Environmental Sustainability

Sustainability figures into the buying decisions of growing numbers of customers. That’s obvious to everyone from Kroger to H&M. Less obvious has been how artificial intelligence (AI) — poised to reshape many business processes — will play a role in retailers’ ongoing drive for sustainability. It’s early days, but so far AI’s impact on sustainability…

As the holiday season approaches, retailers are gearing up for what is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year. One trend that's steadily gaining momentum — and for good reason — is the move away from plastic gift cards and to digital. The gift card industry is massive. In 2021, an estimated $171…

“Hot enough for you?” That was the common refrain during the summer of 2024. The excessive heat gave retail facilities managers and sustainability directors another stark reminder of the challenges they face to improve energy efficiency and meet sustainability requirements. It's all the more reason a robust energy management strategy is critical. Fortunately, there’s some…

The retail sector continues to face mounting pressure to meet higher standards of social and environmental responsibility. A recent survey found that over the next three years, 90 percent of organizations intend to ramp up their investments in ESG in response to both regulatory pressures and growing consumer preferences for sustainable products. Seventy-three percent of millennials now…

Retail companies everywhere know that sustainability is a necessity in business today. And yet, a study showed that at the end of 2023, roughly 40 percent of North American senior sourcing managers ignored sustainability in their operations. Furthermore, 37 percent were unaware of sustainability-related legislation impacting their business. As the business case for sustainability becomes…

In episode 462 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lauren Benton, general manager, U.S. at Back Market, a verified refurbished technology marketplace. Listen in as Benton provides an overview of the business (1:00), its process for sourcing quality used devices (1:55), and Back Market's first Impact Report showcasing its sustainability efforts (3:55). She…

Environmentalist Jay Westerveld coined the term "greenwashing" in 1986 while visiting Fiji. The hotel he was staying at had a policy that urged guests to reuse their towels to “save the environment,” but he ultimately uncovered it was to save on laundry expenses. Now, in the age of social media and information overload, brands even…

Globally, private brand sales are soaring. According to Nielsen IQ, in the U.S. alone these brands now comprise 17 percent of all retail sales. But when it comes to sustainability, particularly for packaging, the picture is a little murkier. Retailers’ private brand product managers tend to focus on the bottom line for differentiation to steal market…

Archive, a branded resale technology platform, recently partnered with New Balance to launch in-store trade-in at nearly 100 participating U.S. retail locations. As the natural progression of the New Balance Reconsidered program, which launched earlier this year, customers can now bring in their gently worn footwear to receive a voucher towards their next purchase at New Balance locations.…

Starbucks will pilot a reusable cup program in Petaluma, CA starting in August, the company announced Tuesday in a press release. Partnering with NextGen Consortium, a global consortium that aims to address the world's single-use food packaging waste by advancing the design, commercialization and recovery of packaging alternative, Starbucks will swap single-use cups for reusable…