April 18, 2007

Wal-Mart Tracks Consumer Attitudes Surrounding Environmental Products

Wal-Mart has launched a new initiative - the Live Better Index - which it hopes will serve as a measurement of consumer attitudes and shopping behaviors.

Wal-Mart has identified five products to serve as nationwide trend indicators for the launch of the Live Better Index. The first focus of this ongoing study is on products and attitudes surrounding environmental issues.

The products include:

     1. Compact fluorescent light bulbs 
     2. Organic milk
     3. Concentrated/reduced-packaging liquid laundry detergents
     4. Extended-life paper products
     5. Organic baby food
   
The index data (PDF) shows New Hampshire has the highest average adoption rate of Live Better Index products at more than 20 percent.
   
Index findings also reveal that while Americans want to change overall, cost and convenience are barriers to becoming more environmentally friendly: Sixty-two percent of Americans said they would buy more eco-friendly products if there was not a price difference.
 
Beyond price barriers, the Live Better Index shows consumers are not always aware of or knowledgeable about evironmentally friendly products:

• Seventy-eight percent state they need more information to think about how to help solve environmental issue.
• Nearly one-third expressed they do not know where to get the information.

See full results here.

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