Qalara’s values are changing the sourcing game
n awareness and consciousness about sustainability and ethical buying has been on the rise since a decade, but thanks to the pandemic, those on the fence have now turned converts. Fifty four percent of consumers think that they can make a positive contribution to the world with their purchases, according to Euromonitor 2020.
As per Google Trends, there has been a heightened interest in ‘sustainability,’ with its search volume the highest in April 2021 since the start of 2004. ‘Eco-friendly’ and ‘ethical’ also seem to be the buzzwords in the context of shopping, with their popularity rising by 2-3x in Australia, 30-50% in the USA and 2x in the UK, all in the last 12 months alone. With the Millennials and Gen X calling the shots, the time seems ripe to expand your ‘conscious’ catalog, if you are a business owner.
Qalara has a vast range of beautiful, consciously designed products for your buyers. We tell you how our values are resonating with your audience.
Artisanal
There has been a four-fold increase in the volume of handicrafts bought annually between 2006 and 2020 in the UK. Additionally, the global handicrafts market is projected to witness a compound annual growth rate of 10.9% over the next few years according to expertmarketresearch.com. Not only are artisanal products exclusive and beautiful, they are also planet-friendly since they’re made sans machines or with processes that use much lesser energy as compared to machine-made products.
From handwoven to embroidered, hand cut to hand carved, macramé to knitted, hand braided to hand stitched, Qalara has over 1 million artisanal products that celebrate a variety of legacy and hybrid handmade techniques.
Fair & Social
Seventy percent of American consumers want to know what the brands they support are doing to address social and environmental issues. To add to it, 46% pay close attention to a brand’s social responsibility efforts when they buy a product, according to a survey released by Markstein, an integrated communications agency, and Certus Insights, a public opinion firm. They’re also concerned about the wellbeing of the farmers and artisans behind their products.
GlobeScan conducted a Fairtrade Consumer Perceptions survey in 2019 in eight markets (Australia, Canada, Germany, India, New Zealand, Switzerland, UK and USA) and found that 84% of consumers looked out for the Fairtrade certification because of the organization’s impact among farmers and artisans. A majority of consumers agreed that the ‘Fair trade’ tag had a positive impact on their perceptions of the brand using the label. Qalara has a host of sellers that endorse our fair and social values, bringing you products that are made by artisans/famers who earn a fair wage for their creations/produce.
Also read: How to decode sustainability jargon
Recycled
As per a survey of 6,000 consumers from 11 countries across North America, Europe and Asia, published by Accenture, 83% believe it’s important or extremely important for companies to design products that are meant to be reused or recycled. Textile consumption is calculated to be over 100 million tons, however, the rate of recycling is rather low: Barely 13% of the total material input is in some way recycled after usage. This makes it imperative to promote and encourage brands with a focus on recycling and upcycling, given that our world is only becoming smaller and our landfills larger. Qalara has thousands of beautiful recycled products for you to choose from.
Eco-friendly & sustainable
Consumers, particularly Millennials, increasingly say they want brands that embrace purpose and sustainability. As per a Harvard Business Review report, 65% consumers say that they want to buy purpose-driven brands that advocate sustainability. Both research and anecdotal evidence indicate that sustainability has become more than a fad, it is serious ‘business’ now.
In PwC’s 2019 Global Consumer Insights Survey, just 35% of respondents said they chose sustainable products to help protect the environment, 37% said they looked for products with environmentally friendly packaging, and 41% said they avoided the use of plastic when they could. However, PwC’s June 2021 Pulse Survey results show percentages 10 to 20 points higher in response to similarly worded questions.
Qalara’s line-up of eco-friendly products is not only safe for the planet, but also super trendy and contemporary. We have a wide array of cushions, floor coverings, décor, apparel and accessories, toys and jewelry made from eco-friendly materials like jute, 100% cotton, natural fibers like sabai grass, water hyacinth, kauna grass, bamboo, rattan, marble, wood and more. Qalara has thousands of certified ecofriendly and sustainable offerings, beautiful inside out.
Organic
Recent reports show that U.S. families are increasingly embracing organics in a wide range of categories. The Organic Trade Association notes that 81% percent of families with kids say they purchase organic food products at least sometimes. As per Statista, approximately 60% Americans (both men and women) prefer to purchase organic or natural skin care products over regular skin care products. Organic cotton products continue to be a rage around the world because of their clear supremacy over regular cotton. Qalara’s range of organic products is a joy to behold! From fashion and accessories to F&B and beauty, we have some carefully curated organic offerings that will leave you feeling great!
OGG
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