Environmental Sustainability

Environmental activists repeatedly target the retail industry — and their message is important and effective. Carbon emissions, high energy usage, and plastic packaging can contribute to waste in retail supply chains, and retailers need to respond. While most retailers recognize the benefits of prioritizing sustainability, making organization-wide change is easier said than done. Many sustainability…

Every organization should be on an ever-evolving environmental, social and governance (ESG) journey. In this video, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kathleen Carroll, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Grainger, a leading business-to-business (B-to-B) broad line distributor. Carroll discusses Grainger's portfolio of environmentally preferable products (EPP), why the business focuses on environmental sustainability, and…

There's an urgent need to increase sustainable shipping practices among e-commerce retailers. Research shows e-commerce has grown two to five times faster than before the pandemic. And while this surge in online shopping has been positive for retailers, fulfilling these orders has material consequences for the environment. In fact, the World Economic Forum predicts emissions…

Ever since the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rules governing climate-related disclosures from all public companies on March 21, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting has become a necessary part for retail company corporate boards to address, especially in today’s environmentally and socially conscious world. Whether it’s understanding how the retailer is combatting…

In 2021, e-commerce boomed. Consumers spent $870.78 billion online last year, and according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), returns resulted in $761 billion in lost sales for U.S. retailers. As we near the halfway mark of 2022, retailers are getting organized around the holiday season to prepare for more online shopping, more delays and…

In episode 351 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Johnny Meagher, senior director of marketing, North America at Wrangler, the 75-year-old heritage American jeans and workwear company. Listen in as Meagher discusses Wrangler's recent launch of a sustainable jean collection for Earth Day (0:58), the role that sustainability plays at the retailer (3:17),…

We’ve all been talking about how shopping patterns and, therefore, shipping patterns have changed since 2020, but what we should really be talking about is the effect that those changes could have on the environment. According to a report from Freightwaves, the total count of final-mile delivery vehicles on the road could increase by 36…

In episode 348 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ali Mize, director of environmental and social governance (ESG), belonging and corporate philanthropy at Neiman Marcus Group, the portfolio of luxury brands including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Last Call, and Horchow. Listen in as Mize discusses the release of Neiman Marcus Group's first-ever ESG report,…

Following a successful pilot program, lululemon athletica is rolling out its "Like New" trade-in, resale program nationwide later this month, according to a company press release. The program helps extend the life of the product and "ensures each item gets its full use," the athleisure brand said Wednesday. Customers can trade in gently used lululemon…

Target is getting back into secondhand sales through a deal with resale company thredUP, reports CNBC. The big-box retailer confirmed Friday that it launched a page on thredUP’s website in late March that includes listings of women’s and kids’ apparel, along with accessories. Some items are from Target’s private labels, such as kids’ clothing brand Cat…