【Japan】[Sustainable Products Command Average 1.4x Price Premium] Survey Report on ‘Sustainable Consumption’ Among Luxury Consumers Released

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Editor’s Note

This survey reveals a significant premium sustainable luxury consumers are willing to pay, underscoring a key market shift. As Professor Kanie emphasizes, authentic communication about the people and processes behind products is now essential for building trust.

［サステナブルな商品の上乗せ許容額は平均1.4倍］ラグジュアリー消費者の「サステナブル消費」に関する調査レポートを発表
Survey Report Overview
  • Sustainable luxury consumers are willing to pay an average of 1.4 times more for sustainable products.
  • In-depth interviews were conducted with four sustainable luxury consumers.
  • Environmental political scientist Professor Norichika Kanie concludes: “For companies and brands to gain trust in sustainability, the ‘face’ behind the production background must be officially communicated.”
Who are the ‘Sustainable Luxury Consumers’ who spend over 1 million yen at once?

Regarding the amount they are willing to pay extra for sustainable consumption, questions were asked across four categories: “Beauty,” “Fashion,” “Jewelry & Watches,” and “Travel,” and the average premium multiplier for each was calculated. The results showed that “luxury consumers'” acceptable spending amount for sustainable products is an average of 1.4 times the current amount, remaining consistent regardless of category. The detailed report (paid version) includes specifics for each category.

In-depth Interviews with Four ‘Luxury Consumers’ Leading Sustainable Consumption

From the analysis group, four “luxury consumers” with different residences, age groups, and main consumption items were selected. Based on dialogues with each, the actual state of their engagement with sustainability was clarified and examined.

What Sustainable Advertising Expressions Resonate Now?

A comparative evaluation test of advertising expression samples was conducted with the aforementioned four “luxury consumers” who have different levels of sustainability engagement and consumption styles. They were shown four poster proposals promoting the company’s actual sustainability efforts to explore the optimal communication direction for each.

From the Intersection of Sustainability and Luxury – Can Brand Value Become ‘Personality’? Special Contribution by Environmental Political Scientist, Keio University Professor Norichika Kanie
“In the world of luxury, it is becoming central to brand strategy not only the quality of the product but also how it is narrated, presented, and empathized with to create ‘intangible value.’ Luxury consumers are already honing their sensibility to see through this daily. And to meet that discerning eye, companies themselves being trusted as a ‘personality’ can be said to be the new competitiveness of a brand. Through this survey, I felt that a brand’s sustainability efforts are synonymous with how the brand intends to engage with the world and the future.”

Norichika Kanie, Environmental Political Scientist, Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University.

Survey Overview
  • Survey Entity: Hearst Fujingaho Co., Ltd.
  • Survey Method: In-house survey (Web questionnaire)
  • Valid Respondents: 2,361 people. From these, 270 individuals who were interested in sustainability and had spent over 1 million yen at once (within the past year) were extracted. They were defined as sustainable luxury consumers and served as the analysis target for this survey.
  • Survey Period: Thursday, January 16, 2025 – Sunday, January 26, 2025
Full article: View original |
⏰ Published on: July 04, 2025