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The message is clear: more and more consumers around the world opt to buy from brands that are prioritizing sustainable retail.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In fact, nearly\u00a0<\/span>50% of consumers\u00a0<\/span>globally are choosing to buy from brands with a clear commitment to sustainable retail. Many customers are happy to invest in\u00a0<\/span>sustainable retailers, but going green is about more than just conserving energy or using longer-lasting light bulbs. Sustainability gives you an opportunity to better connect with your customers, and while having a zero net energy store might not be within grasp just yet, there are smaller steps you can take.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s why we\u2019re covering sustainable\u00a0<\/span>retail trends\u00a0<\/span>and their importance, how to make your retail business more sustainable, and real-life examples of brands that are achieving sustainability success.\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get started.\u00a0<\/p>\n Not sure if it\u2019s worth investing in a more sustainable retail store?<\/p>\n Introducing sustainability into your retail business is not a requirement. Nowadays, however, if you want to reduce the negative impact on the environment\u00a0<\/span>and<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>attract and retain the growing number of consumers and employees who are socially conscious, taking steps to make your retail business more sustainable is crucial.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Deloitte:\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, Forrester released its\u00a0<\/span>inaugural environmental sustainability Predictions report, and the trends are clear to see:\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s a moral imperative to these changes, but there\u2019s also a business imperative. Consumers are driving businesses toward sustainable change, and if your business isn\u2019t promoting a genuine sustainable retail agenda, consumers will find a business that does:<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just consumers: According to Esker,\u00a0<\/span>76% of US employees\u00a0<\/span>say sustainability in the workplace is more important than ever, clearly showing why sustainable retail is important at every level of your business, including\u00a0<\/span>employee retention.<\/p>\n Wanting to develop a more sustainable retail business and actually achieving sustainability are two different things. However, here are some actionable strategies for making your retail business more sustainable:<\/p>\n Let’s take a close look at each of these sustainability-driven initiatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n If your business consumes a lot of paper, one of the easiest ways to cut back is by emailing receipts. Not only will you save resources, your customers will likely appreciate having one less piece of paper to handle. According to\u00a0<\/span>The World Counts, there are 420 million tons of paper and cardboard produced each year, and more than five million acres of forest are cut down in an average month.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eliminating paper receipts not only helps reduce a business\u2019s carbon footprint, it ensures that receipts aren\u2019t later discarded as waste.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Going paperless can create efficiencies, help you automate more of your business processes, and offer your customers better security. Transitioning to digital receipts is a great first step toward going paper-free. It also allows you to use the valuable real estate on digital receipts to make more sales. Include links to your website and social media platforms on your receipts, plus news about upcoming events and promotions.<\/p>\n Receipts aren\u2019t the only way to save paper. Rather than using paper calendars, try using a digital calendar tool like\u00a0<\/span>Calendly\u00a0<\/span>or one of the\u00a0<\/span>Shopify appointment booking apps\u00a0<\/span>to schedule appointments with clients and maintain employee schedules. Sign up for paper-free statements for your banking and financial needs, and send invoices via email to your customers. You\u2019ll be surprised how little effort it takes to reduce your paper consumption.<\/p>\n Customers care about how their products are made and they want to know that you care, too.<\/p>\n Manufacturing can produce a lot of waste, and you can make a move toward sustainability by monitoring your\u00a0<\/span>retail supply chain.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you make any of your own goods, audit your waste and look for ways to use recyclable or reusable products in the manufacturing process. If you purchase and resell premade goods, ask for transparency from your vendors about issues like labor practices, safety conditions, pollution, and waste. There are no industry standards on disclosure, so it\u2019s up to you to be proactive when obtaining this information.\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to reducing physical consumption, consider switching to less wasteful energy consumption. Here\u2019s an area where going green helps you save serious money. Energy costs are continuing to rise, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that the average electricity bill rose from\u00a0<\/span>14.7\u00a2 per kilowatt hour in July 2022 to 16.8\u00a2 per kilowatt hour\u00a0<\/span>in July 2023.<\/p>\n Contact your utility suppliers and ask that they conduct energy audits on your store, suggesting ways you can lower usage. A quick way to get started is to switch to LED light bulbs, which use less power. You can also look into solar options for powering lights and other electronics.<\/p>\n Lowering your thermostat seven to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day reduces consumption by 10%, according to the\u00a0<\/span>US Department of Energy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Turn off your computer, copier, and printer\u00a0<\/span>when you leave for the day. And be sure to get your employees on board with your energy mission, appointing a \u201cgreen team\u201d or energy advocate to monitor usage. Simple behavioral changes provide no- or low-cost energy savings opportunities.<\/p>\n In addition to selling customers new items, look for ways you can help them recycle old or worn-out goods.<\/p>\n For example, Eileen Fisher stores feature a\u00a0<\/span>Renew\u00a0<\/span>project that collects, repairs, and resells used company-brand clothing and donates the proceeds to nonprofit organizations that benefit women and children.<\/p>\n Outdoor brand North Face has a\u00a0<\/span>Renewed Take-Back\u00a0<\/span>scheme, which collects used clothing and gives customers $10 off a purchase. Items are repurposed into products like insulation, carpet padding, stuffing for toys, and fibers for new clothing.<\/p>\n Nike\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Reuse-A-Shoe\u00a0<\/span>(one of its many\u00a0<\/span>sustainable retail initiatives) collects used shoes that are recycled into material used to create running tracks, playgrounds, and courts.<\/p>\n If your business sells items that replace old goods, consider offering to collect items that can be repurposed or donated to someone who can use them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Sustainability is of growing importance to consumers, so be sure to share your mission and work with your customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n You\u2019re not just tooting your own horn: you\u2019re giving customers an opportunity to further their own sustainability efforts by supporting a business that cares about the environment, community, and future.<\/p>\n If you stock various brands in your retail store, one way to make your business more sustainable is to buy only products from brands that follow sustainable business practices.<\/p>\n For example, when orders are shipped to your store, do they come in recyclable packaging? Do the brands tell you about their goals to reduce environmental impact and waste? Are the materials or ingredients used to make products sustainable? These are great questions to ask before you decide to stock a new brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fashion services like\u00a0<\/span>Rent the Runway\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>Nuuly\u00a0<\/span>let customers rent merchandise from a range of brands, leading to less consumption and waste, and reduced negative environmental impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shoppers can\u00a0<\/span>pick a plan\u00a0<\/span>or sign up for a\u00a0<\/span>clothing rental subscription\u00a0<\/span>to have a certain number of products delivered each month. When they\u2019re done, they can send them back and choose another set of products or (depending on the business) skip a month.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here you can see the environmental savings Rent the Runway has achieved with its rental business model.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rather than buying all new\u00a0<\/span>product displays\u00a0<\/span>or in-store decorations, consider buying second-hand or vintage, or fixtures made from recycled materials. Whatever you can do to reduce, reuse, refurbish, repair, and recycle will contribute to sustainability in retail.\u00a0<\/p>\n Second-hand, resale, or vintage products are popular among conscious consumers for two main reasons. Buying pre-used clothing means the environmental impact of the purchase is lower, and second-hand clothing is generally more affordable. Shoppers can feel good about their purchase and buy products they might have not been able to afford new.\u00a0<\/p>\n The second-hand business model doesn\u2019t make sense for all retailers, but even if you\u2019re not a second-hand retailer, there might be ways you can incorporate this\u00a0<\/span>sustainable retail strategy\u00a0<\/span>into your business.<\/p>\n For example, set up a buy-back program in which you accept returns on previously purchased items to be resold, repaired, or recycled into new products. You can also collaborate with\u00a0<\/span>resale platforms\u00a0<\/span>to sell buy-back items second-hand.<\/p>\n Creative reuse, or upcycling, is when you transform waste materials, byproducts, or unwanted merchandise into new materials or products. It reduces textile and cloth waste by repurposing gently used fabric or deadstock.<\/p>\n Next time you have leftover fabric, samples, or stock, rather than dumping it, look into ways to upcycle it. Whether it\u2019s reused to create new products you sell in your store or sold or donated to another company that can repurpose it into completely new products, upcycling helps reduce waste.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, when I had a\u00a0<\/span>clothing brand, at the end of each season, I had rolls of deadstock fabric and sales samples left and no use for them. Overbuying some materials is inevitable, but instead of dumping the fabric and samples, I donated them to\u00a0<\/span>Materials for the Arts, a creative reuse center, where they were repurposed into costumes for theater companies.<\/p>\n Retailers and brands in the fashion, home design, and beauty industries use\u00a0<\/span>digital showrooms\u00a0<\/span>to make the sales and buying process easier for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rather than scheduling buying appointments in your physical showroom or at trade shows, with virtual showroom software, brands can showcase their collections and retail buyers can visit at their convenience and place orders, all within one platform. And, depending on the digital showroom service provider, brands can create virtual or 3D samples to sell from.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is a more sustainable and cost-effective option for several reasons:\u00a0<\/p>\n McKinsey and Company found that products making sustainability-related claims accounted for 56% of all growth over the past five years. With transportation accounting for\u00a0<\/span>14% of the global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Gitnux, finding ways to reduce your carbon footprint in shipping and logistics will help the environment and your revenue streams.\u00a0<\/p>\n Your business could reduce its carbon footprint by changing last-mile deliveries to electric vehicles, scooters, or bicycles, and using parcel lockers or third-party logistics (3PL) centers to improve the sustainability of order fulfillment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Download The Future of Shipping and Logistics Report<\/p>\n We\u2019ve collected global, data-backed insights from hundreds of businesses and thousands of consumers to get the full picture of what\u2019s in store for 2023, as well as the strategies and products your business needs to succeed over the next year.<\/p>\n Get the report\n<\/p><\/div>\n Every year, the ecommerce packaging market produces approximately\u00a0<\/span>10 million tons of CO2 equivalent. Considering 60% of respondents to McKinsey and Company said they\u2019d pay more for a product with sustainable packaging, it\u2019s important to reflect on how you can make your product wrapping recyclable, compostable, or reusable.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the environmental impact is bigger than consumer demand.<\/p>\n Product packaging is the main source of ecommerce emissions. It\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>five times higher\u00a0<\/span>than purchasing products in-store.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n To implement this tip, start looking into recyclable or compostable shipping supplies and reusable product packaging.\u00a0<\/p>\n Offering carbon neutral shipping options is another great way to build sustainability into your retail store.\u00a0<\/p>\n Empowering your customers to select these options at checkout helps them feel like they are part of your sustainability efforts by choosing the environmentally friendly shipping option.<\/p>\n For example,\u00a0<\/span>Shop Pay\u00a0<\/span>will help communities plant trees with every checkout to offset the environmental impact of shipping.<\/p>\n These types of programs can have a positive impact on the environment and your conversions.<\/p>\n More apps that enable carbon neutral shipping:<\/strong><\/p>\n Use a few of the recommendations above to build a sustainable retail strategy, then communicate your goals internally to your team and externally to prospective and existing customers. This will help hold your business accountable, and can also influence a shopper\u2019s decision to purchase from your store.\u00a0<\/p>\n Keep your messaging simple, and communicate your sustainability progress with customers.<\/p>\n As part of conscious fashion brand Ganni\u2019s environmental responsibility efforts, it strives to use sustainable materials for its in-store displays and decor. This includes recycled plastic podiums, product displays, seats made from scrap plastic leftovers, second-hand stools, upcycled single-use plastic containers, and zero-waste wood flooring.\u00a0<\/p>\n The brand also doesn\u2019t let any stock go to waste. It upcycles unsold clothing by partnering with SOEX, a recycling company in Germany, to recycle materials for reuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n Popular LA-based sustainable fashion brand Reformation sells clothes that are both eco-conscious and trendy. But it\u2019s also making an impact on the environment with its Green Business certified sustainable retail stores. There are six total in Platform, Melrose, Vintage Melrose, Santa Monica, Fillmore, and Valencia.\u00a0<\/p>\n The retailer uses strategies to improve energy savings, water efficiency, resource stewardship, and reduce CO2 emissions. Some of this includes using LED lights and recycled fabric insulation to save energy. It also calculates its construction footprint, and aims to offset store builds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Levi\u2019s is minimizing its environmental impact not only by educating customers about the benefits of using their clothes longer (wearing a garment for just nine months longer can shrink its carbon footprint by 30%), it\u2019s also helping customers extend the life of their Levi\u2019s clothes by repairing and recycling clothes at the company\u2019s Tailor Shop.<\/p>\n Additionally, in 2020, Levi\u2019s launched its first buy back program, called Levi\u2019s SecondHand. Customers can give back their jackets and jeans at retail stores in exchange for a gift card that can be used to buy second-hand jackets and jeans on Levi\u2019s second hand marketplace.\u00a0<\/p>\n This household brand has been around for over 150 years, but it stays current with modern sustainability initiatives. Some of these include:\u00a0<\/p>\n While Simons offers customers the latest trends in clothing, accessories, and home d\u00e9cor, sustainability is another trend that is getting the brand attention. In 2018, the retailer opened the first zero net energy store in Quebec City, Canada.<\/p>\n Using industry-leading technologies to eliminate its carbon footprint, the store was designed to generate as much energy on-site as it annually consumes. The 80,000-square-foot space, which was formerly a Target, is powered by solar energy, and heated and cooled using a geothermal system that regulates temperature by tapping into the energy of the earth, improving energy efficiency by 60%.<\/p>\n Simons may be setting a high bar, but retailers of all sizes can take steps to become more sustainable by focusing on practices and products.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t expect you to implement all these sustainable retail practices right away (or ever), but hopefully you\u2019re thinking more about how you can take small steps to make your business more sustainable.<\/p>\n As you\u2019ve learned, it will not only bring you respect and loyalty from customers, it can help you save money and resources. Plus, you\u2019ll contribute to reducing the negative impact retail and ecommerce can have on the environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n \ufeffThis post was originally written by\u00a0Stephanie Vozza and has been updated by Alexis Damen.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In retail, sustainable means operating in a manner that is socially and environmentally responsible, taking into account the long-term impact on the environment, local communities, and global economy. This includes reducing waste, minimizing energy consumption, and utilizing renewable resources. It also means sourcing and selling products that are made with sustainable materials, produced in a way that is not harmful to the environment, and transported in an eco-friendly manner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sustainability is important in the retail industry because it allows businesses to protect the natural environment, reduce their energy and water usage, and provide better working conditions for their employees. It also helps retailers protect their resources and save money by reducing waste and using more efficient processes. Additionally, sustainable practices help retailers build trust with their customers, as it demonstrates a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Examples of sustainable practices include: using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower; utilizing energy efficiency measures like LED lighting and insulation; sourcing locally-produced food and materials; practicing water conservation; conserving natural resources through recycling and composting; and reducing waste by reusing and repurposing materials.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe importance of sustainable retail: stats and trends<\/h2>\n
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How to develop a more sustainable retail business<\/h2>\n
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1. Go paperless<\/h3>\n
![\"image](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/image2_22560410-b678-468b-aa64-16984d44ad7f.jpg?v=1695319069\")
<\/p>\n2. Cut waste out of your manufacturing process<\/h3>\n
3. Look for clean energy options<\/h3>\n
4. Recycle old goods<\/h3>\n
5. Be transparent<\/h3>\n
6. Source sustainable brands and products\u00a0<\/h3>\n
7. Explore the rental business model\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"stats](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/image1_5a6cb0dd-6f5f-45af-b4ee-885947840488.jpg?v=1695319302\")
<\/p>\n8. Use refurbished or recycled materials for in-store displays and d\u00e9cor\u00a0<\/h3>\n
9. Sell second-hand or set up a buy-back program\u00a0<\/h3>\n
10. Upcycle or donate unsold stock or samples<\/h3>\n
11. Reduce waste and costs with digital showrooming and sample making\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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12. Find ways to reduce your carbon footprint in shipping and logistics\u00a0<\/h3>\n
13. Invest in recyclable, compostable, or reusable product packaging and shipping supplies\u00a0<\/h3>\n
14. Give customers the option to choose carbon-neutral shipping options<\/h3>\n
![\"shop](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/image9_18a0b9f5-2099-485c-b3a7-3229bb1dd62a.jpg?v=1695319571\")
<\/p>\n15. Set sustainability goals and stick to them\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Examples of sustainable retailers<\/h2>\n
Ganni uses innovative materials in-store and upcycles unsold stock\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"Ganni](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/Ganni_brand.jpg?v=1644962755\")
<\/p>\nReformation aims for greener retail stores\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"Reformation](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/Reformation_brand.jpg?v=1644963851%0A\")
Levi\u2019s extends the life of its products with repairs, recycling, and its SecondHand program\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"Levi's](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/Levi_s_brand.jpg?v=1644964041\")
<\/div>\nKiehl’s<\/h3>\n
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![\"Kiehl's](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/Kiehl_s_brand.jpg?v=1644964081\")
<\/p>\nSimons<\/h3>\n
![\"Simons](\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1246\/6441\/files\/Simons_building.jpg?v=1644964138\")
<\/p>\nEnhancing your sustainable retail business<\/h2>\n
Sustainable retail FAQ<\/h2>\n
What does sustainable mean in retail?<\/h3>\n
Why is sustainability important in retail industry?<\/h3>\n
What is sustainable example?<\/h3>\n