Consumer Market Research

The LOHAS consumer is hard to pin down demographically. However, it is possible to track trends and spending to find out where LOHAS consumers are headed in the market. By looking closely at specific parts of the Green Marketplace, businesses can begin to anticipate the needs of consumers and speak to them more successfully.

Below is some information about how to access more in-depth research through large marketing companies who devote themselves to examining the LOHAS marketplace.

Make sure to also take a look at current press releases.

The Natural Marketing Institute

The Natural Marketing Institute is a strategic consulting, market research, and business development company specializing in the health and wellness marketplace. If you’ve got the money to invest in marketing research, this is the place to do it. Here’s a sampling of what you can find at NMI:

NMI 2005 Health and Wellness Trends Report purports to be NMI’s "most dynamic and all-encompassing consumer report ever, containing six years of consumer health and wellness trends." A hard copy of this report costs $4,500 and an electronic version (which includes a hard copy and Word document, as well as access to charts and permission for internal usage) is $7,500.
www.nmisolutions.com/r_hwt.html

Organic Consumer Trends Report. Based on a 2,000-consumer household study, this report provides behavioral and product usage analysis of organic consumer groups, as well as projections of the size and growth of the organic marketplace, using four years of trends. A hard copy will cost you $3,000 ($5,000 for an electronic copy).
www.nmisolutions.com/r_organic.html

Some information from former Organic Consumer Trends Reports can be found for free in the Industry Statistics and Projected Growth report put out by the Organic Trade Association.
www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html

Understand the LOHAS Consumer Report Series
This series of reports focuses on different consumer trends every year. The 2005 report topics are: Food and Beverages, Personal Care, Green Building, and Energy Efficient Electronics and Appliances. Past years’ topics have included Household Cleaning Products, Hybrid Vehicles, and Media Influence. Hard copies of each report cost $1,500.
www.nmisolutions.com/r_lohas.html

Fair Trade Trends Report

The Fair Trade Trends Report, produced every two years by the Fair Trade Federation, reports on sales of Fair Trade, as well as trends in labeling and certification, product sourcing, advocacy, and more. Fair Trade sales in North America increased by 44 percent from 2001 to 2003, mirroring a growth in the LOHAS market as more consumers enter the Green Marketplace. The 2005 Fair Trade Trends Report will be available by the end of this year, and can be purchased through the Fair Trade Federation (www.fairtradefederation.org). A copy of the report will cost $50, or $15 for students.
http://www.fairtradefederation.org/2003_trends_report.pd

The Green Gauge Report

The Green Gauge Report is a database of consumer attitudes based on 2,000 interviews with consumers. The report, which focuses on environmental issues, has come out every year (except 2005) since 1991. The Green Gauge Report was put together by marketing firm RoperASW, which is now part of Gfk Groups, Inc., a global marketing company. The report is available for purchase through their website.
www.gfkamerica.com/products.asp?go=product&key=119

Hartman Group

www.hartman-group.com
The Hartman Group is a full-service consulting and market research firm specializing in the health and wellness marketplace; each year they conduct studies on consumer behavior in the wellness market, in addition to putting together customized studies upon request. Reports are available for purchase through the Hartman Group website; most cost between $750-$2,000.

Their wide-ranging list of studies and reports (www.hartman-group.com/products/reports.html) focuses on wellness trends and consumer behavior. The latest report, "Shopper Insights: How Cultural Occasions Frame the Consumer Experience," (www.hartman-group.com/products/studySI.html) examines cultural and social influences in shopping experiences, and how those experiences connect with larger cultural and social influences.

The Hartman Group website also offers insight into the Hartman Model (www.hartman-group.com/research/model.html) of understanding consumer behavior as well as guidance on developing a Cultural Brand (www.hartman-group.com/consulting/branding.html) to connect with LOHAS consumers.

The Hartman Group Report: A Consumer Perspective for Sustainability (www.hartman-group.com/products/reportsustain.html), prepared specifically for Co-op America in 2003, presents qualitative research on consumers' attitudes and behavior with respect to products with sustainable values. It elaborates on the Hartman Model of consumer behavior, cultural branding, and consumer motivation in respect to purchasing sustainable products. This 100-page report is available for purchase through Co-op America’s Green Business Network™ by contacting Tish Kashani.

Socially Responsible Investing Trends Report

www.socialinvest.org/areas/research/trends/sri_trends_report_2003.pdf
The "SRI" Trends Report, produced biannually by the Social Investment Forum, looks closely at the world of Socially Responsible Investing, which accounted for $2.16 trillion of investments worldwide in 2003. Though this may be of less use to businesses than to financial institutions, it does represent a growing part of the LOHAS economy, and signals that consumers are beginning to think with more complexity about how their money is invested and spent. The 2005 SRI Trends Report will be available online later this year through the Social Investment Forum (www.socialinvest.org).

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