What Are Consumers Saying About Eco-Friendly Home Furnishings Options?

Recent consumer research shows consumers demand style, comfort and quality first…yet a “real” green angle can help put a product on their short list.

In fall 2008, Cargill BiOH sponsored a qualitative research initiative to gain insight into consumers’ opinions on furniture buying and the role of eco-friendly products, brands and marketing. Everyone surveyed had either purchased home furnishings in the past 12 months or were in the process of purchasing. Participants were from the Charlotte, N.C. and Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan areas; each had a combined annual family income of at least $60,000.

Among the insights from this study, three mega trends emerged: 1) style and comfort still dominate the decision-making process; 2) though awareness is growing, buying eco-friendly furniture isn’t yet an automatic consideration, 3) BUT, when comparable offerings exist, eco-friendly furnishings are preferable.

Style and Comfort Rule

When it comes to furniture buying, some things haven’t changed. Consumers continue to regard style, comfort and price as the most important factors in their home furnishings purchase. When asked about their key purchasing criteria, participants in Cargill BiOH’s research initiative made comments such as these about the importance of style and comfort:

"That’s real important at my age. It’s all about comfort. It used to be about whether it looked good. Now it’s about comfort."
"I want it to be comfy and cushiony and you can just fall in and sink and you can curl-up, but it also looks presentable."
"[It’s about style] because it’s in my house and it is all there for everyone to see."

Eco-Furniture Isn’t Top-of-Mind (Yet)

Consumers in this study say they focus their eco-friendly shopping on more disposable types of products. From water bottles to grocery bags, there are a variety of product categories that seem to more urgently demand environmental responsibility. Participants said:

"When I think of environmentally-friendly, I think of recyclable products, things that are smaller, plastics and containers and green cleaning products…but this is a big item and you keep it for a long time to begin with, so I think people just don’t look at it like the everyday disposable goods that are considered good or bad for the environment."

“I don’t replace it [furniture] that often. You buy something that is used for years.”

“And besides, you give your furniture to Goodwill and they sell it so somebody else gets it. It’s not like it’s taken and put in a dump somewhere.”

When Presented The Opportunity to Buy More Environmentally-Friendly Furniture Consumers Respond

When asked their opinions about environmentally-friendly furniture, consumer interest was piqued. Their comments included:

“I am all for saving the environment, but I never thought about it when purchasing furniture.”

“I guess I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought, but now that you have mentioned it, it [buying environmentally-friendly furniture] would be very important.”

Once Offered, Environmentally-Friendly Furniture Appeals

While they’re wary of unsubstantiated green claims and suspicious of greenwashing, consumers are interested in the genuine benefits of eco-friendly furnishings. When given the choice between two similar products, consumers said they would choose the more environmentally-friendly option. Respondents in the study made this point by offering comments such as:

“If there were two couches side-by-side that were identical and they both felt the same, I’d pick the one that is more environmentally-friendly.”

"I would say the most important things to me would be style, comfort and price. And then the environmental (sic). If those things can be the same across the board and its either environmentally-friendly or it is made of petroleum, I would go environmentally-friendly."

"Something that could effect your environment and potentially American jobs, I think it would make a difference for me."

 

For more information and takeaways from the focus groups, contact Jessica Koster at Jessica_Koster@cargill.com.