that it could see further improvement in coming reports.
