At Printed by Us, we’ve spent nearly a decade building a retail model that places the planet, people, and purpose at its heart. Over the years, we’ve celebrated growth, expanded our reach, and helped create meaningful opportunities for those who need them most. Yet, this past Christmas season was our most challenging in years—a stark contrast to the steady progress we’ve made.

This forces us to ask hard questions.

Are we seeing a retreat from ethical consumerism?

Is the value-action gap—the disconnect between people’s values and their actual behaviour—widening in the face of global uncertainty?

How does a growing sense of hopelessness about the future shape these decisions?

Or do we simply need to reflect on whether our brand’s offer is still compelling and relevant in today’s marketplace?


The Value-Action Gap: A Persistent Challenge

The value-action gap remains one of the most significant challenges for businesses like ours. It’s the space between what people say they care about—sustainability, fairness, social responsibility—and what they actually do.

There are many reasons for this gap. The perceived higher cost of ethical products can be a deterrent, as can a lack of convenience or awareness about the impact of individual choices. But there’s also a deeper, psychological layer to this issue. In a world where we are constantly reminded of climate disasters, social inequalities, and systemic injustices, many people feel powerless. This sense of powerlessness erodes the belief that individual actions can make a difference, leaving even the most committed consumers paralysed or defaulting to easier, less ethical choices.

This isn’t just about those struggling financially. Increasing uncertainty in the world affects everyone, even those who could afford to shop more ethically. The daily barrage of bad news influences behaviour, often subconsciously, as people opt for comfort or convenience over conviction. Ethical consumerism relies on a sense of agency—the belief that individual choices matter—but in uncertain times, that belief is harder to sustain.


A Difficult Season

For Printed by Us, the Christmas season is typically a highlight of the year—a time when customers seek out meaningful gifts that create real impact. But this year was different. Sales were harder to come by, and the connection we’ve built with our community felt more tenuous.

We must acknowledge that this may not be a temporary dip but part of a larger trend. As the world feels increasingly overwhelming, many people retreat into what feels manageable or comforting, even if it runs counter to their values. This Christmas season highlighted the urgent need to bridge the value-action gap and reignite belief in the power of ethical consumerism.


A Personal Reflection

I’ve felt this struggle myself. For years, I’ve worked to align my actions with my values, striving to make choices that contribute to a more sustainable future, including maintaining a plant-based diet. I know the environmental and ethical impact of the food I eat, yet my weakness for chicken wings at lunchtime often wins out. It’s not just about convenience—it’s a moment of surrender in a world where the problems feel so much bigger than me.

Similarly, I’ve been procrastinating over buying an electric bike. I know it would reduce my carbon footprint and improve my health, but taking that step can feel futile when every headline seems to scream that our planet’s life support systems are collapsing. These small personal battles may seem insignificant, but they reflect the same challenges we see more broadly: a struggle to stay motivated and aligned with values in a system that often feels overwhelming.

There’s a name for this feeling: doom fatigue. It’s the exhaustion that comes from feeling like no matter what we do, it won’t be enough. In this context, a creeping sense of “what the f*ck, we’re all going to die anyway” can start to feel almost rational.


Challenging Hopelessness with Active Hope

At Printed by Us, we know that challenging this narrative of hopelessness requires more than just optimism. It requires active hope—a process of taking meaningful action, even in the face of uncertainty, to align with the future we want to create.

We’re inspired by the ongoing outstanding support shown for our parent charity, the Archer Project, as a real-world example of active hope in action. Despite receiving no statutory funding, the Archer Project continues to grow its impact, largely thanks to hundreds of small, consistent donations from local people. Each of these acts, small on their own, collectively creates transformative change. This grassroots generosity serves as a reminder that individual actions, when combined with others, are far from futile—they’re powerful.

Active hope reminds us that while the problems we face are systemic and require systemic solutions, individual actions still matter. Not only do they contribute to the collective effort for change, but they also keep us motivated and aligned with our core values within a system that often runs counter to them.

By fostering a sense of agency and encouraging small, consistent steps, we believe we can help bridge the value-action gap. Together, we can reframe the narrative from one of despair to one of possibility.


Bridging the Gap

Despite these challenges, we’re committed to adapting and finding ways to close the value-action gap. Here’s how we plan to move forward:

  • Understanding Our Audience

This year, we’ll embark on a comprehensive customer insight project to better understand what drives and inhibits ethical purchasing. By listening to our customers, we aim to refine our approach and address the barriers they face, ensuring we remain relevant and responsive to their needs.

  • Doubling Down on Impact

Every product we sell supports people on their journey to employment and independence. We’ll continue to share these stories in a way that inspires and motivates our community, showing that their purchases directly contribute to positive, tangible change.

  • Challenging the Narrative of Hopelessness

Through active hope, we’ll work to counter feelings of powerlessness by demonstrating how small, individual actions collectively add up to significant change. By reframing ethical consumerism as an act of resilience and defiance against a broken system, we aim to re-empower our audience.

  • Collaborating for Change

We will prioritise partnerships with local, independent organisations that share our values. Aligning with like-minded collaborators strengthens the ecosystem of ethical businesses, ensuring that resources, knowledge, and audiences are shared. These partnerships are rooted in our community and reflect our commitment to championing fairness, sustainability, and independence, which are critical in countering the dominance of mass-market, low-cost competitors.

  • Innovating to Stay Relevant

We’re exploring ways to diversify our product range to appeal to a broader audience while maintaining our ethical standards. This includes developing co-produced products in collaboration with other ethical and independent organisations. These collaborations not only enrich our offerings but also create opportunities for shared storytelling, mutual support, and the amplification of values-driven businesses.


A Call to Action

This isn’t just about Printed by Us—it’s about the kind of world we want to create.

Ethical consumerism remains one of the most accessible ways to drive change, but it requires collective belief and action.

We understand the pressures and uncertainty people face. But every purchase, every choice, every moment of effort matters. Together, we can push back against the tide of apathy and create a future rooted in hope and action.

Thank you for continuing to support Printed by Us on this journey. Let’s make 2025 a year of recommitment to the values that matter most.


Terry Murphy

Managing Director, Archer Project Enterprises

Comments

  • Margaret Gray said:

    Exceptional article with complete insight & understanding of the world as it is at the moment.
    We must all hope for that human nature can adapt to change & see just how capitalism & greed is damaging the planet.
    Well done Terry & thank you.

    January 28, 2025


Leave a comment

×