We conducted a series of surveys to measure consumer attitudes toward initiatives to make supply chains more ethical.

1. Software Advice IndustryView:
Key Priorities For
Ethical Supply Chains
Trends and best practices from the industry.

2. Abstract
We conducted a series of surveys to gauge consumers’ attitudes toward
initiatives to make supply chains more ethical. We found that:
• On average, consumers say they would pay 27 percent more for a product
normally priced at $100 if it was produced under good working conditions.
• Consumers were split on whether improved working conditions, community
involvement or environmental efforts would most convince them to buy from a
firm.
• Twenty-eight percent of consumers said reducing water usage was an
environmental initiative that would make them more likely to purchase a
company’s products.

3. Consumers Say They’ll Pay More for Ethically Manufactured Products
Good working conditions
Carbon emissions offset
Ethically sourced materials
$0 $10 $20 $30
On average, consumers said they would pay $27.60 more for a product normally
priced at $100 if it were made under good working conditions.

4. Consumers Say They’ll Pay More for Ethically Manufactured Products
$0
$1-10
$11-20
$21-30
$31-40
$41-50
$51-60
$61-70
$71-80
$81-90
$91-100
0.06
0.1
0.06
0.06
0.1
0.06
0.0
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.0
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.0
0.01
0.01
0.12
0.27
0.39
0.1
0.07
0.07
0
0.11
0.29
0.37
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.3
0.3
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Percent of sample
Good working conditions Ethically sourced materials Carbon emissions offset
Comparing the distribution of responses of all three survey questions, 35 percent of
all respondents said they wouldn't pay a penny more for ethically produced goods.

5. Consumers Split on Broad Ethical Initiatives
3%
31%
32%
34%
Working conditions
Environmental impact
Community involvement
Other
Consumers were roughly split on which of these three broad ethical initiatives
would convince them to spend more on a product.

6. Environmental Effort That Would Convince Customers to Pay More
5%
19%
22%
28%
26%
Reduced water use
Biodegradable packing materials
Solar panels
Reduced carbon emissions
Other
Twenty-eight percent of respondents indicated that reducing water use would
convince them most to pay more for a product.

7. Labor Efforts That Would Convince Customers to Pay More
4%
15%
16%
20%
45%
Fair wages/overtime
Greater workplace safety
Educational opportunities
8-hour work day
Other
Nearly half of consumers said that giving workers fair wages and overtime pay
would make them more likely to pay more for a product.

8. Consumers Want Community Involvement That Spurs Job Creation
4%
9%
18%
26%
43%
Open factory in area in need of jobs
Donate to local nonprofits
Fund scholarships
Encourage workers to volunteer
Other
Consumers indicated that an effort to expand company operations to areas with
high unemployment would make them more likely to pay more for a product.

9. Read Report Read about our findings in more detail.
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