Aussies Favor Shopping With Their Conscience – MasterCard Survey

MasterCard Survey Shows Shopping and Customer Behavior More Conscientious

The MasterCard Survey

The Survey was conducted by MasterCard Worldwide. They included in the survey the Asia/Pacific region, including Australia, and even Africa. A total of thirteen nations took part. These include New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia as well as the Philippines. And, most recently, the company contacted 3,500 shoppers and had them answer several online questions regarding customer behavior in the final quarter of 2009.

Both Males and Females

This customer behavior is exhibited by both males and females and MasterCard researchers found that 80% of shoppers questioned were more likely to buy from merchants who claimed to be both environmentally and socially conscious.

While brick and mortar retail stores remain the preferred outlet for 60% of shoppers questioned, customers still said they are more likely to see more environmentally and socially conscious items online rather than in a brick and mortar store. In fact, of those who do buy online, 75% said that socially responsible items are more abundant online, and only 50% expect to see those socially responsible items in those brick and mortar stores.

A New Breed of Shopper

As always, this could mean that customer behavior is altering not only the products we buy, but also the products we sell. According to Georgette Tan, vice president of communications in Asia/Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, ‘This preference for socially conscious shopping illustrates the new breed of shoppers, both knowledgeable and discerning, in the region.’ She goes on to say, ‘These shoppers believe they can make a difference through their shopping habits’¦ and that they are willing to pay more for their social conscience.’

So it does appear that shoppers are becoming more environmentally and socially conscious. With the data from MasterCard revealing that shoppers all over the world are exhibiting the same conscientious behavior, it’s apparent that this isn’t a behavior trait that will go away any time soon. And, as more and more shoppers demand more socially conscious products, retailers will have little choice but to follow suit.

Comparison of our Top Credit Card Offers

		Interest Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual Fee	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)
Bankwest Breeze MasterCard	A low interest rate on everyday purchases with a low balance transfer offer	0% for 6 months (reverts to 10.99% )	4.99% for 9 months	$49	21.99%
Citibank Clear Platinum Card	A low interest rate offer on balance transfers and purchases	11.99%	0% for 12 months with 3% handling fee	$99	21.74%
St.George Vertigo	An introductory offer on balance transfer and a low annual fee	13.24%	0.99% for 6 months	$55	21.49%
Virgin Flyer Credit Card	Earn 1 velocity point per $1 spent, plus an introductory offer on balance transfers	20.99%	1.9% for 12 months	$50 (for first year thereafter $99)	20.99%
Westpac 55 Day Credit Card	No annul fee for the first year with a low rate on balance transfers and purchases	0% for 5 months (reverts to 19.59% )	3.99% for 6 months	$0 annual fee for the first year ($30 thereafter)	21.49%