A consulting firm advised Filipino exporters to create sustainable products and services for the younger generation using social commerce amid the rising trend on sustainability practices.
Hungry Workhorse founder and chief executive Rey Lugtu said in a webinar that 73 percent of millennials were engaged in the business-to-business buying process.
Lugtu said this trend was also applicable in the business-to-consumer environment where there was a growing number of Gen Z and millennials making their purchase decisions.
“Gen Z and millennials are a bigger buying force right now among consumers. We have to listen to them. Based on several studies, these generations look for brands that are about sustainability, so think about sustainable packaging and sustainable and green deliveries,” he said.
The study found that more consumers wanted to buy from green retailers and have items shipped by green providers.
“To gain customer loyalty from eco-conscious consumers, like the younger generation, you need a lot of creativity. Sellers need to create sustainable practices for their international strategy,” Lugto said.
The consulting firm underscored the importance of giving customers a green shipping option at check-out, using paper or recycled packing, or offering products from recycled materials.
The green packaging and green delivery using sustainable materials has been a growing trend, especially among the younger consumers.
The study said the growing number of online marketplaces, buying opportunities and cross-border e-commerce purchases led to the e-commerce boom.
“The nature of cross-border ecommerce is it is now technology-enabled. Apart from B2C, the global B2B e-commerce market is also growing,” Lugto said.
He also advised exporters to update their websites, be present and active in social media and onboard new payment options.
“You even need to localize the website, there has to be automatic translations capability for your website. So updating the website is the single biggest thing that you can do now immediately for your business,” he said.