The willingness of Finns to pay for sustainable products is strengthening – Doubts about Asian e-commerce are increasing

The Finnish Commerce Federation has now investigated* Finns’ attitudes towards sustainability for the fourth time. The recent economic uncertainty and weakened purchasing power of consumers are reflected in the increase in price-driven purchasing. Nowadays, 61 per cent of Finns aged 18–79 often shop primarily on the basis of price, compared to 56 per cent two years ago. Price is a shopping criterion particularly for women under 35 – as many as 76 per cent of them.

Sustainable products are a prerequisite for the second-hand market

Despite being price-driven, 71 per cent of Finns are also willing to pay a premium price for sustainable and recyclable products, such as furniture or electronics, and this share has not changed much compared to pre-pandemic times.

“Buying sustainable new products and the willingness to pay for them create the prerequisites for second-hand shopping and the circular trade market. In an efficient circular trade market, products do not end up as waste immediately. Instead, they circulate to new owners and users,” summarises Jaana Kurjenoja, Chief Economist of the Finnish Commerce Federation.

The willingness to pay for sustainable clothes is lower than for sustainable and recyclable products in general, which is also reflected in the popularity of fast and cheap fashion. However, more than half of Finns are willing to pay a premium price for the durability of their clothes.

Among Finnish adults, 25 per cent say they often buy second-hand products at second-hand stores, flea markets or online marketplaces and Facebook groups, while 44 per cent only rarely do so, if at all. Women under the age of 35 are among the most active second-hand buyers.

Finns appreciate domestic e-commerce but are not always willing to pay for it

The majority, almost 70 per cent, of Finns would like to favour shops that meet their corporate social responsibility in Finland, meaning shops that provide employment, invest and pay taxes in Finland. The willingness to pay for it is, however, slightly weaker, as only 46 per cent were also prepared to pay premium prices for meeting corporate social responsibility in Finland.

“Finns are clearly not fully aware of the costs of operating here and their effects on prices. For example, most of the costs of retail trade are incurred in Finland, even if the product was manufactured elsewhere,” Kurjenoja says.

“The supervision of regulation related to sustainability and consumer protection also increases the costs of Finnish companies compared to Asian companies. For example, the purchase price of a fully equivalent garment for a Chinese online store is 65 per cent of the price paid by a Finnish store,” Kurjenoja continues.

Suspicions concerning product safety and consumer protection have begun to increase the popularity of European and domestic e-commerce compared to Asian e-commerce: Nearly three quarters, 74 per cent, of Finns say they prefer purchasing from European stores because of product safety.

There is also clear proof that such suspicions have been justified. According to the recently completed results, none of the 14 test purchases made on the Temu marketplace met the requirements set by EU or national legislation.

“The most common problems were with packaging and product labelling and inadequate care instructions and instructions for use; however, unfortunately, a lot of hazardous materials were also found,” says Kurjenoja, summarising the results of the product purchases made in May and studied during the summer**.

Despite this, the popularity of Chinese online stores and marketplaces has almost tripled compared to early 2023.

Human rights and the importance of good employer policy as sustainability criteria are on the rise

Finns believe that a responsible company provides employment in Finland and invests and pays taxes in Finland. Reducing its carbon footprint is also part of a responsible company’s operations. Respect for human rights throughout the supply chain and good employer policy have strengthened as criteria defining the company’s responsibility.

For those under the age of 35, respect for human rights has even become the most important factor describing a company’s responsible operations beyond its carbon footprint, but its importance has increased for all people under the age of 65. A good employer policy, on the other hand, is particularly important for women under the age of 35 and between the ages of 50 and 60 and for men between the ages of 35 and 50.

“Respecting human rights and a good employer policy are strengths that make Finnish commerce perform better than many of its foreign competitors. Finnish commerce now has several sustainability-related competitive advantages, as long as they are communicated credibly and reliably,” Kurjenoja says.

For further information, please contact: Jaana Kurjenoja, Chief Economist, Finnish Commerce Federation, tel. +358 (0)40 820 5378, jaana.kurjenoja(at)kauppa.fi

* The international comparison of the survey is based on Statista consumer surveys in Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The Finnish attitude survey is based on a consumer survey designed by Jaana Kurjenoja. The data was compiled by Kantar TNS four times through its online panel: in January 2020, September 2020 and May 2022 and 2024. On each occasion, the sample of the survey was 3,000 adults living in Finland.

** In May 2024, products were purchased from the Temu marketplace in the categories of household goods, cosmetics, toys and fashion, and the products were tested in various laboratories during the summer. A description of the test purchases is available in separate material

See also: Test purchases from the Temu.com marketplace did not meet European requirements