The world of retail is vital to the UK’s economy. As one of the nation’s largest private-sector employers (with as many as five million employees as of 2021), it is crucial for supplying goods, providing essential services, and catering to the need of local communities. However, with such an impact, the retail industry is also responsible for tackling the growing threat of climate change.
Nowadays, going green isn’t a niche trend; it’s a necessity. By becoming a sustainable retailer, you can establish your brand’s image, appeal to an eco-conscious customer base, and reduce the impact of your business’s environmental footprint. But how can retailers make the switch to sustainability and do it effectively?
In this article, we will explore several tactics and strategies retail owners can take to go green and do so effectively. From developing a sustainable business strategy and switching to greener packaging alternatives to embracing digitisation and being energy efficient, we outline several ways that you can become a sustainable retailer – keep reading to find out more.
Develop A Sustainable Business Strategy
Before embarking on your sustainability journey, it is essential that you look at your current organisational objectives, identify areas of improvement, and use your findings to develop a more sustainable business strategy.
Depending on your organisation, you might opt for minor goals achievable over a specific timeframe, like switching to an entirely renewable energy source, or choose actions that can be implemented immediately, like using eco-friendlier packaging alternatives.
However, before retailers can activate these changes, retail businesses need to identify their areas of improvement first. They can work towards implementing greener changes in various ways, from consulting with stakeholders/employees and creating a plan to setting realistic goals and tracking their progress.
On the other hand, they may also enlist the services of consultants like 1ovmany, who can work alongside them to identify areas of improvement and create a plan to address them. Consider visiting their website and see how their services could help retailers develop a sustainable business strategy. Or contact them directly for specific inquiries.
Think About Waste
It’s no secret that retail organisations generate hundreds of units of waste daily, from unused packaging to excess inventory. However, much waste requires many human resources to dispose of it properly. Therefore, retail businesses must source the proper waste management solution for the type/amount of waste they produce – both for the planet’s and the consumer’s benefit.
For the most efficient waste management solutions, retail businesses must consider waste across every step in the production line – and not just at disposal. Thankfully, there are hundreds of steps retailers can take to help reduce waste from the source, from shifting from one-use carrier bags to reusable and reducing packaging waste to providing relevant staff training and upgrading inventory systems.
No matter how proactive retail businesses are in their waste management and disposal processes, the retail industry will always produce waste. However, being invested in how waste is created, managed, and disposed of goes a long way in protecting the planet and reducing overall business costs in the long run.
Embrace Digitisation
With as many as 57.10 million social media users in the UK alone, digitisation was a niche for many businesses; now, it is necessary for survival. However, as well as helping attract customers, increase brand recognition, build customer loyalty and many other benefits – it is also an excellent way to reduce your business’s carbon footprint.
Technology can help retail businesses achieve sustainable organisational objectives, from monitoring environmental performance and adopting energy-efficient lighting to utilising cloud-based inventory systems and digital receipt systems. Embracing technology in retail is imperative for ensuring that the need for printed materials is minimised and encourages a shift toward digitisation.
Plus, technology partners nicely with some of the other eco-friendly organisational goals on this list, like the order fulfilment process. For instance, by utilising a cloud-based inventory system, retailers can easily see what stock they have left over and fulfil orders according to this information, which they can then package with green packaging alternatives for an optimised, eco-friendly order fulfilment process.
Partner With Like-Minded Businesses
Across the UK, many organisations have made going green a part of their brand image, so much so that it’s challenging not to align the same values to any company they collaborate with. Due to this, if retailers want to increase their sustainability efforts, it’s best to collaborate only with like-minded businesses which share your eco-conscious approach to amplify your impact.
Whether by joining forces to create a sustainable product or by partnering on joint initiatives like community clean-ups or green development showcases, partnering with like-minded businesses allows retailers to take advantage of shared connections, resources, and much more which can help their sustainable business strategy overall.
