Providing sustainability information in shopping situations contributes to sustainable decision making: An empirical study with choice-based conjoint analyses

In their 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, the United Nations make clear that actions are required to keep the Earth inhabitable. As everybody is asked to do their share, we tried to contribute to answering the question of what consumers and suppliers can do in this regard. Using choice-based conjoint tasks, we confronted participants with decision situations in the form of simulated buying scenarios. Further, we investigated personality, materialism, and delay discounting. Results suggest a considerable effect of sustainability information on decision making. Delay discounting and materialism are negatively linked to sustainable decision making. The study indicates that consumers would contribute to sustainable development more if suppliers helped them by providing clear sustainability information.