Retailers begin to give consumers the sustainable products they crave

Retail Gets Real episode 216: How retailers can incorporate environmental concerns into business practices

As we celebrate Earth Day this week, retailers are demonstrating their support for environmental protection through sustainable initiatives that prioritize the wellbeing of our ecosystem and the consumer. We chatted with Scot Case, NRF's new vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, who monitors and champions these efforts.

“The retailers that are doing it really, really well are connecting what their customers understand about sustainability with their business objectives,” Case said, “and then the kind of broader opportunities to engage their customers more deeply.”

“The retailers that are doing it really, really well are connecting what their customers understand about sustainability with their business objectives.”

Scot Case, NRF vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability

Retailers are finding creative and authentic ways to integrate sustainable practices into their business through energy resources, packaging and more. Smaller retailers that adopt sustainable practices are at an advantage because they can scale quickly, while companies that seamlessly incorporate sustainable initiatives into their brand appear the most authentic to consumers.

“When you think about a sustainability program, don't think about educating the consumer,” Case said. “Think about creating opportunities for the consumers to experience what you're doing and make sustainability part of the brand experience.”

Listen to the full episode to learn more about how the retail industry is adopting ethical practices that make business sense and how they’re messaging it to their customers.

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