Why do we need transparency?

The desire for transparency in purchasing among an ever-growing group of people is relatively recent. Just a few years ago, far fewer people questioned where a product came from and how it was made. You could also say that people simply believed more and trusted (!) the claims on packaging and in adverts. But the world, and consumers with it, has moved on.

If it is not clear from a product whether the manufacturer wants to be transparent, where can you find the necessary information? How can you avoid investing hours and hours in research when all you want to do is buy a tube of toothpaste?

Read labels and recognise trend words It is always surprising how many consumers do NOT read the labels of the goods they want to buy. This is the quickest way to find a large amount of information, including ingredients, the country of production, batch numbers, control numbers and the number of the manufacturing company. You can also quickly recognise trendy words if you pay attention to them and pictures of pretty farms or apple trees no longer automatically tempt you to buy with a good feeling if you are aware of the possible influence.

There are also more and more practical apps on the market that provide information about products, their safety and carbon footprint at a glance - a practical and efficient resource for anyone who wants to know more.

Find the dealer you trust In the age of the internet, the incentive to buy from the same retailer again and again is decreasing. Loyalty to a brand and a retailer is a good way for customers to have a say. Since the age of social media at the latest, consumers collectively have the power to directly influence the actions of a brand. Contact with the retailer is even more direct - because a good and transparent retailer will endeavour to meet the wishes of its customers. And the more customers ask for transparent and ethical products, the more likely they are to offer them and remove others from their range. Together, customers and retailers can make the biggest difference and support a transparent approach by manufacturers with every franc spent.

What is important to retailers is even more important to manufacturers. Every manufacturer listens to its customers, but its products are only sold if the retailers on site or on the Internet stand up for the manufacturer and its products. Retailers, the link between consumer and manufacturer, have the responsibility to be so important to the manufacturer that the manufacturer must listen to the retailer. And the retailer communicates to the manufacturer what he hears from the customer. A smart consumer can influence much more than he thinks by being loyal to a retailer!

Stay curious Almost no consumer, retailer or even manufacturer knows every aspect of how a product is made, from the raw materials to the packaging. It is therefore all the more important to remain curious and ask questions. Is perfume labelled on the shampoo bottle, but the ingredients are not listed? The retailer knows more or gets an honest answer from the manufacturer. A soap smells so strong that the fragrance lingers in your nose for a long time, unlike natural fragrances? A quick online search provides information about the ingredients. Asking questions creates security and ensures transparency.