Consumer worldviews and perspectives on environmental sustainability initiatives in the South African supermarket sector

Abstract

The major South African supermarket chains are important players in the retail sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, which represents one of the fastest growing consumer markets globally. These companies are critical in promoting environmental sustainability initiatives in supply chains, as a means of enhancing the sustainability of production and consumption. However, there is a significant research gap on the visibility and acceptability of environmental sustainability initiatives among consumers in the retail sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study is to elicit the perspectives of South African consumers on environmental sustainability initiatives in the supermarket sector, and understand how their environmental worldviews could influence the perceptions of these activities and ultimately purchasing decisions. Data was collected from consumer surveys in major supermarket chains in South Africa, and the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale was used to elicit respondents’ environmental worldviews. Findings show that respondents are aware and supportive of a variety of environmental sustainability strategies in their preferred supermarket stores. Recycling activities were the most observed strategy and decreased packaging activities the least. Although most respondents exhibit pro-ecological worldviews, this is not always translated into better visibility of these initiatives or sustainable purchasing behaviour. We suggest that supermarkets should be nudged to become more active agents of social and environmental change. For this it would be necessary to better understand and influence consumer environmental worldviews, as a means of enhancing the visibility and performance of their environmental sustainability initiatives. Our findings can assist researchers and sustainability managers in better understanding consumer perspectives in emerging economies, and their responses to green initiatives in supermarkets, and the retail sector more broadly.