Conscious consumption meets green retailing

Washington, D.C. -- The consumer is obviously changing, and one way is through the combination of environmentalism and what one retail analyst described as "conscious consumption." -- a new take on the phrase "conspicuous consumption."

"Conscious consumption is the recognition that your dollars are your votes," said Dan Stanek, executive VP of Columbus, Ohio-based Retail Forward. "The way they buy, the way they shop is a reflection of who they are."

That idea intertwines with environmentalism in ways that affect green retailing, he said in a presentation here during the Home Improvement Research Institute's spring conference.

Stanek presented statistics that showed consumers who believed global warming is either "somewhat serious" or "very serious" increased from 70% of the American population in 2004 to 83% in 2007. Even more telling, the "very serious" response by itself increased from 40% to 56%, in the same time frame.

"Two-thirds say they are more concerned with the environment than they are from a terrorist threat," he said. "This is not a fringe movement anymore; this is a big deal encompassing a lot of shoppers."

These statistics don't necessarily mean that environmentalists are buying green goods, but they are now thinking of the world more selflessly. "People are increasingly feeling guilty about wasteful spending," he said.