The Sunday Times magazine has a long feature on the rise and rise of ethical shopping:
Supermarkets know that there is a groundswell of opinion among consumers concerned about green and ethical issues. In a recent survey, the market researchers Mintel predicted that, this year, British shoppers would spend £2 billion on organic, fair trade and locally sourced products, an increase 62% since 2002. The same survey also found that the fair-trade market alone is predicted to be around £230m by the end of the year, doubling to£547m by 2011. Planting the flag to say “we care the most” could give retailers a big competitive advantage.