Consumers' Perception of Responsible Consumption in Sweden

Sammanfattning: This thesis empirically examines consumers' perception of environmentally friendly products in Sweden. The study is based on survey responses from private consumers from the retail industry (supermarkets) and the electricity industry (electricity companies selling to private consumers). There is an ongoing debate about whether sustainability is merely a trend and if it is worth for companies to adjust to the changes that such a movement would require. Many organizations are trying to teach consumers about sustainability as an attempt to help consumers act more responsibly. To explore this topic and the perception that consumers are carrying today, a study was performed using online surveys on a random sample of 948 respondents. Gender differences were found in the responses regarding the retail and electricity industries. There was no significant age difference. Results also show that more respondents considered the environment to be important from the electricity industry compared to the retail industry. Female respondents appear to care more about the environment. The results of the survey give insights into the way communication could be adapted for consumers. By adapting the marketing done by companies and organizations, there is a possibility to increase responsible consumption.