Stories About Retail
Found 218 stories. Page 1 of 11.
More Major Retailers Are Saying ‘Forever Chemicals No More’
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING - To paraphrase Voltaire: “With great market power comes great responsibility.” Retail market leaders are setting the pace in the transition to safer chemistry in their products and packaging. Their actions add up to saying, “Forever chemicals no more.”
Sustainability Drove Us to Buy Less This Holiday Season
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - As retail sales reportedly fell for the first time in 25 years, with particularly weak holiday sales, new research reveals that a new conscientiousness may be a central cause — with sustainability-concerned consumers buying less.
New Retail Platforms Aim to Take Waste Out of Online Clothes Shopping
WASTE NOT - As we enter the season of giving — and the season of returns — two new, next-gen online retailers aim to address the rampant clothing waste inherent in e-commerce; and reward users for donating their used, unwanted clothing.
SB Oceans: Can Better Business Save Our Seas?
COLLABORATION - Over the course of three action-packed days, the inaugural Sustainable Brands Oceans (14-16 Nov) in Porto, Portugal convened a stellar lineup of business leaders laser-focused on saving the ocean while there’s still time. Here’s what we learned from some of the practitioners and storytellers …
Trending: Partnerships Laying More Groundwork for Circular Plastics Economy
THE NEXT ECONOMY - The US’ biggest beverage companies have invested into ensuring they get ‘Every Bottle Back’ for recycling; Bluewater is helping Londoners ditch single-use bottles; and SC Johnson and Plastic Bank are broadening the Social Plastic ecosystem.
Chilean Startup Eliminating Packaging Waste, ‘Poverty Tax’ in Latin American Product Market
THE NEXT ECONOMY - Algramo’s unique, refillable packaging system allows customers to buy as much or as little of a product as they want, in reusable containers, with no difference in the price per gram — then recycles all packaging at the end of its life.
Meet the Latest 12 Startups Set to Change Fashion as We Know it
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Innovations in garment fitting, recycling, intelligent machinery and a virtual garment marketplace are among the 12 new innovations joining the latest Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator Programme.
Purpose at Work: How Brandless Creates Community by Making Better Stuff Available to All
THE NEXT ECONOMY - Communicating your brand’s purpose is vital to creating emotional connections with your customers. But it must be done authentically and in line with your overall brand positioning, story and tone of voice.
THESIS: TSC’s Newest Way to Track Retail Suppliers' Sustainability Performance
SUPPLY CHAIN - Heads up to retailers and suppliers: The Sustainability Consortium has moved its measurement and reporting system over to a new platform. What does this mean for retailers, and their suppliers? And will it offer more assurance to consumers?
Report: Food Giants Capitalizing on Consumers’ ‘Appetite for Disruption’
FINANCE & INVESTMENT - $5.3 trillion investor coalition reports on how global food companies including Tesco, Carrefour and Nestlé are responding to consumer demand for alternative proteins
Report: 66% of Consumers Want Influence in Product Creation Process
COLLABORATION - Findings underscore growing importance of technology and consumer feedback in product development process.
How Your Company Can Tackle Toxics in 2019
WALKING THE TALK - Brands should take note of a new retail sustainability trend that responds to growing consumer demand for healthier products and full ingredient disclosure.
Trending: Lush, M&S, Nestlé Accelerate Plastic-Free Strategies
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING - The work to clean up our plastic mess continues with new initiatives from more major brands.
Why Online Retailers Are in Danger of Losing the 'Retail Wars'
THE NEXT ECONOMY - It’s a conflict which threatens to change the way we eat, shop and live. But unless you pay attention to the business pages, you may not have heard of the “retail wars.” For the uninitiated, ‘retail wars’ is the name given to the intensifying conflict between online retailers and their more traditional, physical counterparts over an increasingly crowded retail space.
The New Black: How New Breed of Consumers Will Spend Money, Energy This Friday
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - During this season of giving, many of today’s more discerning consumers won’t be joining the masses scrambling to answer the siren call to stock up on discounted “stuff” — they’ll be remembering the values meant to be at the heart of this season, by taking REI’s advice to #OptOutside to enjoy nature and giving back by cleaning up; and when they do shop, they’re increasingly basing their loyalty and purchasing decisions on companies’ reputations rather than just product features and price.
McGill University's Bensadoun School to Shape Sustainable Future of Retail
THE NEXT ECONOMY - On Friday, Montreal’s McGill University announced the opening of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) — a hub for students, researchers and practitioners to work collaboratively towards bringing retailers into the 21st century. An interdisciplinary, forward-looking school dedicated to all facets of the retail industry, its research and programming will focus on fostering sustainable consumption and healthy societies.
Iceland's Banned Ad Had the Potential to Democratise Sustainability
MARKETING AND COMMS - The news last week that the Christmas advert from Iceland — a UK supermarket chain specializing in frozen food — has been banned is a bad decision. Iceland’s advert — a repackaging of a short, animated film by Greenpeace released earlier this year with a powerful, consumer-friendly sustainability message — shows a brand that is trying to do good work by improving its impact on the world.
#NewMetrics18: The ROI of Sustainability Strategy — and 6 Ways to Get There
NEW METRICS - Last week at Sustainable Brands’ New Metrics ’18 conference in Philadelphia, PA, over 300 delegates from brands, NGOs, strategists and practitioners across sectors gathered to share their latest tools and findings regarding measuring the risks and impacts of previously unmeasured forms of value, the newest credible tools and solutions for assessing the ROI of Sustainable Business.
REI Co-op continues commitment to sustainability by hosting 11 used gear swaps across the country on Oct. 27
PRESS RELEASE - "Our commitment to used gear is part of our broader effort to offer affordable, sustainable gear to our customers," said Peter Whitcomb, REI director of new business development. "Swapping gear is a fun way for our members to connect, get the gear they need, and sell or trade what they no longer use – all while helping to keep products out of the landfill." The events are free and open to REI members and one guest. Individuals looking to sell gear do not need to be an REI member, but are asked to pay a $20 fee for table space. Event proceeds will be donated to a local outdoor nonprofit in each city. Learn more here.
Member Spotlight: Ann Starodaj of Optoro connects the dots on transforming retail waste, attracting top talent and achieving professional fulfillment
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - Ann Starodaj (@AnnStarodaj), director of sustainability at Optoro, spoke with us recently to discuss her passion for promoting sustainable consumption, how Optoro’s software solutions enable this for clients, and how leveraging a strong appetite within the business to measure product impact is helping her expand the sustainability team. Keep reading to learn more about the inspiring army of changemakers Ann is seeing in the marketplace, her desire to collaborate with members on reverse logistics, and the insights she gained as a pastry chef before diving head long into sustainability.