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Twitter Buying Trends: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

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Holiday shopping is increasingly being influenced by social media platforms like Twitter, this is particularly true of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As indicated in a 2013 poll, those who use Twitter spend more and use the portal as a strategy resource that informs their buying decisions.

According to a DB5 survey of 1,000 US adults 7 out of 10 of our users will rely on Twitter to enhance their Black Friday and Cyber Monday experiences. A total of 85 percent of Twitter users shop on Black Friday and 81 percent shop on Cyber Monday. Unsurprisingly, Twitter uses are bigger online shoppers than non-Twitter users. While 54 percent of all adults plan to shop on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday days, that number jumps to 68 percent among Twitter users.

Twitter users not only buy online, they are well informed and they do their research. Sixty percent of users say that Twitter plays an important role in their Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. One survey respondent shared, "Twitter is invaluable for planning my strategic attack: for [finding out] about deals, where friends were shopping and whether the lines were too long."

Twitter users craft a shopping strategy ahead of other shoppers. Eighty percent of Twitter users start to plan for Black Friday at least one week in advance this is eleven points higher than the percentage of preparation exhibited by average shoppers which is 69 percent. For Cyber Monday, 72 percent of Twitter shoppers plan at least a week in advance.

Fifty-six percent say Twitter is one of the first places they go to research products. These shoppers also expect to hear about products and special promotions from brands. In fact, 78 percent say if they saw a Tweet for a sale at a nearby retailer they’d visit the store on Black Friday.

Eighty two percent of Twitter users cite cost saving as the reason they use the platform for shopping on Black Friday. Even more importantly Twitter is perceived as an enjoyable social experience. Fifty-nine percent of Twitter users say they shop Black Friday to "have fun" and 39 percent say it’s a tradition with loved ones.

Seventy percent of Twitter users say they wait in Black Friday lines at stores compared to 61 percent of all Black Friday shoppers.

Eighty percent of Twitter users indicated that they want to save money on Cyber Monday but they also value the ease and convenience of shopping online. The survey revealed that 57 percent of Twitter users appreciate avoiding the crowds and not leaving the comfort of the house or office on Cyber Monday.

Thirty eight percent of Twitter users get online at midnight on #CyberMonday while thirtyfour percent shop between midnight and 6 am to access popular products and special promotions.

Smartphones are a critical tool in Twitter users shopping arsenal. Eighty-seven percent of of Twitter users say they will rely on their smartphones during Black Friday. That is 21 points more than non-twitter users (66 percent). The phones of Twitter users continue to be used as a mobile strategy device. Twenty-two percent of Twitter users continue to check their phones while in line on Black Friday and fifty-four percent stay in touch with family and friends who are shopping, fifty-seven percent. Fifty-seven percent use their phones to find out about different sales and forty-nine percent check prices. Forty one percent use their phones to make purchases while only 22 percent of non-twitter users do so.

Twitter users spend more than other shoppers on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Only a third of Twitter users strictly stick to their shopping lists on both days. Twitter users spend 19 percent more than the average Black Friday shopper and 14 percent more than Cyber Monday shoppers. For people who shop on both days the The average spend for Twitter users was $700 more than non-Twitter users.

The top items purchased online are electronics and clothes. They visit an average of 4.6 stores on Black Friday. They also share what they score on Twitter: 18 percent tweet photos of purchases and 23 percent tweet about great deals they got.

For real time insight into the marketing and purchasing mayhem on Twitter follow the hashtags #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday

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A Green Christmas and a Sustainable State of Mind

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The holiday season is here and many of us are making more responsible choices, however, while personal actions are critical, this time of year is also a wonderful opportunity to green our consciousnesses. While we all must strive to reduce our energy consumption and eliminate the waste we produce, there is a psychological dimension to environmental stewardship that may not be so obvious.

People who are interested in being more environmentally and socially responsible do a host of things at Christmas time and throughout the year. 

Decorations

When it comes to decorations, they use natural materials like organic cotton and sustainable wood. They avoid plastic containing PVC and toxic chemicals like phthalates, as well as decorations that contain lead and mercury.


Gift Wrapping

They are recycling their wrapping paper or using newspapers, old tin boxes, cloth, and brown paper. Their gifts are tied with string or wire instead of disposable ribbon. They use natural adornments for gifts like evergreen branches, pine cones and cinnamon sticks. Perhaps they even give gifts that do not require wrapping paper at all.

Cards

They are giving out electronic cards instead of paper cards or if they do give paper cards they make sure it is 100 percent recycled.

Lights

They are using lead-free low energy LED lights that conform to RoHS standards and they put them on a timer so that they are not on any longer than they have to be. They are not trying to win awards for lighting displays that consume enough energy to power a small village.

Christmas Trees

They are responsibly sourcing their Christmas tree. If they use a fake tree it is made from polyethylene (PE) plastic. If they are buying a real tree it is a living tree that can be transplanted outside or it is responsibly farmed and when they are done with it they are using it for mulch rather than throwing it into a landfill.

Candles

They avoid candles that have synthetic fragrances and petroleum-based products, which emit toluene, benzene and alkenes. They use candles that are made with safe alternatives like beeswax and soy.

Gifts

They are looking for more responsible gift options. When giving electronics they make sure it is from environmentally concerned companies with a take-back program. They avoid toxic toys, and they try to choose those that are made from natural sources like sustainable wood and organic cotton. They buy responsibly produced non-toxic clothing and they avoid toxic personal care products.

Food

They are choosing healthy antibiotic free organic foods, like humanely farmed, organic chicken and turkey and they are minimizing waste by never making more than they will consume. They may even buy from responsible independent poultry farmers.

While it is entirely laudable that we should be mindful of our choices when it comes to decorations, gift wrapping, cards, lights, Christmas trees, candles, gifts and food, we should also be acutely aware of how our state of mind contributes to or detracts from the world we are trying to create.

In addition to all we do, Christmas is a great time to engender hope for the future. People do not respond to negativity and only a positive attitude can induce the changes we need to see. We must replace well warranted pessimism with the faithful belief that we can change our current environmentally destructive trajectory.

Christmas is also good time to ask ourselves how we foster family traditions that communicate the value of the natural world to our loved ones and especially to the children in our lives. An important part of this involves cultivating a deep and abiding gratitude for nature.

The best part of the holidays comes from being with family and close friends. The love that we feel for those that we care about should be the guiding force informing our attitude, not just at Christmas but throughout the year.

We must inhabit the change we seek, not only through our actions, but in our thinking and in our efforts to share the notion of environmental stewardship with others. We need to acknowledge and communicate the fact that this planet is not ours to abuse, we merely borrow it from future generations.

May we renew our commitment to act with the planet in mind this Christmas, but let us also strive for a sustainable state of mind that informs our actions all throughout the year.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video - How Sustainable is your Christmas?

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Electronic Receipts are Convenient and Save Trees

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Instead of printing out a paper receipt, many stores you now give you the option of sending your receipt by email instead. This is both convenient for consumers and it saves a precious resource. Around ten million trees are cut down each year to make receipts in the US. Trees both provide oxygen and sequester CO2. 

In addition to being better for the environment it also is a great way to organize your records. They can be kept in a separate folder for future reference. This is ideal in the event that you need to return an item or for filing tax returns.

Apple was one of the first stores to provide this option in 2005. Then other retailers started offering this service including Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Patagonia, Sears, Kmart and Whole Foods Market.

New retail payment technology has leveled the playing field and enabled smaller retailers to get in on the act. Now stores of all sizes are able to provide e-receipts.

In addition to being convenient for consumers, there is also value for retailers as these e-receipts can also be a valuable new communications and marketing channel.

E-receipts are sure to follow the popularity online statements and bills from utilities, banks, credit card issuers and other service providers.

The trend towards e-receipts will only increase as more transactions take place virtually with the help of cell phone wallet technology, a phenomenon that is already very popular in places like Japan.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Green Market Oracle's Gift Guide: A Summary of More Responsible Gifts

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Are you someone with a green conscience looking for a last minute gift idea? Look no further than the Green Market Oracle's summary of green gift ideas that are sure to please everyone on your holiday list. These gifts are not only more environmentally responsible they also communicate something about your own ecological attitudes.

Here is a quick review of 18 gift recommendations as well as a dozen catalogs each full of green gift ideas.
 

1. Green Gifts that Help Animals and the Planet


Some of the best gifts we can give take the form of donations that help to protect animals and their habitats. Two of the most prominent organizations are the NRDC and the WWF.  The NRDC and WWF are two of nature's leading champions. By donating to the NRDC or the WWF you can help them protect the natural world. Two other organizations that have been included in this list of animal conservation organizations are Orangutan Outreach and the Born Free Foundation. Here is a summary of some of the most earth-friendly gifts on the planet:

NRDC

Revive a Rainforest: Plant a tree in Costa Rica, $15.00

Ocean Protector: Revive our oceans, $25.00

Butterfly Beauty: Create a monarch sanctuary, $25.00

Den Defender: Protect polar bears and their cubs, $35.00

Leader of the Pack: Adopt a wolf in Yellowstone, $25.00

Cozy Cats: Protect North America's big cats, $50.00

All gifts are tax-deductible and every NRDC Green Gift comes with a beautiful print or e-card that will be sent to the person receiving the gift. You can write a personal message and choose exactly when it is sent. Each Green Gift provides much-needed funds that allow NRDC to protect our environment, wildlife, and wildlands. For more information click here.

WWF

Panda: Give a Panda Room to Grow $100.00

Tiger: Give a Tiger a Fighting Chance $100.00

Polar Bear: Help a Polar Bear Keep Cool $100.00

Walrus: Help a Walrus Keep Its Toothy Smile $75.00

When you symbolically adopt a species at risk, you’re giving an extraordinary gift while supporting WWF’s conservation efforts. All WWF gifts come with a tax receipt. For more information click here.  

Orangutan Outreach

Adopt an orangutan and help save these creatures and their habitat. For more information click here.

Born Free Foundation

 Born Free helps hundreds of thousands of animals worldwide including lions, elephants, gorillas, tigers, wolves, bears, dolphins and many others. For more information click here.


2. Greeen Gifts for Kids


This section of the Green Market Oracle's Green Gift Guide is intended for for kids and parents who prefer greener play products. Here are a number of gift ideas that are both fun and eco-friendly:

KidsCraft Playhouses: An amazing gift idea that fosters creativity with well-designed, eco-friendly, and durable cardboard structures. No need for tape or glue to build these structure. Two options, The Shuttle Imagination, $69.95, and The Creation Cottage, $59.95, both of which are made from 100 percent recycled materials that are made here in the US. KidsCraft, a new and rising company, believes strongly in providing families with environmentally-friendly products. Additionally, the Atlanta based business contributes to charitable organizations and values the significance of sustainability. Their dedicated responsibility led them to partner with Trees for the Future Foundation, a program that plants one tree for every KidsCraft product sold. For more information about the playhouses, and other KidsCraft products, click here.

The Magic School Bus Solar Energy to the Rescue: This award winning educational eco-friendly activity kit is made by The Young Scientists Club and it teaches young children about the incredible power of solar energy. With the help of the Magic School Bus driver, Ms. Frizzle, kits can learn how to collect real carbon dioxide, recreate global warming in a bottle, and use a solar panel to spin a fan, among the kit’s many activities. At just $19.99, this green children’s kit, is both enlightening and affordable. With simple and well written directions, the Magic School Bus Solar Energy to the Rescue kit is also easy enough for older children to comprehend and use while on their own. The Young Scientist Club was started by a mother of five, who as a Harvard trained biologist, wanted to expose her own children and others to the incredible world of science. For more information about the science kits or about other products made by The Young Scientist Club, click here.

Haba’s Arranging Game, Corner to Corner: This Eco-friendly toy was developed for little ones three and older. It is comprised of a set of small wooden tiles help to provide endless opportunities for your child to create a variety of fun and exciting patterns. The 62 colorful pieces included, help to spark creativity and imagination growth. Haba toys and games are now available in more than 1,000 stores across the United States. Arranging Game, Corner to Corner retails for $36. For further information about Haba’s green toys and other products, click here.

3. Ethical and Sustainable Candles

Here is a collection of 3 ethically made, sustainable pillar candles (Vetiver, Lavender and Bergamot). These candles are made with renewable, biodegradable materials, natural vegetable wax, cotton wick and 100 percent pure essential oils extracted without chemicals or pesticides. The company behind the candles is LITE+CYCLE, they seek to blend form, function, utility, beauty and responsibility.  They approache everything with a sense of purpose, sustainability and ethics while never compromising on design and quality. The idea is a conscious, and aesthetic approach to living, and the things that add comfort to our lives.

Bergamot: Citrus bergamia An effervescent citrus providing! an uplifting and enlivening aroma to brighten any atmosphere.! Cultivated in Italy without pesticides or chemical fertilizers our bergamot oil!is cold-pressed for aromatherapy that is safe for you and the earth. LITE+CYCLE -

Lavender: Lavandula officinalis + Lavandula angustifolia A balanced lavender providing a tranquil and clarifying aroma to enable calm and complete peace.!Cultivated in France without pesticides or chemical fertilizers our lavender oils!are steam distilled for aromatherapy that is safe for you and the earth.

Vetiver: Vetiveria zizanoides A deep and warm earth aroma to root and ground the mind encouraging harmony. Cultivated in Haiti without pesticides or chemical fertilizers our vetiver oil is steam distilled for aromatherapy that is safe for you and the earth.

LITE+CYCLE Pillar Candles are available in two sizes that burn for 40 hrs ($36) and 85 hrs ($68). For more information click here.

4. Green Gift Catalogs


This section of the Green Market Oracle's guide contains a number of catalogs each with a wide assortment of greener gifts. Check out each one of these twelve catalogs chock-full of eco-focused products and services.

Ethiquette: A database of over 600 responsible products and services. For more information click here.

Grassroots Environmental Products: This site offers a wide array of green products. For more information click here. 

Green America's Holiday Green Gift Guide: Features great deals on green products. For more information click here. 

GreenDeals: Green products and services. For more information click here. 

GreenPages: The nation's leading directory of green products and services, featuring thousands of businesses nationwide. For more information click here.

Inhabitat: The well known green living site also has a green gift catalogue. For more information click here.

NRDC: An extensive catalog of holiday gifts. For more information click here. 

Save Green Money: A wide assortment of Green Gifts. For more information click here. 

Shop Organic: Eco Friendly Gifts that are organic, green and natural For more information click here.

The Daily Green: Another green site that has compiled a list of more than 100 green gift ideas for the home and garden, for women, men and kids, and special selections of radical recycled materials, volunteer opportunities, charity giving etc. For more information click here. 

TreeHugger: This well known site also offers a green gift guide. For more information click here.

WWF: The World Wildlife Fund has a wide variety of colourful, high quality toys and games are a fun way for kids to learn about nature and animals – and a great tool for teaching about the importance of conservation. For more information click here.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Event - Halton Halton Environmental Network (HEN) Holiday Social & Enviro Guide Release

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Halton Environmental Network (HEN) Holiday Social and 2014 Enviro Guide Release will take place on Thursday December 12, 2013, at Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre in Oakville Ontario. The gathering will start at 5 pm in the multi-purpose room, C-094, near the front entrance. It's also the launch of HEN's 10th anniversary year! They will be sharing some holiday enviro tips and doing a re-gift exchange! Bring a new unwanted gift you've received, leave it on our table, and take one you want. (Participation is optional.) They will donate any leftover gifts to a local charity. If you haven't seen their new office yet, they will be happy to take you on a tour. All are welcome. Light refreshments provided.

The Halton Environmental Network (HEN) is an incorporated non-profit organization operating in the Region of Halton (Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville). HEN's members are 45 non-profit environmental groups operating in Halton. HEN shares information and resources with member groups, other non-profit organizations, businesses, governments, and the public.

For more information go to their website or

Contact Name: Lisa Seiler
Phone: 905-815-6185
E-mail: info@haltonenvironment.ca

For directions and to RSVP click here.

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Green Tuesday: The Best of Thanksgiving Consumerism Strives to be Both Sustainable and Profitable

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In 2011 Green America launched Green Tuesday to promote sustainable products and services during the period of rampant holiday consumerism. Green Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving weekend, it is designed to inspire consumers to make "thoughtful, purposeful, eco-minded choices." Green Tuesday has a lot of competition from other sustainability initiatives including those associated with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. The day is also being claimed by another event called "Giving Tuesday," which encourages Americans to donate to charity.

Green Tuesday is vying for a slice of the $5 trillion annual US retail market. According to the National Retail Federation about $600 billion of that consumer spending will occur between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.

Despite the competition from other consumer days, Green Tuesday is gaining ground. Since its launch in 2011 Green America's GreenDeals.org has acquired hundreds of thousands of green members and it has featured hundreds of deals from green businesses.

“Green Deals makes it possible to give great gifts for the holidays, while also giving back to the planet. Many consumers who are turned off by shopping at big-box stores during the holiday season will welcome this opportunity to participate in a way that is in line with their values, and save money at the same time,” says Green America Corporate Responsibility Director, Todd Larsen.

While helping to reduce the impact on the planet is laudable it is also salable. When it launched Green Tuesday in 2011, Green America published some research which supports the profit making potential of green focused consumer goods and services:
Green Tuesday is an important day to raise awareness about more responsible consumerism.  The growth of green consumers is a necessary part of addressing the environmental crisis we face and changing our current trajectory.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video - Small Business Saturday Contributes to Sustainability

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Small Business Saturday has been around for three years and in that time people are increasingly seeing the value of shopping at mom and pops instead of the big boxes. As explained in a Treehugger article,

"[T]he best tool for greening our lives is Urbanity- building communities that you can get around in without a car. Where you can get what you need within walking or biking distance. That's where small businesses come in to play. They are local, they support the community, and they make our main streets come alive."

As explained in a West Michigan study:

"When West Michigan consumers choose a locally owned business over a non-local alternative, $73 of every $100 spent stays in the community. By contrast, only $43 of every $100 spent at a non-locally owned business remains in the community. There are so many reasons for that; the buildings are often locally owned instead of by some distant big developer; the real estate and sales taxes stay in the community; the wages paid to staff are often higher; the staff are local too and spend their money in the community."

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Waste is an Unfortunate Thanksgiving Tradition

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The holiday season represents a high point for retailers and a low point for the environment. There are two major things we can do to help minimize our impacts. The first is to be more mindful of purchasing behaviors and second is to do a better job of managing our waste. Waste is one of the biggest problems associated with the holidays. Waste is highly detrimental to the environment and according to the EPA, 32 million tons of plastic waste are generated yearly, 14 million tons of which are used in packaging. During the period from Thanksgiving to the New Year, Americans generate 25 percent more waste than average. This includes

• 125,000 tons of plastic packaging
• 744 million holiday cards
• 8,000 tons of wrapping paper (which according to Treehugger is the equivalent of 50,000 trees).

The Thanksgiving feast is a notorious celebration of gluttony. Apart from the fact that this contributes to the epidemic of obesity in the country it also generates additional waste. During this feast.46 million turkeys will be consumed (20 percent of the yearly total) and the average American will consume 4,500 calories. Sadly much of the food consumed during this period will end up rotting in landfills.

A total of five million tons of food will be wasted between Thanksgiving and the end of 2013. Worldwide, some 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. In the US, 33 percent of food is thrown away as a result of over-buying and misinterpretation of expiration and sell-by dates. In the developing world, an equal amount of food is lost because of poor infrastructure, pests, and disease.

The amount of food wasted in the U.S. each year totals some US$165 billion—and more than US$40 billion of that waste comes from households, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Recently, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon issued the Zero Hunger Challenge, aimed to reduce all food loss and waste. Moon called for nations to correct the inequity of food waste in a world plagued by hunger. "By reducing food waste, we can save money and resources, minimize environmental impacts and, most importantly, move towards a world where everyone has enough to eat,” he urged. Making enough food rather than too much food is a good place to start.

When it comes to giving gifts, an experience rather than a thing is almost always waste free. When you do receive material gifts make sure you recycle, this especially applies to plastic items which do not properly biodegrade. Wrapping paper and gift bags can either be recycled or reused.

The best way to reduce waste is not to make it in the first place, this includes little or no packaging and wrapping. The next best way is through responsible waste disposal which is primarily about recycling and re purposing. 

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Black Friday Purchasing Behaviors: Shopping Locally and Learning from the Great Recession of 2008

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What can the environmentally conscious consumer do to be a more responsible shopper? One obvious thing we can do to help offset environmental impacts is to buy local. We may also benefit from reflecting on the implications of the economic meltdown of 2008. Black Friday is a fascinating conflagration of consumerism kicking off a spending frenzy worth more than $59 billion in 2012, which was up from $52.5 billion in 2011. To capitalize on this orgy of consumerism, retail outlets are opening earlier every year. This year many big box stores opened their doors on the Thursday prior to Black Friday. Just five years after the start of the Great Recession, consumers are battling each other in retail outlets to save a few dollars. This may be a good time of year to remember what happened in 2008 and why.

Shopping locally reduces the distances traveled by consumers and locally owned businesses tend to make more local purchases, requiring less commercial transportation. Shopping in town centers translates to less urban sprawl, habitat loss and pollution.

In addition to supporting the retail establishments closest to us, we can also learn an important lesson from the Great Recession of 2008.

Deregulation allowed for rampant greed in financial markets. This led to the development of a number of highly sophisticated financial offerings including collateralized debt obligations or CDOs. These instruments packaged oversold mortgage debt to give the impression of a good investment. Many institutions did make money at first, but it was a bubble that was destined to burst. When it did collapse it brought down the global economy with it.

Short sighted consumerism is in some respects analogous to the events that led to the Great Recession. Responsible purchasing is like responsible investing. Our purchases can be reviewed in the same way that assess any investment. A good purchase, like a good investment involves understanding the associated impacts, both short and long term.

Before you make a purchase consider the implications for the environment, for the people and for society.

We are seeing record stock valuations, improving employment numbers and better housing statistics. However, we should not be blinded by an improving economic picture. When making purchases, just like making sound investments we would be wise to consider products and services that are good for the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Green Tuesday's Sustainable Consumerism

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Green Tuesday is one of several ways people are trying to brand the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  The Green Tuesday event was started on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011 by a non-profit environmental group. This group and others are now advocating that the Tuesday after Thanksgiving be dedicated to "green" shopping activities. Green Tuesday encourages holiday shoppers to make “eco-minded” choices and seek out fair-trade, sustainable, and artisanal products.

This year the event falls on November 27th. The group, Green America, is a leading advocate for this new shopping day. See Green America's Responsible Shopper website for information on companies or their Gift Guide for more ecologically responsible products.

Other Green Tuesday portals include Green Pages Green Gift Guide and GreenDeals.org, which will be feature a week's worth of green product specials. You can find good prices on everything from self-water systems for indoor and outdoor plants and annual memberships for car-sharing or bicycle-sharing clubs.

Jonah Mytro, co-founder of GreenDeals.org, has high hopes for this day devoted to “eco-forward” holiday gifts. “We are hoping Green Tuesday results in something of a paradigm shift,” said Mytro in a press release. “Our goal is to encourage a different way of thinking about holiday shopping — one that’s more deliberate, more purposeful and one that will inspire consumers to shop with the planet in mind when there’s a greener form of a gift you were already planning to purchase.”

"During the holiday season consumers are faced with a lot of shopping decisions," Mytro said. "Green Tuesday is designed to inspire consumers to make thoughtful, purposeful, eco-minded choices. It means really thinking about the money you are spending and buying the right gift for the right person while taking care of the planet at the same time."

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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All Indications Suggest a Banner Year for Cyber Monday Shopping

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By all indications, Cyber Monday is likely to set records this year. Buying online is a greener form of consumption because it reduces the amount of fuel used to find, price and purchase an item. Online shopping is also a greener way to shop due to the fact that trucks can deliver goods more efficiently and it takes a lot less energy to run a warehouse for boxes of goods than a mall. Online shopping can be a more beneficial option for the planet particularly when it is paired with more responsible purchasing (ie: purchasing items with smaller footprints).

Online commerce has played a bigger role in the holiday shopping season virtually every year since its inception. This is largely due to the increased sophistication of Internet marketing and consumers who are becoming more web-savvy.

Black Friday saw a 6.6 percent increase in buying over last year and according to IBM, online shopping was even stronger with a 24.3 percent increase for the day.

According to a annual holiday spending survey by Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a retail marketing company, 60% of shoppers said they will use online shopping and price-comparison applications before making any purchases.

Online sellers and shoppers are both optimistic about the holiday season. According to Shop.org’s eHoliday survey 68% of online retailers say they expect to see growth of at least 15% over last year.

On the consumer side, data from the National Retail Federation, shows that consumers plan to do 36% of their holiday shopping online. This is an increase from 32.7% in 2010.

This holiday season, mobile shopping will be even more important with 51% of retailers say they’ve “significantly invested” in mobile-optimized websites. Only 19.6% have invested in tablet apps, but 35.3% are using QR codes to bring in customers.

Social is also important with 72.5% of retailers building up their Facebook presence and 41.2% using Twitter. 29.2% of consumers said they would check a company’s Facebook page for holiday shopping information. 65.1% said they read customer reviews on the company website.

Consumers want to shop online because of convenience (43.2% said it was 24-hour convenience). Consumers also said online was a great way to avoid the crowds and it was easy to compare prices, so they knew they were getting the best deal.

According to a Deloitte Holiday Survey titled "Digital Shopping Will Keep the Grinch at Bay this Holiday Season," the Internet has tied discounters as top destination for gift shopping. Online shopping, once the preferred option of younger shoppers, is now prevalent across generations and mobile tools are assisting holiday shoppers more than ever.

Almost half of consumers surveyed (48 percent) say they most likely will shop for gifts online this holiday season – a double digit (13 percent) increase from last year. This makes the Internet the No.1 shopping destination, (tied with discount stores), for the first time since adding the channel to Deloitte’s annual study.

Social media sites are helping shoppers as 44 percent of consumers plan to use them while holiday shopping. While social media use cuts across all income groups evenly, high-end shoppers will be the most active online and on their phones this holiday season.

Smartphones are also key to the online buying experience. Among smartphone owners surveyed (42 percent) who plan to use their phones for holiday shopping (27 percent), nearly six out of 10 (56 percent) will check or compare prices specifically while in a store, and 38 percent will scan barcodes to locate product information.

For more information about Deloitte’s Annual Holiday Survey, including additional statistics, historical data and useful links, click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Patagonia Shows the Way with Responsible Business Leadership

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Patagonia is an outdoor clothing company that is showing real leadership by asking consumers to think twice about whether they really need to buy a new jacket. They offer services to fix the jacket you have rather than buy a new one. They will even help you sell it without charge. If it is really beyond repair, they will recycle it.

Patagonia is a business and like many businesses they exist to make and sell things. But Patagonia only wants to sell things to people that really have a need.

Although the health of their business and the livelihoods of their employees depends on people buying their wares, they realize that there is no business on a dead planet.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

responsible, leader, leadership, sustainability, green, corporate, company, business, best, top, leading, action, journey, model, footprint, environment, climate change, global warming,

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Black Friday 2011 Saw a Big Year-Over-Year Spending Increase

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Early reports indicate that the 2011 Black Friday spend saw a huge year-over-year increase. According to the data group ShopperTrak, retail sales on Black Friday grew 6.6 percent this year compared to just 0.3% in 2010, raking in an estimated $11.4 billion dollars compared to last year's $10.7 billion of annual sales. This is the most total sales in the history of Black Friday.

"This is the largest year-over-year gain in ShopperTrak's National Retail Sales Estimate for Black Friday since the 8.3 percent increase we saw between 2007 and 2006," said ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin in a statement to CNN Money.

Despite the sluggish economy, shoppers proved that they are ready to buy. With preliminary reports for Black Friday indicating that retailers may have seen their strongest sales ever, American consumers appear to be eschewing expectations of frugal spending.

The US is well known for its domestic spending powered economy, however, given the implications for the earth, this kind of spending is environmentally unsustainable.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Retailers Incorrectly Expected Frugal Holiday Buying on Black Friday 2011

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Frugal buying would make the holiday spend less than some had hoped for. But what is bad for retailers would have been beneficial for the Earth. Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that US retail and food services sales for October were up 0.5 percent from the previous month (economists expected a 0.3 percent rise) and 7.2 percent above October 2010. Excluding gasoline, retail sales rose 0.7 percent.

Holiday buying estimates from the National Retail Federation (NRF) expected sales of around $465.6 billion, represent a 2.8% increase over last year’s robust results which were 5.2% above 2009 results.

On a per-person basis, the NRF surveys found that consumers say they will spend about $516 on gifts, down 4.6% from last year.

The global port tracker, a monthly report about import-cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports, is forecast to fall 1.9% in November.

Concerns about the prevailing economic climate is causing retailers to be cautious. “Retailers are being very strategic with their supply chains,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy. “Although sales are expected to be in line with the 10-year average, retailers are keeping inventory levels extremely lean and filling their stores wall-to-wall with discounts and promotions. Unlike in 2008, when the financial crisis caught everyone off-guard, retailers have a strong understanding of the consumer mind set this Christmas,” he added.

Many retailers were expecting what can only be described as frugal spending. Consumer sentiment as measured by the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s preliminary reading on the overall index edged up in October, but the ratings are about the same as they were in 2008, the worst holiday-shopping season in 35 years.

The industry feared what they were calling “mission shoppers,” who only purchase what they came for, meaning less unplanned buying. They were expecting consumers to embrace the “new normal” by spending less and looking for savings wherever they can.

While this would have been bad news for some retailers, less buying translates to less manufacturing, which implies less resource and energy use and ultimately less waste.

While many were predicting less not more holiday spending, these predictions have proven inaccurate as early indications suggest Black Friday's retail spend represented a big year-over-year increase.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: Retail Shopping from a Sustainability Standpoint

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This video takes a look at sustainable holiday shopping. How to spend thoughtfully and reconnect with the spirit of gift giving. This video focuses on alternatives to buying things. Look at where things come from and how they are made and what they are made of. Consider externalized costs when buying something. Try to buy things that are sustainably made. One example involves buying experiences instead of stuff.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: Sustainable Shopping

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Although the idea of putting an end to shopping may be taking the idea to an extreme, many are now acknowledging that we should replace rampant consumerism with more sustainable shopping. That means considering the footprints of the objects we buy. In this video you can learn about
sustainable shopping and simplifying holiday celebrations.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: The Story of Stuff

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From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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New Methods of Manufacturing and New Patterns of Consumption

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For the Earth to survive we need new patterns of consumption and new manufacturing methods. Our planet cannot sustain current rates of consumption or current methods of production.

We should be considering ways of reducing our consumption and changing what we buy. This is a matter of buying what we need as opposed to what we think we want. It is also a matter of changing what we manufacture and how we manufacture it. Ultimately it is a question of educating consumers and creating more sustainable demand.

To help avert catastrophe we need to see more creative designs and more efficient manufacturing. We are far from where we need to be in terms of the type of demand exerted by consumers and the type of manufacturing provided by companies.

Both industry and governments have a crucial role to play protecting the environment while growing a healthy economy. If manufacturers, retailers, politicians and consumers work together with common purpose we can forge a greener more sustainable economy.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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