By "sustainability", consumers primarily mean environmentally friendly or recyclable packaging. "This is the so-called 'reason to believe'; this is the first thing that many consumers use to determine that the product is sustainable for them," explains Nina Scharwenka, Partner and Global Head of the Consumer Sector at the consultancy. "If producers and manufacturers in the beauty industry want to become active when it comes to sustainability you should therefore first invest in environmentally friendly packaging."

However, the study also shows that only a good third of respondents (35 per cent) are prepared to pay more for sustainable cosmetics and care products. And even within this group, the willingness to pay for sustainable products is lowA good half of respondents (57 per cent) would pay a premium of up to ten per cent; a further 31 per cent would be prepared to pay up to 20 per cent more. "For most consumers, sustainability currently seems to be more lip service than conviction," says Benedikt Schmitz, Director in the Consumer Sector at Simon-Kucher. However, the sustainability aspect remains importantBecause a sustainable image can have a positive effect on brand perception - and therefore also indirectly on the willingness to pay," says Schmitz.

Source: Simon-Kucher & Partners