Do Ethics matter in Consumer Purchase Behaviour

In recent years, ethical trade and Corporate Social Responsibility have gained a lot of attention in theUK, yet limited attention has been given to the role and impact of ethical concerns on consumer purchase behaviour. The overall purpose of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of ethical consumerism. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the data collection technique in order to achieve the objectives of this study. The results of the findings revealed that, despite consumers’ high level of awareness of ethical issues there is little evidence that these issues greatly affect consumers’ purchasing behaviour. In fact, price seems to be the most important indicator of their purchasing behaviour. The uneven distribution of wealth also makes it impossible for all consumers to choose ethically sound products. The findings of this study are a useful source of information for marketers who may want to attract this “green” segment of the market. Furthermore, whether or not marketers are pursuing the ethical strategy, they should also bear in mind that even if a good eco-performance is unlikely to yield competitive advantages, a poor eco-performance can still lead to competitive disadvantages.