Times and trends are changing rapidly. Nowadays, sustainability and green initiatives are the centers of attention. The Planet is hurting and the retail industry is definitely part of the problem. That’s why conscious customers expect more from brands and retailers.
In this article, we are going to talk about green retailing and see why it is necessary to adopt more green initiatives to save the environment and satisfy customers. However, it might not be as easy as expected to adopt green retailing. Let’s see why.
What is green retailing?
Green retailing is defined as an environmentally friendly management approach that focuses on providing and delivering goods to consumers without jeopardizing the safety of the environment. To put it in other words, green retailing is all about selling products to shoppers while also caring about the environment.
Green retailing involves environmental protection to improve the retail chain through the elimination of waste. This leads to improved production and distribution. Of course, 100% green retailing is impossible to achieve, but it is important to try to be “as green as possible”.
The struggle to make it green and greenwashing
While it might seem easy to change from plastic packaging to an eco-friendly alternative or to reduce the carbon footprint, green retailing is much more complex than that. Even some of the biggest, most well-known companies have a hard time keeping their promises when it comes to cutting carbon.
Many brands claim to have cut their carbon emissions by 100%, while the truth is that they haven’t even reached 40%. Apart from not making an effort to impact the environment positively, these brands are also losing the trust of their customers. By mentioning that they are going green without actually keeping their promise, these companies are practicing greenwashing.
Greenwashing is a practice in which brands promote their products as being eco-friendly when they are not or promote their green initiatives without taking action. Unfortunately, greenwashing has become a common issue since customers have started to care more about the environment. In an effort to get more customers, brands end up lying, instead of going greener.
Green retailing practices
1. Selling greener products
One of the best things you can do as a retailer is to provide more products that are sustainable and eco-friendly. Try to select brands that don’t make false claims about having eco-friendly products. Also, focus on products that don’t have plastic packaging or that have recycled packaging to lower the use of single-use plastic.
2. Provide recycling programs in-store
A great way to go green and encourage your shoppers to do the same is to provide recycling programs in your store. Customers can bring their plastic waste and receive a coupon for different products in your store or a discount.
3. Use Environmentally-friendly POP displays
When it comes to in-store promotions, many retailers and brands still use cardboard displays. A lot of these materials are not recycled and end up polluting the environment. One way you can avoid that and promote your products in an innovative way is to use a robotic POP display. Tokinomo is highly customizable and can be used for hundreds of campaigns.
4. Transportation Emissions Reduction
Increase fleet energy efficiency to make sure that you reduce the carbon footprint. Also, by using all-electric vehicles you can also ensure that you pollute less when you deliver products to your shoppers.
5. Try using solar panels
Finally, another way to go green is to use solar panels to reduce the use of electricity. Solar panels are easy to install and can help you save up a lot of energy and reduce costs. It’s a win-win for you and the environment.
These are just a few things that you can do to make your business a bit greener and the world a better, less polluted place. Customers are expecting more from retailers when it comes to protecting the environment. That’s why it’s important to step up your game and implement these best practices as soon as possible. Don’t forget: Green retailing is always going to be trendy!
