ASIA-PACIFIC, DECEMBER 2010 – More consumers across Asia/Pacific are shopping with a conscience, according to the results of the latest MasterCard survey on Ethical Spending. Social responsibility and sustainability remain high on the agenda for the region’s shoppers with 70% of respondents saying that they made fair trade purchasing choices in the last two to three years. This is up from the region-wide figure of 66% last year. Some 55% of those polled also indicated that they were willing to pay more for products based on fair trade principles.
Thailand (95%), Malaysia (85%), and China (86%) continue to have the highest proportion of respondents who based their purchases on fair trade principles, showing an increase over the 2009 survey figures. They were also the top three markets for fair trade purchases in last year’s survey.
The survey was conducted online from September 3 to October 1, 2010 and involved 8,500 consumers from 15 markets: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and United Arab Emirates.
The MasterCard survey also shows that 61% of respondents in Asia/Pacific bought items specifically because they were environmentally friendly, holding steady from the 62% in 2009. In fact, 61% of respondents across the region said they were willing to pay more for products that are environmentally friendly. Similarly, 56% of respondents said they were willing to pay more for products with a percentage of the sale being donated to a good cause.
“It is very encouraging to see that shopping with a conscience has taken root – our latest research shows that Asia/Pacific shoppers are not just focused on good buys, they are just as focused on doing good,” said Georgette Tan, vice president, Communications, Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide.
Understanding consumers’ evolving sentiments and behavior, MasterCard has been focused on building a strong social responsibility and citizenship program across the region. In 2009, MasterCard launched MasterCard Purchase with Purpose to enable cardholders to play a part in giving back to the community whenever they use their MasterCard cards.
To date, MasterCard has launched 20 Purchase with Purpose initiatives across 14 markets in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa benefiting a host of women’s empowerment and youth education causes.
“With MasterCard Purchase with Purpose, we feel that we are truly living up to our role at the heart of commerce – bringing together our merchant partners, customer banks and cardholders to empower and benefit the less fortunate in our community,” added Tan.
While Asia/Pacific consumers are looking to shop more ethically, one in two of those polled in another MasterCard consumer survey are planning to make a charitable contribution in the next six months. Respondents in the Philippines (68%), Hong Kong (66%), Malaysia (63%) and Indonesia (62%) were the most charitable within the region.
The survey conducted from September 13 to November 11, 2010 and involved 10,502 consumers from 24 markets across Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Data collection was via internet surveys, personal, telephone and Computer Aided Telephone interviews, with the questionnaire translated to the local language wherever appropriate and necessary.
