Penneys’ Pulse Check: Irish consumers want to be more sustainable but not at any price

• Changing but not if it costs: While around three in five (57%) adults try not to buy products they don’t need to help the environment, more than half (54%) won’t pay a premium for more sustainable goods

• A gender and age gap? Women and older people are more likely to be more environmentally conscious. 71% of women avoid plastic packaging where possible, compared to 60% of men. Almost three-quarters of people aged 55 plus (74%) avoid plastic packaging, compared to just over half (53%) of those aged 18-24.

• Consciously confused: Despite a more environmentally concerned public, only 40% are confident in their ability to understand a company’s sustainability credentials and only a quarter (27%) have read them.

Penneys has published new research into how sustainability influences Irish lifestyles and spending habits. Undertaken as part of its ongoing Pulse of the Nation Index* series and conducted by Amárach Research, the report explores how Irish consumers are behaving and thinking and highlights a confused consumer who wants to do the right thing, but won’t pay more to do so.

A public mindful of its wallet

While the Irish public is becoming more environmentally conscious, just over half (54%) said they would not pay a premium for more sustainable goods and of those that would, around half would only be willing to pay up to 10% more.

Affordability is the consistent deciding factor when choosing more sustainable products. 72% of the public see price as most important when buying clothes or accessories, whereas only 15% decide based on products being more sustainable or made using recycled materials.

Inside Penneys: Known and loved for making fashion accessible for everyone all those years ago, Penneys want to do the same in this space, offering more sustainable fashion for everyone without a higher price tag. To do this, they are transforming how clothes are sourced and made so everything they offer has responsibility in mind. The fashion retailer has committed to making 100% of its clothing using recycled or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030. Today, they are at 55%. Most importantly, Penneys has done this while maintaining the most affordable prices for the Irish public.

An increasingly environmentally conscious public

The Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index found many consumers are behaving more responsibly. Two-thirds (66%) of adults actively avoid plastic packaging and more than four in ten (44%) try to buy products made from more sustainable materials whenever possible. Similarly, approximately three in five (57%) adults say they try not to buy products they don’t need to help the environment.

The findings highlight a gender divide, with 71% of women avoiding plastic packaging where possible compared to 60% of men. Older people were more likely to be more environmentally conscious than younger people. Almost three-quarters of people aged 55 plus (74%) avoid plastic packaging compared to just over half (53%) of those aged 18-24.

People are also acting to ensure the items they love last longer. A significant proportion has taken steps to be more sustainable with their clothing choices in the three months before the study:

• Almost half (48%) washed clothes at a lower temperature to keep them looking good for longer;

• Approximately one in four (27%) bought a pre-loved / second-hand item;

• Over a quarter (28%) upcycled or repaired an item;

• Just over twenty per cent (22%) bought an item made from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials;

• Around one in five (21%) used a clothing donation scheme in a retail store.

Inside Penneys: To help customers love their clothes for longer, Penneys is running repair workshops in stores nationwide over the coming months. The beginner-friendly sessions cover simple hand-sewing techniques, such as sewing buttons and zips and mending tears, helping customers keep their wardrobe favourites longer. Penneys also has a Textile Takeback scheme that invites people to donate clothing, footwear, accessories and textiles, such as towels and bedsheets, from any brand to collection boxes in all Irish stores. These are then collected, sorted and re-used, recycled or repurposed.

Making sense of sustainability

Despite the progress, the research found many need help deciphering how to shop more sustainably. Only three in five (59%) adults were confident in their ability to decode clothing labels, which dropped to 2 in 5 (40%) when it came to confidence in making sense of a company’s sustainability credentials. Only a quarter (27%) of the public said they had read these.

Inside Penneys: To play its part, Penneys uses QR codes in its stores to direct customers online to help them learn more about its Primark Cares sustainability strategy. Resources like a Fibres Glossary on its customer website help educate customers about the fibres used in clothing and demystify some sustainability terms. Penneys also uses its social channels to communicate with customers in a simple and creative way.

Commenting on the latest Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy Ossian Smyth TD commented: “I very much welcome the research findings in this report which provide important insights into the behaviour and attitudes of the Irish public about sustainability. I welcome the finding that Irish people are becoming more environmentally conscious but also noted their frustration when trying to make sense of sustainability. There are national and European policy responses and legislation coming down the track which will provide clear and accessible information on sustainability to all consumers to enable them to make informed choices when shopping while also supporting the textile and fashion industry to internalise circularity principles and adopt circular business models.”

Director of Primark Cares Lynne Walker said: “We commissioned this research to better understand our customers and their challenges in making better choices. While it confirms people are trying to change, it’s clear they don’t always know and certainly don’t want to pay more. As a global fashion retailer, we have the scale and will to play a big part in driving change – not only in how we change to become a more circular business but also in educating and empowering consumers.”

Amárach Chairman Gerard O’Neill added: “Our research highlights how people’s behaviour has changed rapidly over the past decade regarding actions like avoiding plastic packaging. What’s particularly interesting about the latest Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index is the identification of a ‘say-do’ gap. People may want to act more sustainably, but they face barriers like price that can prevent them from doing so. The research underlines a series of considerations relevant to stakeholders as we transform Ireland into a more sustainable society.”

The sustainability research is the latest in a series of ongoing insights commissioned by Penneys into the public’s attitudes to sustainability. These have informed the company’s Primark Cares strategy, which includes a series of wide-reaching commitments across its products, planet and people. This ten-year programme aims to reduce the impact its business has on the planet, improve the livelihoods of the people who make its clothes and end fashion waste – with the ambition to make more sustainable choices affordable to all.

To read the latest Penneys Pulse of the Nation Index, please visit here.

To find out more about Primark Cares, click here