{"id":11522,"date":"2023-01-06T07:30:16","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T07:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=11522"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:34:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:34:24","slug":"why-eco-conscious-brands-will-succeed-in-china-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/why-eco-conscious-brands-will-succeed-in-china-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Why eco-conscious brands will succeed in China in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are Chinese shoppers more discerning than their Western counterparts when it comes to demanding supply chain transparency? It’s clear that sustainable brands will increasingly have the edge in 2023, so how should you communicate with Chinese consumers about the credentials of your products?<\/h2>\n

Like people in countries all over the world, Chinese consumers are experiencing the effects of climate change and unmanaged waste products first-hand and are concerned about the future; concerns that have only been strengthened by the Covid-19 pandemic<\/a>. To varying degrees, these concerns are now translating into greater consideration of the sustainability credentials of brands and, ultimately, purchasing intentions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalking the talk on sustainability issues is something that [brands] can no longer afford to ignore. Consumers nowadays have so much more information on the sustainability credentials of products, as well as the companies behind them and their impact on the wider community,\u201d says Anson Bailey, Head of Consumer & Retail for ASPAC at KPMG China, on \u2018Moving the Needle: Threading A Sustainable Future for Apparel,\u2019 a research report by KPMG and Serai on sustainability in the apparel industry.<\/p>\n

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How much do Chinese consumers know \u2013 and care \u2013 about sustainability?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The lack of public environmental activism in China can paint a picture of a consumer base disinterested in sustainability, but this is not the case. A June 2022 consumer survey by PwC showed that 34% of Chinese consumers \u201coften\u201d or \u201calways\u201d agree that a business\u2019 environmental actions influenced their decision to buy \u2013 in the US this figure was just 29%. The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have accelerated this trend. For example, a KPMG study in 2021 found that since the beginning of the pandemic, 68% of Hong Kong consumers and 65% of those from Greater Bay Area cities in Mainland China have become more conscious of a product\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n

Pollution, notably air pollution, has been a day-to-day experience for many people in China, with direct effects on their health. Product quality issues, particularly food safety scandals such as the 2008 melamine-contaminated baby formula scandal, have also caused a lot of concern among consumers. This has created a genuine desire to purchase products made from high-quality, durable or chemical and pollutant-free materials, which are usually better for the environment as well. \u201cChinese consumers are most concerned about sustainability for the following categories (ranking with the highest level of willingness to pay extra): furniture, homeware, clothes, and personal care,\u201d says CBBC China Business Adviser (Consumer Retail & E-Commerce) Celine Tang.<\/p>\n