Das Leben der LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability)
LOHAS are people who pursue an ethically correct consumption and lifestyle that is geared towards health and sustainability. There are three main components that LOHAS pay attention to when shopping and consuming. Firstly, the progressiveness and innovation of products. LOHAS like to try out new products and value a solution-oriented approach. This aspect is a particularly important criterion for start-ups when generating new innovations in order to reach LOHAS with their products.
Another building block in the lives of LOHAS is environmental, health and consumer awareness, which is responsible for the fact that this generation of consumers prefers products that are good for the environment and the climate and are not produced under catastrophic social conditions. This generation is also prepared to spend more money for this. This point also plays an important role for companies – a high willingness to pay on the part of potential customers gives you scope for genuine sustainability innovations, even if they have to be sold at a higher price.
The third component that describes the lifestyle of LOHAS is social commitment. LOHAS like to take on social responsibility and also expect this from their employer. They also show above-average motivation, both privately and at work. This is a factor that should not be underestimated, as a start-up project often stands or falls on the personal commitment of the team.
You are not alone – a growing community
LOHAS include people whose lifestyle is characterized by at least two of the three building blocks (progressiveness and innovation, environmental, health and consumer awareness and social commitment). According to the Trend Report Green (TdW 2011), around eleven million people in Germany belong to this group. This makes LOHAS the key target group, especially for founders who want to enter the market with sustainable innovations and operate according to sustainable development criteria.
However, there is also a great deal of potential here for companies that have so far paid little attention to sustainable business practices. Not every company has pursued a consistent sustainability strategy from the moment the first foundation stone was laid. The potential can also be discovered retrospectively and processes can be corrected.
I am a LOHAS, I am educated and solvent
In the international study “Green Appetites” (RSA 2009), 1,000 people in nine different countries were asked about their attitudes towards sustainability. The results show that women in particular are open to the topic. This also applies to Germany. Around two thirds of the sustainable target groups in Germany are women. Another finding of this study is that LOHAS have a high level of education. They are employed and have an above-average income. More recent studies, such as GfK’s “Consumers Choice” survey from 2013, also confirm this trend.
For a good reason – a lifestyle with purpose
According to the “Green Appetites” study, there are many different reasons why LOHAS value sustainable products when shopping and prefer them to conventional products. Respondents were allowed to give a maximum of three reasons. The most frequently cited reason, at over 80 percent, was to make a personal contribution to environmental and climate protection. More than 55 percent still follow this lifestyle in order to live healthier. Almost half of those surveyed live this lifestyle for a better conscience.
Others want to campaign for fairer working conditions or support companies that operate responsibly. But of course there are also people who only buy sustainable products because they are increasingly available, or because they are “in” at the moment and they feel socially recognized as a result.
Figures, data, facts – value-oriented shopping is all the rage
Purchasing decisions are increasingly being made on the basis of a value-oriented understanding, which means that the LOHAS group is constantly growing. This is also shown by developments in the German retail sector in recent years. In 2013, for example, the organic food sector achieved a growth rate of over seven percent – an increase in turnover of over 50 million euros compared to the previous year. For fair trade products, the growth rate in the same year was as high as 21%.
If you compare this trend with the sales development of the general retail sector, which increased by a good one percent in the same period, the relevance of value-oriented consumption becomes clear. Consumers are attaching increasing importance to sustainability.
LOHAS – a target group for my product?
The LOHAS target group should not be underestimated when developing products and founding start-ups. With around eleven million people and a high purchasing power, LOHAS are one of the most important target groups and offer enormous potential – for start-ups and for existing companies. Responsible companies are rewarded for their commitment and enjoy a high level of trust. For companies, this means that investing in the environmental and social compatibility of their products and services is worthwhile both now and in the future.
