International expansion, but not at the cost of sustainability

Four out of five consumers prefer to buy from environmentally friendly brands. Retailers that can track their supply-chain emissions as they grow will be well placed to reassure customers and regulators of their sustainability credentials.

Real and demonstrable action on sustainability

When you marry the size of the sustainability challenge to the volume of businesses looking at overseas growth, the issue becomes enormous. According to this report, some 87% of businesses that already trade internationally intend to expand further, with 33% looking to grow significantly. Of those that focus exclusively on their domestic market, 10% plan to grow internationally.

For multichannel and ecommerce retailers, successful international growth doesn’t only depend on having an efficient supply chain. They also need to be able to keep abreast of the carbon emissions it generates.

Pressure from regulators

Regulators are dialing up the pressure on businesses. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which will come into effect later this year, requires all businesses opening in the region to track and report on carbon emissions.

Three steps for sustainable expansion

However, there are things that retailers can do to manage carbon emissions at the same time as entering new markets. For example, they can:

1. Offer sustainable delivery options – many consumers are keen to select low- or zero-emissions last-mile deliveries, even if it means a longer wait. It’s important that retailers provide these options and ensure that they are clearly badged at checkout
2. Provide offsetting and donation schemes – shoppers may be happy to order internationally if there’s an easy way for them to offset the emissions through donating to a relevant scheme or cause
3. Provide updates on progress – today’s consumers are unimpressed by anything they deem to be an ethical gimmick. But retailers that are making real progress on reducing their emissions should keep customers informed of their achievements

Track carbon emissions with nShift

To do this effectively, businesses need a real and accurate read of their current emissions and to keep monitoring them as they implement their sustainability plans.

To help retailers meet this challenge, we’ve developed nShift Emissions Tracker. It helps retailers, ecommerce companies and warehouses calculate, record, and analyze greenhouse gas emissions for every shipment.

By collating all carrier data into one reporting tool with an easy-to-use template it provides retailers the ability to drill into shipping data, compile accurate reports, and identify quick wins for emissions reduction.

Get in touch with us to discuss how it can be used as a key part of your strategy to aid your international expansion in 2024 and beyond.