Santa's Helpers Eco-Aware This Year

Money was tighter but was focused more on green products this holiday season, according to a newly released survey by the advisory firm KPMG.

Socially-conscious gifts became more important this year, with 88 percent of survey respondents saying they were very concerned about the environment. About 74 percent indicated that they buy environmentally friendly products, 60 percent said they were willing to pay more for such items, and 55 percents said they make a concerted effort to patronize retailers with a green reputation.

Also, 40 percent of consumers said they checked the country of origin on potential gifts, with almost a third of them using that information to decide against a purchase. It seems China's bad rap finally caught up to consumers, because about 79 percent of those decisions not to buy an item involved products from China, and toys were involved more than half of the time.

Although spending may not be at an all-time high, this survey shows that shoppers are being more contemplative about what to buy and what retailers they choose to frequent. If this is trend is truly on the upswing, as it seems to be, businesses that want to attract the more eco- and socially-conscious shoppers must continue to increase and market their environmental initiatives, as well as carry products that are kinder to the environment.

The 2007 Annual National Shopping Behavior Survey by KPMG was designed and conducted by The Gordman Group, which randomly telephoned 815 shoppers.