December 4, 2007

Is The Green Consumer Trend Over?

Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at research firm NPD Group, says that the green consumer trend is over, Reuters reports. “The consumer is consumed with other things, and very rarely have they ever endorsed and embraced the green endeavors,” he said.It looks like many retailers are also unsure of where consumers stand. Even companies that are making bold green moves in cutting down waste and increasing efficiency are not touting their efforts to shoppers.

According to the article, Target is not incorporating a green message into its holiday marketing. Wal-Mart also said it did not have a green marketing plan in place for Christmas. And a J.C. Penney spokesman said it was too soon to make a big push to sell and promote green merchandise.  “It’s something that is growing in importance with the customer,” the spokesman said, but added: “It’s early days.” One retailer that is making a “green” holiday push is Barneys.

“It’s basically a card that a lot of people played while it was hot and trendy,” NPD’s Cohen said. “And it got overplayed.”

But other analysts say shoppers want to buy “green.” Almost six in ten consumers say they are more likely to buy “green” products this year than in the past, according to recent research from Cone. A Deloitte survey has found that 18 percent of shoppers will purchase more “eco-friendly” products this holiday season than in the past, and a similar number will shop at more “green” retailers.

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