30% of consumers choose eco-friendly brands
Some 30% of consumers chose brands that showcase environmentally-friendly practices or values. nShift, the global leader in parcel delivery management, argues that the true leaders in the retail industry will be those who combine tech prowess with a significant focus on sustainability.
In its latest white paper, “Retail 2022: When technology & sustainability meet”, nShift explores how retailers can implement greener strategies and practices into their business and showcase these to their customers. Illustrated with real-world examples throughout, the paper looks at:
- How to utilise popular tech trends to become greener – many of the tech-enabled retail trends to have gained traction in the last decade can help retailers improve their carbon footprint. These include:
- Ship from store - using physical real estate to fulfil online orders to local customers, rather than relying on solely shipping direct from warehouses
- Automation in delivery – increasing efficiencies, and reducing packaging and delivery costs
- Click and collect – reducing the need for home delivery vehicles
- Electrification of retail fleets - replacing fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles with electric or biofuel-powered versions
- Sustainability protocols for retailers to consider in 2022, including:
- Invest in greener property - improving energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in stores
- Set science-based targets – committing to following science-based targets to reduce carbon footprint
- Consider the full scope of emissions – make improvements in line with scopes one to three of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Corporate Protocol Standard
- Five key considerations for retailers looking to become greener:
- Combine tech and sustainability strategies
- Be a good global citizen
- Track the trends
- Make incremental gains
- Offer customers sustainable delivery options at the checkout
- How six top retailers are combining tech and sustainability to form a new type of customer proposition in retail. For example:
- Tesco’s partnership with Loop to provide reusable packaging for its customers
- Boots’ Scan2Recycle service, enabling shoppers to exchange used beauty product packaging for loyalty points
- Co-op’s consumer electronic recycling service
- Asda’s partnership with musicMagpie, enabling customers to recycle old mobile phones for financial reward
- Sustainable-production-as-a-service business Fugeetex, which provides a returns service that combines tech and sustainability goals
- Timberland’s provision of greener delivery options at the point of sale online
“Sustainability sells,” says Lars Pedersen, CEO of nShift. “Consumers increasingly favour businesses that have environmental good practice running through their core. New generations of shoppers are changing their fashion choices based on a retailer’s carbon footprint, for example, and rebelling against those retailers that continue to ignore the impact their processes have on the health of the planet.
“While technology-sophisticated retailers emerged from the pandemic as winners,” he adds, “success in 2022 and beyond will depend on combining tech prowess with a significant focus on sustainability. This will require a rethink in terms of strategy, investment, and partnerships. Our white paper serves as a guide to achieving that.”
Click here to download a copy of “Retail 2022: When technology & sustainability meet”.
