Independent research has revealed the majority of North American consumers prefer paper receipts over digital alternatives. The research—conducted by global polling company Toluna—surveyed 2,508 consumers across the US and Canada, finding that 71% of respondents prefer paper receipts over digital alternatives and 77% in the US believe paper receipts are more practical for returning goods.
Seventy percent (70%) of US consumers and two thirds (64%) of Canadian consumers surveyed said they were concerned that giving retailers their personal information, such as email and postal addresses, put them at a greater risk of being hacked. Many (62% of US and 61% of Canadians) were also worried that their transactional history may be used for unsolicited marketing activity.
Despite an overwhelming preference for paper receipts, many consumers are concerned about paper’s impact on the environment, but underestimate the impact of digital receipts: 56% of US / 55% of Canadian consumers believe digital receipts are better for the environment; and 49% of US / 44% of Canadians surveyed believe that sending emails has no environmental impact at all.
The study finds, in reality, total emissions generated by worldwide emails is estimated to be 300 million tons of CO2 a year: equivalent to the annual emissions of 63 million cars. On balance, “Sustainably managed forests breathe for the Earth, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. By storing carbon generated from fossil fuels, forests help to regulate the global climate: absorbing nearly 40% of fossil-fuel emissions.”
Seventy percent (70%) of US consumers and two thirds (64%) of Canadian consumers surveyed said they were concerned that giving retailers their personal information, such as email and postal addresses, put them at a greater risk of being hacked. Many (62% of US and 61% of Canadians) were also worried that their transactional history may be used for unsolicited marketing activity.
Despite an overwhelming preference for paper receipts, many consumers are concerned about paper’s impact on the environment, but underestimate the impact of digital receipts: 56% of US / 55% of Canadian consumers believe digital receipts are better for the environment; and 49% of US / 44% of Canadians surveyed believe that sending emails has no environmental impact at all.
The study finds, in reality, total emissions generated by worldwide emails is estimated to be 300 million tons of CO2 a year: equivalent to the annual emissions of 63 million cars. On balance, “Sustainably managed forests breathe for the Earth, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. By storing carbon generated from fossil fuels, forests help to regulate the global climate: absorbing nearly 40% of fossil-fuel emissions.”
