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The Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability Industry in Australia Expected to Grow to $22Bn by 2010

DUBLIN, Ireland-(Business Wire)-October 2, 2008 - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b35a13/living_lohas_2_li) has announced the addition of the "Living LOHAS 2: Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability Australia" report to their offering.

The consumer market for natural, healthy and sustainable products and services in Australia has grown over 25% to $15Bn in 2008 and is expected to reach at least $22Bn by 2010.

Eco-efficient building, renovation and household products, and natural health and personal care categories are generating significant consumer and community interest and are likely to be the key to increased participation moving forward.

More Australians than ever are making purchasing and lifestyle choices that reflect their concerns about natural health and wellbeing, the environment and sustainability.

At the macro level, Australians have little understanding of the impacts of climate change on their lives, and for most, carbon trading is expected to deliver higher prices with few other direct benefits. The challenge for government and business is in articulating sustainability initiatives at a local and personal level in order to gain buy-in and trust.

Issues that can be understood and addressed at a household level are showing the fastest uptake and products that deliver household water, energy or cost savings, are less toxic or more healthy are benefiting from this trend.

Major opportunities exist for growth, but one size does not fit all.

Careful consideration of segmentation and communication strategies is necessary to help organisations navigate through the wash of unsubstantiated health and environmental claims and find customers with the right level of alignment for their offer.

Your questions answered

Why is it that over 90% of Australians say they care about the environment, but when it comes to the crunch, only about 10% actively make purchasing and lifestyle choices that reflect this?

What is the consumer understanding of carbon trading and corporate social responsbility, and how should business and government respond?

What are the key trends in consumer concerns about the environment and how has the economic slowdown affected their ‘green’ purchasing behaviour?

Will consumers pay a premium for ‘green’ products and if so, in which categories, and how much?

What strategies can organisations implement to capture a share of this growing market?

This report will enable you to…

Develop and review government and corporate sustainability initiatives from a consumer perspective
Quantify the market opportunity for your natural, healthy and sustainable product offer
Implement effective targeting and communications strategies
Assess your ‘green’ offer against key consumer metrics
Improve your ability to navigate through the clutter of green brands and green claims in the marketplace

Key Issues Examined in This Report

How many people are acting on their environmental concerns in their purchasing (and voting) choices?

Is the goodwill of the Australian public who ‘want to do the right thing’ being tested by the explosion of ’green’ claims – and what does this mean for government and business?
What sources do consumers trust for advice about natural, healthy and environmentally friendly products and services?
Where do Australians search for information about the environment and sustainability?

Why has there been an increase in the number of ‘Laggards’, who say they have now tuned out and are disinterested in environmental issues and concerns?

What are consumers’ views on the role of government in sustainablility policy and corporate social responsibility?

What premium, if any, will Australians pay for environmentally friendly products and services including food, energy, household products and major appliances?

How much do individuals understand about carbon trading and what do they believe the impacts will be?

What are the top 10 brands that are achieving resonance with Australians for their ethical, sustainable or environmentally friendly reputations, and who else is on the list of over 300 brands mentioned?

What are the key roadblocks to increased uptake of ‘environmentally friendly’ options?

Which consumer segments offer the biggest opportunities for business, and how to reach them?

Some key findings

The natural, healthy and sustainable consumer products and services market has grown by more than 25% since 2007. Across the six LOHAS product categories of Food & Nutrition, Home Life, Mind & Body, Buildings & Energy, Transport & Leisure and Work & Money, consumer spending has increased by $3Bn in the past year, and is forecast to grow by up to another $10Bn over the next 3 years.

90% of Australians are concerned about climate change, but the impacts of climate change and claimed benefits of carbon trading are poorly understood. Most Australians who have an opinion on carbon trading believe its major contribution will be to increase their cost of living, but have no clear understanding of the potential lifestyle impacts that climate change or carbon trading may have on them or the economy.

Whilst a majority of consumers want business to improve their environmental performance, 88% treat ‘green’ claims with scepticism and distrust Australians see credible third party verification by well-known, trusted organisations as the best way to distinguish between greenwash and genuine environmental claims.

Key Topics Covered: - Executive Summary (3 pages) - Research Framework (2 pages) - Key Themes - 11 Things you Need to Know (11 pages) - The Eight Myths of Business and Sustainability (1 page) - What is LOHAS ? (6 pages) - LOHAS in AUSTRALIA (12 pages) - Australian LOHAS Segmentation in Detail (10 pages) - Consumer Concerns (15 pages) - Consumer views on Sustainability, Carbon Trading & Climate Change (7 pages) - Consumers view on Corporate Social Responsibility and Organisational Reputation (11 pages) - Consumer Values, Attitudes and Behaviours (32 pages) - Consumer Market Size and Growth (10 pages) - Current Consumer Participation (8 pages) - Future Consumer Interest (6 pages) - Barriers to further Consumer Uptake (17 pages) - Sources of Influence and Media Consumption (6 pages) - Case Studies (30+pages) - Appendices

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b35a13/living_lohas_2_li

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