Increasingly, Americans report prioritizing sustainability when shopping. But as sustainability topics become politicized and purchasing power is squeezed thin by inflation, will that trend hold true for this year’s holiday shopping season?
The answer makes a big difference for U.S. businesses. Holiday shopping in November and December accounts for nearly 20% of annual retail sales in the United States, including half of yearly sales for small businesses.
People pay attention to where all of that holiday spending goes (or doesn’t), and recent surveys suggest a good chunk is set to be spent with sustainability in mind.
Nearly 68% of Americans say they’re willing to pay a little more for sustainable products, according to survey data released last week by 3BL partner Ceres and Northwind Climate, a slight increase from 2o24. The majority of more than 2,000 Americans surveyed said their interest in buying sustainable products has “grown more positive” over recent years.
Still, around half said they recently considered a sustainable product alternative when shopping, but ultimately decided against purchasing it — mostly due to price or perceived product quality. “It costs too much” was the difference-making factor for nearly 60% of respondents, unsurprising as more Americans find themselves cash-strapped.
But that doesn’t mean people are priced out of caring about sustainability, or even that they’re unwilling to spend when they see quality and values align, surveys show.
What’s driving decisions at the holiday dinner table?
Even as costs climb, consumers are willing to spend on quality. For example, flavor (46%) outweighs price (30%) as the primary driver in holiday meal planning, according to a November survey from DuraPlas, indicating that consumers will still spend the money if they believe the experience and tradition are worth it.
That increasingly includes sustainability: 29% of respondents said they’re willing to pay more for “premium, sustainable ingredients” for their holiday meals — nearly double the rate seen in 2023.
The secondhand shift driving holiday shopping.
While some consumers view cost as a barrier to purchasing sustainable products, their quest for value is also driving a boom in secondhand shopping. Shoppers plan to dedicate nearly 40% of their holiday budgets to secondhand gifts this year, seeking better value and unique items, according to the resale platform ThredUp’s annual holiday report.
Interestingly, nearly half of consumers (47%) plan to resell their own used items to fund their holiday shopping — achieving a sustainable outcome even as the motivation is largely financial. Two-thirds of Americans (including 80% of millennials) also say they’d be happy to receive secondhand gifts this holiday season.
What does all this mean for brands?
These findings align with 2024 3BL research — in which over half of U.S. consumers said sustainability increased in importance as a purchase driver year-over-year.
“This issue is almost universally important to consumers,” Mike Johnston, data product leader at 3BL’s research partner Glow, told TriplePundit last year. “As the cost of living starts to reduce for certain cohorts of the population — and it will — those that have ignored sustainability while it’s been growing in importance in the background will be playing catch-up. And you don’t want to be in that position with something that is going to continue to be of increasing importance to how customers make their decisions.”
So, how can brands attract attention from the growing number of people seeking out sustainability attributes as they shop?
It’s probably less complicated than communicators think — and it doesn’t involve chasing the latest buzzword or explaining every detail of what makes your product or service sustainable. Consumers want to know how a product helps the planet, but they also want to know what it can do for them and to make their lives better.
“There are ways to discuss sustainability in an accurate and informative way, without falling prey to ‘greenhushing’ or retreating to the sidelines,” TriplePundit reporter Andrew Kaminsky wrote in 3BL’s 2024 report. “It’s fairly straightforward, but it’s something that brands and their marketing teams struggle to do effectively.”
For example, the Ceres and Northwind Climate survey indicates that technical terms like “Scope 3 emissions” or “Net Zero” can feel distant to the average shopper. Instead, consumers respond best to concrete, practical phrases like “makes products last longer” or “cutting waste saves money.”
Shoppers aren’t looking for a sermon. They are looking for efficiency. If a brand can prove that “sustainable” translates to “better quality,” they are much more likely to reach people.
To learn more about how to reach consumers with sustainability messaging — and why greenhushing isn’t the way to go, check out 3BL’s 2025 research: “Sustainability Silence is Undermining Trust.”
