#178 - Sustainability: What the U.S. Can Learn From EMEA

#178 - Sustainability: What the U.S. Can Learn From EMEA

From Circana Unpacked by Circana

June 11, 2025 · 19 min · Episode 179

About this episode

This episode explores sustainability in the consumer packaged goods marketplace, comparing the U.S. with the UK and Germany.

For the past six years, Circana has collaborated with NYU's Stern Center for Sustainable Business to produce a report on sustainability in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketplace. While sustainability-marked products in the U.S. continue to gain share, their research shows that shares of sustainability-marked products are much larger in the UK and Germany. This episode dives into the comparison between the U.S., UK, and Germany, offering insights and inspiration for CPG manufacturers and retailers. Highlights: Many categories with low shares of sustainability-marked products in the U.S. have high shares in EMEA. U.S. manufacturers should revisit claims that matter to shoppers. A market leader moving to sustainability drives the trend for the category. Failing to do so opens the door for challenger brands, which could erode loyalty and share. In Europe, much of the increase in sales of sustainable products is driven by retailers. European retailers are incentivized to adopt sustainable practices, with regulations providing both incentives and penalties. European consumers consider the lack of sustainability to be a barrier to trial.

Topics covered

  • sustainability
  • consumer packaged goods
  • market comparison
  • retail practices

Keywords

  • sustainability-marked products
  • market trends
  • European retailers
  • consumer behavior

Mentioned in this episode

Places: U.S., UK, Germany, Europe

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