What is Values-based Shopping?

Values-based shopping, a trend in commerce that is starting to gain a lot of traction but what does it mean? This refers to making purchase decisions on more than the traditional considerations of price, product features, and convenience. Values-based shopping is taking the long-established considerations previously mentioned into account and considering what we refer to as values.

When we’re using values to describe shopping decisions, we’re talking about the aspects of making a purchase that are currently outside of the traditional convenience model of shopping. Currently, online shopping is training us to only consider price, reviews, and convenience. It hasn’t yet helped us take into consideration the values outside of these that each of us may hold as important. Here are some of the values we think people might hold.

Environmental sustainability: responsible interaction with the environment and allowing for long-term environmental quality. Products like this would be ethically sourced, rainforest certified, or even biodegradable.?

Cruelty-Free: products that do not harm or kill animals. Frequently, these products are tied into vegan friendly products but not always.??

Locally-made: made within a certain region. The Midwest is a great example, or we could even get more specific with Chicago, Illinois made.

Made in America or made in ___ country: larger scope to locally made. Product created was made in the country designated.?

Fair Labor Practices: indicates that companies take priority in providing fair labor to its employees and contractors. For example they may pay fair wages, provide benefits, healthcare, provide safe physical working environments, fair hours, or provide access to education, just to name a few.

Social Impact: organizations that have social impact missions (e.g. non-profits, b-corps, or for profits that donate). Some common social impact missions include, addressing poverty, support for veterans, environmental sustainability or protection, helping humans access medical care, access to financial freedom/sustainability, providing support/protection for domestic or wild animals, and so much more.

Organic/natural: products made using non-chemically treated materials

Transparency: companies that are honest about their processes and products.?