From the food we purchase to the clothes we buy – or simply in turning off the news for a break – the average person has three instances a week where we'd just rather not know the full story.
New research found 48 percent of Americans feel like it's easier to adopt an "ignorance is bliss" policy when making purchases.
And if you've ever picked up a shirt at the mall and wondered whether it was made in a sweatshop, you can relate to the six in 10 (64 percent) Americans who feel guilty about various products they purchase.
From a pair of skinny jeans to the latest tech gadget, a new survey of 2,000 Americans – commissioned by The Grommet (http://thegrommet.com) – revealed 19 percent of Americans say they buy items they know might have been manufactured under questionable conditions.
Sixty-four percent of people feel guilty buying things that may not have come from the best places.
Having a product be more affordable than other options (64 percent) is the most common reason why survey respondents brush over the thought of purchasing products made under unethical conditions, followed by a good bargain (47 percent) and convenience (42 percent).
Men are more likely to put thought into where and how a product was manufactured (26 percent vs. 16 percent), but are still more likely to purchase a product that may have been manufactured under unethical conditions (29 percent vs. 15 percent).
People aged 18-24 are the most likely to put "a great deal" of thought into where items have been manufactured (29 percent), but are also the age group who is most likely to feel it is easier to adopt an "ignorance is bliss" policy (60 percent).
In addition, millennials are most likely to purchase an item knowing it may have been made under questionable circumstances (33 percent).
Country of origin (40 percent) and the components, materials and ingredients used (36 percent) are Americans' primary influences when making a purchasing decision.
Clothing (63 percent) and shoes (44 percent) are the two items most likely to be purchased regardless of the potentially questionable conditions under which they were made.
In terms of food that may have been manufactured under not-ideal conditions, eggs (34 percent) are the most likely to be purchased.
Shopping habits are most influenced by the price of an item (40 percent), which explains why 76 percent of Americans search for a discounted deal before purchasing an item.
“With the Internet, we’re all more able to know where a product comes from or who is behind the product, but that’s hard to do when you pick something up from a store shelf,” says Jules Pieri, Co-founder & CEO of The Grommet, a product discovery platform. “As more of us want to support companies that align with our own values, we’ve found that companies that are providing this information up front can be valuable for its community—and help them feel good about their purchases.”
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