YPulse’s WE sustainability research found that the majority of young Europeans are concerned about climate change and have changed some behavior to help fight it. Gen Z and Millennials in this region feel responsible for changing the climate crisis: almost four-in-five agree with the statement ”It’s up to my generation to stop climate change from getting worse.” But in the face of their growing concerns about climate change, young consumers also rely on brands to help them: 82% say they think brands should talk to consumers about climate change. Brands should take note and implement eco-friendly practices to be in line with the causes that are dear to young consumers’ minds.
Brands need to be cautious when trying to implement a green marketing strategy as young consumers are very good at calling out brands that are lying or misleading consumers about their environmental impact. Several big brands in Europe have been accused of greenwashing recently, which can impact the affinity that Gen Z and Millennials have for the brand. But on the other hand, there are various ways that businesses can take their share to protect the environment and stop climate change. Here are two examples of green marketing campaigns that caught the attention of consumers in Western Europe recently:
Primark launched its first-ever vintage store in Birmingham, U.K.
Primark is the most important mass merch retailer in the U.K. and is known for selling very cheap clothing, which Gen Z and Millennials love. The brand recently announced the opening of a vintage section at its Birmingham store named “Wornwell”, where young consumers will be about to find clothes from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, including denim, graphic tees, printed sweaters, and much more from brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Converse, Levi, and Dr. Martens.
YPulse’s WE Mass Merch Mentality trend report dug into young consumers’ love of big box retailers, which offer them quality products at affordable prices. Our data shows that nearly half of young Europeans regularly shop at mass merch retailers. But at the same time, Gen Z and Millennials are embracing secondhand clothing and are turning to apps such as Vinted—Europeans’ favorite vintage app—to buy directly from other consumers. In response, many major brands have entered the circular economy, including brands like PrettyLittleThing, and now Primark.
Asda removed the expiration date from fresh food
British supermarket chain Asda recently removed the “best before” date on fresh products across all its U.K. stores, in an effort to help combat food waste. Environmental charities and young Europeans alike have been calling out the “best before” dates on fresh produce for a while, arguing that they can confuse consumers and lead to huge amounts of food waste. Asda is not the first supermarket to take action on food waste: Tesco pioneered the removal of “best by” dates back in 2018, a move that young Europeans embraced. But the scale of the operation was unprecedented, with Asda removing the label on more than 250 products. It is possible that Asda counter-reacted after being accused a month earlier of greenwashing on its clothing line George at Asda. But although the intention of the supermarket chain can be questioned, no doubt Gen Z and Millennials welcome efforts from brands to be more eco-friendly. After all, young Europeans say climate change is the No. 1 issue their generation faces today.
