Emma Bocevski, Aideen Gallagher and Gene Pinter

To what extent are Australian consumers willing to compromise on price, time and material quality when purchasing sustainably produced books?

Keywords: consumer behaviour, consumer expectations, environmental risks, greenwashing, materiality, sustainable practices, sustainability initiatives, transparent reporting

Introduction

Amidst rising concerns regarding sustainable practice in the publishing industry, the driving factor in the cycle of production must be addressed: the consumer. Given consumer expectations and behaviours shape the processes of acquisition, production and distribution, understanding how they approach their purchasing decisions is critical. Using three case studies, we evaluate how Australian book consumers comprehend and enact their buying power in sustainable consumption.

It has been conclusively shown by Gilmour that consumers in high-income industrial countries value sustainable goods. A 2024 survey by PwC Global additionally found that public attitudes toward climate change have led consumers to report both prioritising sustainability when making purchasing decisions, and a willingness to pay more for a sustainable alternative. However, studies such as that by White, Hardisty and Habib have identified a gap between this reported intention and reality. Environmental concerns must therefore be weighed against competing consumer values such as price, convenience and material value.

When it comes to consumer values in the context of the book industry, studies have investigated which features of a book are most likely to influence a consumer’s purchasing decision. A 2025 survey of Australian readers by Wright, Lennox and Mata found that, other than an interest in the author or content, publicity and word-of-mouth recommendations have the greatest influence on book-buying behaviour. Leitão et al. also found that the look and feel of the book is attractive to consumers. Conversely, Wright, Lennox and Mata concluded that Australian consumers considered high prices to be the most likely reason for not completing a purchase.

Currently, there is a gap in the literature regarding the specific intersection of sustainable purchasing habits, the book industry and the Australian market. Gilmour, for instance, considers only how consumers respond to the price increase of a sustainable book in the UK market. Little data exists on how Australian consumers value sustainability specifically in publishing, or how this is ranked against other competing product considerations.

Case study: retail industry research

This case study analysed recent industry reports on consumer attitudes and behaviour concerning sustainability in the retail trade. A specific focus was given to the fashion industry as a comparable trade to publishing.

International consumers

Globally, sustainability is considered a priority for consumers, and this concern is rising. The 2024 GlobeScan Healthy & Sustainable Living report highlighted that since 2023–2024 there has been a 3% increase in participants reporting that they feel greatly affected by climate change, and a 14% rise since 2020. However, this increase is relative to consumers’ concerns about the rising cost of living.

The 2023 Forest Steward’s Council Global Consumer Recognition Study reported that 35% of participants ranked climate change as the most worrying global issue, compared to 47% who identified economic hardship as their highest priority. This tension is mirrored in the PwC 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey. While 46% of participants reported buying more sustainable products, this contrasts with 85% of participants who identified that climate change is having a significant impact on their lives.

An explanation of the gap between climate change concern and sustainable purchasing decisions can be found in the 2022 OECD Sustainable Consumption Survey. While 65% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they were willing to compromise their current lifestyle (including consumption behaviour) to protect the environment, 63% agreed or strongly agreed that if government policy was introduced to tackle this, the cost should not be passed on to the consumer.

Australian consumers

Reflecting these global trends, Australian consumers are broadly receptive to pursuing climate change action, but this willingness to alter their purchasing habits is heavily dependent on both global and local economic fluctuations. Between 2023–2024, the ACRS Retail Sustainability Spotlight found a 5% drop in consumers reporting that sustainability is the most important factor when making a retail purchase. In the Simon-Kucher 2021 Global Sustainability Study, while 83% of Australian participants report a change in their consumer behaviour due to climate change, only 60% report that they intentionally purchase sustainable products.

Fashion industry

There have been shifts within the fashion industry toward valuing sustainable practice, although these too are relative to economic concerns. McKinsey’s 2025 State of Fashion Report highlighted that although sustainability was in previous years a high priority for executives, it has downgraded in 2025 in favour of focusing on brand differentiation, the use of artificial intelligence, and improving economic factors. This change in priorities is reflected in consumers. While the thredUP 2021 Resale Report predicted that the more sustainable resale industry would grow fivefold in the next five years, their 2025 report found an increase of USD $86 billion rather than the estimated USD $600 billion.

Case study: online survey

An online survey of 53 respondents was used to collect data regarding consumers’ attitudes towards book sustainability and how this influences their purchasing decisions. The survey link was circulated via email among the RMIT Master of Writing and Publishing cohort and on social media. All participants were located in Australia and were required to be 18 years of age or older.

Of the 53 respondents, 52 (98%) were tertiary educated, 41 (77%) were female, and 37 (70%) were aged between 25–34. While this respondent sample is not representative of the Australian population, a 2016 survey from Macquarie University and the Australia Council for the Arts found that Australian readers are more likely to be tertiary educated, female, and aged 30–59. This suggests that the data collected, while skewed, reflects a significant consumer segment.

Reading habits

Respondents were asked where and how many books they purchase in a year. The majority (55%) responded that, on average, they purchase seven books or fewer in a year. Most respondents still purchase their books in person, at either an independent bookstore (62%) or a chain retailer (53%). Only three respondents purchase their books from ‘exclusively online retailers’ only.

Respondents were then segmented based on the average number of books they purchased in a year. Those who purchase on average eight or more books per year (classed ‘active consumer’) were separated from those who purchase on average fewer than eight books per year (classed ‘other consumer’).

Attitudes towards sustainability

Respondents considered the issue of sustainability in the book industry to be a critical issue. When asked: on a scale of 1–5, how important do you believe it is for the publishing industry to be sustainable? 83% ranked it as either (4) very important or (5) extremely important.

When asked why, responses focused on the imminent threat of climate change, the duty of industries to do whatever possible to help mitigate its effects, and a desire from consumers to spend their money on goods they considered ethical.

'Global warming is a bigger issue than ever. So much waste is produced by major industries, including the publishing industry which has either burned or dumped books and book-making materials'–female respondent, age 25–34

'The planet is in danger, so everyone just do whatever they can, including book publishers'–male respondent, age 25–34

'I want to spend my money on sustainable products'–non-binary respondent, age 25–34

Response to changes in price

Respondents were asked: between $19 and $39 AUD, how much do you expect the 'sustainable' book to cost? The control book was priced at $19 based on the 2024 average sale price of a book in Australia according to Books+Publishing. The majority of respondents (58%) expected the sustainable book to cost at least $8 more than the alternative. However, when asked what the maximum price is they would be willing to pay for the sustainable alternative, only 47% of respondents were willing to pay at least $8 or more. Meanwhile, a majority of active consumers (54%) expect the sustainable book to cost at least $13 more than the alternative. However, only 29% of active consumers were willing to pay at least $13 or more.

Response to a difference in materials and delivery time

Respondents considered the material quality of a book to be somewhat important. When asked to rank on a scale of 1–5 how important the feel and quality of a book is when making their purchasing decision, 72% of overall respondents and 67% of active consumers considered it moderately important or less.

Respondents were then asked a scenario-based question regarding their preference between two books. They were told that the sustainable book appears to have inferior material quality than the alternative. A majority of overall respondents (72%) preferred the sustainable book. Active consumers showed a similar pattern, with 79% opting for the sustainable book despite a drop in material quality.

When asked a similar scenario-based question, respondents expressed a preference for sustainability over quicker delivery times. They were told that, while a regular book will take up to 7 days to arrive, a sustainable book will take up to 21 days. A small majority of overall respondents (58%) preferred the sustainable book. Active consumers expressed a clearer preference for the sustainable alternative, with 71% opting for the sustainable book despite the longer wait.

Case study: focus group

To obtain consumer attitudes towards sustainability in the publishing industry, two in-person focus groups containing a total of 10 participants were conducted.

In order to gain accurate and appropriate information relevant to the Australian publishing industry, all participants reside and work in Australia and are over the age of 18. Participants A-D are involved in a neighbourhood book club, while Participants E-I are involved in a friends’ book club. Three were aged between 18–24, two between 25–34, two between 45-54 and three between the ages of 55-64. This group was highly educated, with all but one participant having completed a tertiary degree. Of the 10 participants, 7 identified as female, 2 identified as male and 1 as other.

Reading habits

When asked the question: on average, how many books do you purchase a year? participants questioned whether e-books and audiobooks should be included in their answer. When digital media was incorporated, Participants A, B, C, D, E and H noted the additional purchase of 5–20 digital books per year alongside physical books. When asked the question: how many books do you read a year? those same participants acknowledged online consumption as a more common occurrence.

When asked if they read physical or digital books more often, 7 of 10 participants responded ‘digital’ though 3 of those participants felt guilty about that answer. Participant B noted that they ‘don’t like not being able to pass a book on’ when they read digitally. The reasoning behind choosing digital over physical books related predominantly to accessibility and being time-poor. In terms of keeping physical books, most participants noted they would keep books with meaningful value to them.

Purchasing decisions

Participants had multiple answers when asked where they purchased their books, with Amazon, Kindle and Audible being mentioned by 8 out of 10 participants. Participant B noted that when they buy from Amazon, they ‘feel guilty so [they] also purchase from independent bookshops.’ Participant A and I also echoed this passion for supporting local bookstores, noting that they consider independent bookshops first and purchase from them if convenient. Half of the participants also voiced that they bought from department stores such as Big W and Kmart.

When asked what influences them to buy a book, participants’ answers were in line with one another. Specific details included ‘how cool it is’ (Participants E and F), the style of the cover (Participants B and C), reviews and recommendations (Participants A, B and D) and wanting to continue a series or personal interest (Participants E, G, H, I and J).

Participants’ answers were similar when asked: when you’re physically in a bookstore, what draws you to certain books? Participants A, C and D identified that reviews would attract them, while Participant F, H and I noted the allure boiled down to the cover design and if it was ‘pretty’. Participant B said in response to this question that they were drawn to everything, noting that being inside a bookstore was ‘one of my favourite things in the world’.

Answers were split when asked: if a book is not immediately available, what may influence you to wait for its arrival? Participants A, D, E, F, and I answered more ambivalently, with Participants A and E saying that they had never been in that situation. Participants B, C, G, H and J stated that they would wait because it was important to them.

Only 1 participant of all 10–Participant E–answered that they would buy the more expensive, sustainable book over the cheaper, non-sustainable alternative. When asked: what is going to influence your purchasing decision? participants A, B, D, F, G, H, I and J all responded that they would choose the cheaper one. Participant A believed there were other ways to make it sustainable like passing the book on while Participant H questioned what the difference would be between a sustainable and normal book and ‘would have to know how it is sustainable before making the decision.’ Similarly, Participant C indicated that they ‘don’t believe that it’s 20 bucks of value to make it sustainable.’

When asked the factors stopping them from buying sustainable products in general, participants answered that they either had ‘their own filter’ (Participant A) and actively tried to (Participants B, C, D), or that their issue was price (Participants E, F, G and I) or transparency and the ‘knowledge of if it’s sustainable or not’ (Participants E and F). One participant discussed their disillusionment with ‘greenwashing’.

To the question: how important do you believe it is for the publishing industry to be more sustainable? 6 out of 10 participants responded that it was important. Participant C said ‘it’s important for us all to be’ with Participant I similarly expressing that ‘if the publishing industry can do it easily then why not?’ Participant E answered that it was both an economical and ethical matter and questioned the processes involved. The remaining four participants stated that they had never thought about it.

Findings

Sustainability is highly valued by consumers. While studies from the fashion and retail industries suggest an overall decrease in how consumers value sustainability, our survey results show a different trend. This is possibly due to the differing nature of consumer segments.

Price

Our results indicate that Australian consumers have the intent to pay a higher price for a sustainable book, however, there is a disparity between this intention and enacted behaviour. This is predominantly due to the price of the product being considered of equal or greater importance to consumers' choices. While consumers expect sustainable books to be more expensive, the premium they are willing to pay is lower. Survey results indicate a limiting price ceiling of $35, being $16 more than the $19 alternative. Focus group participants echoed this sentiment, with only 1 out of 10 indicated a willingness to purchase the $35 sustainable book.

• We suggest further research into the specific elasticity point and change in consumer demand in response to an increase in the price of a book in the Australian market. Constraints of cost-of-living pressures and fluctuations should be taken into consideration.
• To justify a price increase and provide transparency, the Australian book industry should consider developing an independent body to verify a universal sustainability standard and communicate this information to consumers. Examples found within other industries provide insight into the successful incorporation of sustainability regulation, such as the Forest Stewardship Council or Fair Trade certification method.

Material Quality

Whether consumers are likely to compromise on the appearance and feel of a book will depend on their reason for purchasing it. Active consumers who regularly purchase new books value sustainable production more than the physical attributes of the book.

• Publishers should note that consumers are attracted to books manufactured using environmentally sustainable methods and materials.
• Publishers may consider generating and marketing a sustainable edition of pre-existing books.

Time

Quick and easy product availability comes at a cost to the environment. Our findings suggest that, when provided the option, consumers purchasing a physical book are likely to compromise on the convenience of rapid delivery, while those who are time-poor are likely to purchase e-books and audiobooks.

• Publishers should further explore ways to leverage the accessible nature of e-books and audiobooks. Digital media allows for an opportunity to amend the established expectation of quick delivery.
• Publishers should market sustainable alternatives—such as slow and sustainable local delivery or print on demand orders—and therefore capitalise on consumer preference.

With the provision of transparency and economic consideration from publishers, Australian consumers are willing to compromise on established expectations to allow for the production of sustainable books.