10.01.08
Shoppers Get Greener... And Look Deeper
It’s cool to save the planet, even if it costs more. Despite rising gas prices and the growing housing crisis, half of all shoppers are buying products that are good for the environment and a third are proactively looking for greener products in stores, according to a recent survey conducted by WSL Marketing.
Consumers are taking a closer look at a company's ethics. |
Another survey conducted by The Body Shop showed consumers are also increasingly interested in the specifics of a company’s business practices. The survey found that 76% of consumers are making more purchasing choices based on the corporate behavior and ethics of a company than they were five years ago, and 43% of those polled said that they make those purchasing decisions on a weekly basis.
According to The Body Shop survey, 70% of respondents cited quality of goods and trust in the brand as their criteria for buying a product; 39% said they purchase based on the ethical reputation of a company, while 38% said price and value is their criteria for purchase.
Shelley Simmons, director of brand and values initiatives for The Body Shop in North America, said consumers want “the story behind the product that assures them that the company has treated its suppliers fairly and that it has done its best to take into account its impact on the environment; and that perhaps someone has actually benefited from the sale of that product. The retail world is going to have to take notice of this powerful group of consumers. If they respond to the expectations of the eco-shopper everyone will benefit: customers, suppliers, the planet and the businesses themselves. It is a win-win for everyone.”
In concert with publishing the results of its survey—which included more than 9,500 consumers across the U.S. and Canada—The Body Shop launched a new initiative on Facebook to sign a “Together & Fair” Pledge to encourage shoppers to “think ethical” when making a purchase. By signing up, supporters make a commitment to tell at least one person a week about a new ethical product or service they have discovered.
“The power of the internet and word of mouth is huge,” Ms. Simmons continued. “We know from our findings that personal recommendations amongst friends, families and colleagues are extremely effective. Our instinct is that there are many more people out there who would make ethical purchasing decisions if they had the information easily at hand...Our new Facebook launch will encourage people to spread the word on retailers and businesses who are doing their best to support ethical initiatives that protect the planet and animals, stand up for human rights issues, support fair trade initiatives and make a positive difference.”
More info: www.wslstrategicretail.com, www.bodyshop.com
Odor Profiles To Help Detect Skin Cancers
According to new research from the Monell Center, Philadelphia, PA, odors from skin can be used to identify basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.
The findings, which were presented at the 236th meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), may open doors to the development of new methods to detect basal cell carcinoma and other forms of skin cancer, offering earlier diagnosis and improved screening capabilities. In addition, increased understanding of the chemicals related to skin odor could lead to development of more effective anti-aging skin care products.
Researchers sampled air above basal cell tumors and found a different profile of chemical compounds compared to skin located at the same sites in healthy control subjects.
Human skin produces numerous airborne chemical molecules—volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—many of which are odorous. Researchers obtained VOC profiles from basal cell carcinoma sites in 11 patients and compared them to profiles from similar skin sites in 11 healthy controls. Both profiles contained the same array of chemicals; the difference involved the amounts of specific chemicals. They plan to characterize skin odor profiles associated with other forms of skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.
To identify changes related to cancer, the researchers identified a normative profile for VOCs and determined whether this profile varies as a function of age, gender or body site.
In research published online last month in the British Journal of Dermatology, Dr. Michelle Gallagher and collaborators sampled air above two skin sites (forearm and upper back) in 25 healthy male and female subjects, who ranged in age from 19 to 79. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques, they identified almost 100 different chemical compounds coming from skin. The normative skin profile varied between the two body sites, with differences in both the types and concentrations of VOCs.
Aging did not influence the types of VOCs found in the profiles; however, certain chemicals were present in greater amounts in older versus younger subjects. The work provides the first comprehensive characterization of skin volatile organic chemicals at sites other than the underarm in people of different ages and genders. Previous studies of human skin had used either male or female subjects and had only examined one skin area.
Together, the two studies may help advance development of new methods to analyze skin for signs of altered health status. “Chemical biomarkers may eventually serve as objective clinical markers of disease if effective sensor technology can be developed,” said Monell analytical organic chemist Dr. George Preti.
Dr. Gallagher, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Preti’s laboratory at the time the research was done, currently is employed at Rohm and Haas, Spring House, PA. Also contributing to the work presented at the ACS were Charles Wysocki and Jae Kwak of the Monell Center, Steven S. Fakharzadeh and Christopher J. Miller of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Andrew I. Spielman and Xuming Sun of New York University College of Dentistry and Chrysalyne D. Schmults of Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center.
More info: www.monell.org