Consumers’ environmental awareness towards children’s furniture in Shanghai and Shenzhen, China

China’s rapid economic growth has increased consumers’ disposable income evidently. With the improvement of living standards, Chinese people have increasingly concerned about their life quality, especially when buying consumable commodities like food, toys and clothing as well as durable goods like furniture for their children. In the past 10 years, the Chinese children's furniture market has developed rapidly, making up 9% of total furniture market in China in 2010. However, the children under 14 years old only account for 16% of the total population in China (The present market…China 2012). The disproportion between low market share and high population rate presents a tremendous potential market for furniture producers to develop the children’s furniture industry. Along with people’s intensified environmental consciousness, more and more Chinese parents have realized the growing importance of healthy and eco-friendly products, e.g., furniture, to children’s growth. Despite some studies on the role of the lifestyle of health and sustainability (LOHAS) and the environmentally conscious consumerism in China (Dagevos et al. 2011, Sirieix et al. 2011), there is a lack of research on the analysis of consumers’ environmental awareness towards children’s furniture in China. The purpose of this study is to contribute to filling this gap. In the empirical part, the survey was conducted with a quantitative approach and data were collected using a structured questionnaire in a sample of 320 consumers of 20-60 years old in two coastal metropolitan cities of China (Shanghai and Shenzhen in China) from December 2012 to January 2013. The data reveal 67% of females and 33% of males of 299 valid sample respondents. Since 63% of respondents were in the age group of 31-40 years old and 23% were in the range of 20-30 years old, the data set represents fairly young urban population. Results indicate that 83% of respondents chose solid wood as the primary raw material for children’s furniture. From the Chinese consumers’ perspective, natural, non-poisonousness and scentless material, adoption of environmental certification and verification of legal origin of wood are five key attributes of eco-friendly furniture. And the choice of eco-friendly children’s furniture is connected to consumers’ lifestyle of health and sustainability. Results also indicate that respondents with higher education had better knowledge and stronger awareness of environmental protection and sustainable lifestyle, and respondents with higher income were less price-sensitive and more aware of sustainable lifestyle. Although environmental awareness has increasingly become an important concern among Chinese consumers, they have low brand awareness and their price expectations on solid wood furniture are below current market levels. Despite these concerns, Chinese children’s furniture presents a growing high-end market potential for both furniture producers and wood raw material suppliers.