Climate campaign 10:10 has discovered that despite concerns over the credit crunch, UK shoppers consider the ethics of their supermarket to be more important than the price of its products. Just 9% of the 6,000 shoppers surveyed by 10:10 said price was the most important consideration in choosing their supermarket. However, 16% said that the way products were sourced, transported and packaged was the key consideration when grocery shopping.

Convenience still remains the most significant factor in selecting a supermarket for the UK shopper. 54% of those questioned in 10:10’s online poll said that location was the main reason they returned to the same supermarket habitually.

The survey, which was part of a series of shopping-themed activities by  10:10 and run in conjunction with green online supermarket Ocado, was not just open to 10:10’s 70,000 sign-ups – all of whom are actively cutting their carbon emissions by 10% each year– but all UK shoppers. Ocado are one of the 2,500 businesses who 10:10 is helping to cut their emissions.  1,500 schools, colleges and universities, thousands of organisations and the whole of central government has also vowed to cut emissions in a bid to curb climate change.

Encouragingly, 51% of shoppers say they consider the environmental impact of their grocery shop – in terms of the way food is produced and packaged, and the food miles created in its transportation.

While 32% of those polled said they now do their grocery shopping online on a regular basis, 30% of traditional shoppers visit their local supermarket on a weekly basis. 26% visit more than twice a week, with 7% visiting fortnightly and 3% visiting once a month. Just 1% of those quizzed said that they never visited supermarkets.

10:10 UK campaign director Eugenie Harvey said: “Of course we’re all watching the pennies at the moment, but it’s incredibly encouraging to see that even in these difficult times, people are increasingly considering the environmental impact of their shopping. Supermarkets cannot afford to ignore the public’s demand for ethically, responsibly sourced products that use the minimum in terms of packaging and transport.”

ABOUT 10:10

10:10 is an ambitious project to unite every sector of society behind one simple idea: we work together to achieve a 10% cut in carbon emissions every year.

10:10 was conceived by the team behind climate blockbuster The Age Of Stupid and is run by a small independent team, supported by an army of volunteers and a dream team of partner organisations including Comic Relief, the Energy Saving Trust, the Carbon Trust, the Public Interest Research Centre and many more. Low-carbon printer manufacturer Kyocera Mitaand Eaga, the UK’s largest supplier of heating and renewable energy, were the campaign’s original sponsors.

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of a huge problem like climate change, but by bringing individual actions together under one banner, 10:10 enables everyone to make a meaningful difference. Launched in September 2009, the campaign has, to date, garnered the support of over 70,000 individuals and more than 2,500 businesses, including household names such as Sony, Adidasand Microsoft.  In addition, celebrities ranging from Sienna Miller to Bill Bailey to Daisy Lowe have all voiced their support.

10:10 has been making waves in both central and local government, with the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreeing to cut emissions by 10% within days of coming to power, and 43% of the UK currently covered by a council signed up to 10:10.

Each month 10:10focuses on different ways to reduce your carbon emissions, offering expert advice on everything from insulation to recycling. In addition, 10:10has joined forces with 350.org – who last year orchestrated 5,200 environment events in 181 countries – to coordinate the biggest-ever global day of action on climate change, on 10^th October, 2010 (10:10:10).

For further information visit: www.1010uk.org

ABOUT OCADO

Ocado (http://www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain's leading online grocers.  Unlike its competitors, Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers. This approach has numerous benefits including, not least, a significantly reduced environmental impact.  Ocado boasts over 20,000 product lines including Waitrose and John Lewis-branded goods; most recently it has launched non-food lines such as toys, magazines, kitchenware and fresh flowers.  Last summer, it scooped Online Retailer Of The Year and Green Retailer Of The Year at the Grocer Gold Awards 2009.