Beauty retail chain The Body Shop is the best sustainable retail formula, this is what the Dutch consumers think. The Body Shop is followed by Ikea and Albert Heijn the supermarket chain. DDB and Informart GfK conclude this in their Report Sustainable Retailing. Every 3 months this report describes the situation of green Retailing in The Netherlands.
Within the field of green Retailing the electronics sector gets the highest importante. BCC with their green labeling scores the best in this sector. Fashion stores and DIY-stores do not have a sustainable image yet. Especially in the Dutch DIY-sector we see movements of DIY-stores offering more green options and green information to the consumers.
Nielsen did a research on the future of green packaging, some of the main trends and conclusions of this survey are:
90% of “eco-aware”consumers willing to give up the “whole package” for greener options Clever storage doesn’t stack up against the future of the planet Almost half of consumers willing to give up convenience packaging 47 percent would give up portable packaging Shelf-life not so easy to give up Product information takes precedence Protective packaging a high priority Majority of consumers not willing to forego hygiene
The trends and developments in green retailing, in packaging that Nielsen sees are:
Great focus on attracting the attention of the shopper in-store in an increasingly fragmented media environment, via more frequent pack changes: - Increasing functionality for product transportation and storage, through increasing use of concentrated formulations (for example what we already can see in laundry powders). - Sustainable packaging with every increasingly reduced environmental impacts, demand by law and driven by retailers and consumers - Enhanced functionality targeting specific micro-market niches - Wide use of intelligent packaging with two key uses: · enable product tracking · indication of the product contents
The 2009 Retail Expo will include a Green Area with a cluster of exhibiting companies who specialise in environmental solutions for retail businesses.
The 2009 Retail Expo aims to ensure that some of Australia’s most interesting green innovators are at the expo to shed light on this growing category. Switched on Innovations, Carbon Reduction Institute, Chilli Go Green, and Eco Signs are exhibiting products.
Check the website of the Retail Expo for further information.
Sustainability in retail gives retailers big opportunities to obtain customers
Sustainable shopping does not only mean the products consumers buy, but also where they buy. In a research of USP Marketing Consultancy it is shown that 59% of the Dutch consumers is willing to pay more in a shop that is environmental friendly. The Dutch consumers like companies that have energy-friendly installations, innovative sustainable measurements and energy saving products, this all can lead into a higher loyalty and positive effect on the prices.
Retail Bouw Management A construction agency is an important link in the development of a retail formula. Project agency Retail Bouw Management provides full service.
It does everything it can to support and guide the construction and remodelling of a store, store interior or chain. This executive task is the most visible aspect of the job, but RBM’s role as an advisor is becoming increasingly important. The average retail cannot keep up with the demands, regulations, licenses and innovations in the construction field.
Taking a load off your shoulders We are faced with ever more legislation and regulations for environmental issues, energy, noise pollution, fire safety and associated areas. We can quite safely state that as a construction agency, we take the load of these requirements off our clients’ shoulders. First of all, we know what we need to take into account. Second of all, we anticipate social developments and take care of licenses, applications, etc.
Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction
For entrepreneurs, corporate social responsibility goes beyond selling organic meat or non-sweatshop clothing; it’s also about the building, the store and human resource policies. Just like the fashion and marketing sectors, eco is ‘hot’. One of the innovative aspects of our work at the moment is ecologically friendly construction and energy efficient operation.
A hot button issue is chilling of dairy products in stores. These open systems lead to a great deal of energy loss. We are already anticipating new regulations and considering the options together with the retailer and the cooling systems suppliers.
For example, in 2009 we will be working on a chain of supermarkets that operates almost entirely on regained energy. The heat generated by cooling, air-conditioning
and other systems is recaptured and reused.
RBM is at an advanced stage of preparations for a new retail formula where the entire building is built in an environmentally friendly way, with heat recapture, environmentally sound décor and eco-focused product offerings. These are innovative, challenging products
Long live the LED
Lighting energy use is a hot topic. Lighting is crucial for creating the right atmosphere and drawing attention to products within a store; it’s part of the store design. It’s also an expensive element due to the energy consumption.
LEDs are making more and more possible. While more expensive to purchase, the energy consumption is far lower and the lifespan much longer. They also offer new opportunities in terms of function.
From Jos de Vries The Retail Company we would like to show our last results from one of our new realized projects in The Netherlands for one of the leaders in the service stations market.
Jos de Vries The Retail Company has developed and realized the concept of the green future store of the latest generation in service stations. The stores focus on fresh and prepared products: wellfare / coffee / bakery / drinks. The open and innovative mentality make it one of the leading formulas in The Netherlands and Europe. The store and gas station are integrated with the nature, using sustainable material and offering environmental friendly service options, like biodiesel and electricity for electric cars.
The Canadian retail consulting company Retail Prophet describes in some different articles the theme of sustainability in retail.
"This week Retail Prophet will be featuring a series of special blog posts from the Summer Institute in Sustainability at the University of British Columbia; a one-week intensive program focused on developing organization-wide leadership, strategies and policies around sustainability.
Friend of Retail Prophet and Founder of Walk Softly Communications Justin K. Lacey, will be blogging live from the conference all week with ideas and information to help retailers become leaders in sustainable business practices"
On behalf of Bloemenbureau Holland (Flower Board Holland), Jos de Vries has collaborated in giving flowers and plants in European supermarkets a more professional and suitable presentation for the product.
Bloemenbureau Holland is a non-profit organisation designed, through specialisation and cooperation, to improve the sales potential of flowers and plants far beyond our borders, thereby boosting trade.
The project, the optimal display, brings together all the knowledge from the sector to inform, inspire and reach solutions for a number of practical challenges on the shop floor. The problem definition focuses on the following questions:
• What kind of role can the display fulfil for product classification (differences in length, guidelines for colour, maintenance, consumer purchasing criteria)? • What can be done to tempt the shopping consumer and highlight the incentive? • What kind of simple solutions can we offer for the practical aspects inherent in the flower and plant category: water, shelf life, knowledge on the shop floor? • How can we create more experience with/on the shelf? Cross merchandising, branding, other means of communication, lighting must be integrated.
To illustrate the results of the project and to encourage retailers to consider flowers as a full-fledged category or for an impulse purchase, Jos de Vries has designed a flower display to be presented at the Horti Fair 2008. The display satisfies three basic conditions: - Increase the impulse value through clearly-defined communication and a modular display.
- Differentiate within flowers and plants and make this known. A private label, premium and biological classification is legitimate. - Improve the perception of flowers and plants. Flowers and plants are fresh products.
If, as a retailer, you’d like to boost your flower and plant sales, we invite you to develop with us.
Tengelmann opened half a year ago their first Tengelmann Klimamarkt. This follows the objective that the supermarket chain Tengelmann gave itself. Before 2020 they want to reduce to the level of CO2-emissions with at least 20 per cent. Environmental and natural solutions to save the environment.
Their newest Klimamarkt can be seen as an example of an environmental-friendly store. This green supermarket uses 50% less energy than the traditional supermarket and they also succeeded to reduce the emission of CO2 to almost the level of 0.
What did they do and how did they do it? This green supermarket of the newest generation, warmth is being used to transform it into energy, the cooling and refrigeration departments have environmental-friendly furniture with all the doors closed. Furthermore there was a lighting plan created, were LED-lighting could promote the products, make them more sustainable and reduce the level of energy.
The Belgian supermarket chain Colruyt is looking for ways to obtain a sustainable way of obtaining energy, this energy needs to support reducing the emission of CO2-gases. The price stunter will install as many sun panels as possible on the roofs of their supermarkets, where possible this will be the new way how the supermarkets obtain their energy.
Currently Colruyt already obtains 7 million kWh of electricity by wind mills, sun panels and warmth recuperation. The Belgian is with these action leading the Benelux revolution in green retailing. In neighbour country The Netherlands we do not yet see this many way to use sustainable energy in the supermarkets.
Mars comes up with a new action to sustainable business. The Green Order System has the objective to change the order behaviour to reduce the emission of CO2. The impact on the environment will be measured and communicated to the clients.
Mars now communicated that after 2020 they want to produce 100.000 tons cacao with the UTZ-Sustainability certificate. The UTZ-Sustainibility organization focuses in higher productivity on the same area, with the aim to reduce the loss of wood and to improve the income of the cacao farmers. Untill 2020 this will be adapted in different phases.
This manufactured chocolate will be used in the Mars products like Bounty, Twix and Mars. Next to the UTZ certification Mars also works with Rainforest Alliance. The method of UTZ is a structural approach to improve the productivity and reduce the level of poorness in the areas. Farmers learn how to improve their productivity, with improved methods. Furthermore they explain that farmers need to produce a wider assortment of products, to avoid depending to much on one product. Mars thinks this new production methods will increase the benefits between 30 and 50 per cent, mainly focusing on Ivory Coast (worlds biggest manufacturer of cocao for Mars).
UTZ Certified Good Inside is dedicated to creating an open and transparent marketplace for agricultural products. It offers coffee, tea and cocoa certification programs and manages traceability for RSPO certified palm oil, UTZ CERTIFIED vision is to achieve sustainable agricultural supply chains where farmers are professionals implementing good practices which lead to better businesses, where the food industry takes responsability by demanding and rewarding sustainably grown products, and where consumers buy products which meet their standard for social and environmental responsability.
The company Miller Zell an Atlanta based retail specialist company researches several different of topics inside the world of retail. Today this retail company published their study on green retailing, which type of consumer purchases green products.
The traditional thougth is that consumers who are most interested in environmental-friendly products have a higher income and overall lifestyle commitment to eco-friendly living. In the research done by this retail design and strategy firm Miller Zell the result is that shoppers with a lower income are the ones purchasing green products.
In the study it states that Income is not the only important factor when consumers decide to do green shopping, consumers with lower income are willing to pay a premium for green products. Women are also willing to pay more than men for green products.
The interest of consumers in sustainable products did not result yet in good promotion and information on the green products manufacturers and retailers have. Wal-Mart last week launched the plan to obtain information on the effects on the environment of their products and communicate the effect of the purchase of this product on the environment.
The study also shows the channels that are most effective to trigger the interest of the shopper in green products as well as differences between the different generations and genders. To download a copy of the study results, visit the Miller Zell blog, Inside the Aisle at http://insidetheaisle.com/mz-research-surveys/.
Does the outcome of this research come as a surprise for you? Which actions do you take to save the environment? Which advices would you like to share with the other readers of this blog?
The banana producer, Dole, lets customers “travel to the origin of each organic product”. By typing in a fruit sticker's three-digit Farm Code on Dole Organic's website, customers can read background info, view photos of the farm and workers and learn more about the origin of Dole products (http://www.doleorganic.com/)
Dole produces organically-grown bananas in its own farms and sources from independent organic growers located in Honduras, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Peru for the European and North American Markets and recently in the Philippines for the Asian Market. 100% of Dole’s organic bananas are certified organic and follow the organic production standards as set by the law in the US, EU or Japan.
Furthermore Dole has a carbon neutral program: 'Carbon neutral,' as applied to the banana and pineapple product supply chains, means that the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted to produce, pack, transport and distribute the fruit will be offset by mitigation practices which increase the capture of CO2 in order to achieve a 'neutral' balance. These practices entail new, more efficient transportation methods, changes to agricultural processes to reduce CO2 emissions, and partnering with local farmers to implement preservation and reforestation programs.http://www.doleorganic.com
US Retailer Food Lion (South Carolina) is planning to open the first green store of the formula and the first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) grocery store in the region.
The store will feature a number of environmentally friendly construction and energy-efficient services, including an on-site recycling center, skylights for natural lighting, educational kiosks and preferred parking for low-emitting vehicles.By building the first LEED grocery store they plan to reduce energy costs by more than 20 per cent compared to a typical supermarket as well as conserve 44 per cent more water than other Food Lion stores.
For nearly a decade, Food Lion has been dedicated to numerous sustainability initiatives, such as energy conservation and reducing carbon dioxide emissions throughout its 11-state footprint, reducing its energy consumption by more than 27 per cent since 2000 or 2.5 trillion BTUs.”Food Lion’s first green store is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2009 and will provide employment for approximately 50 associates. Food Lion currently operates 145 South Carolina stores and employs more than 7,600 associates in the state.
Yesterday in our article we mentioned the importancy of the communication to your customer that your store a green store is and how which measurements your company take to make it green(er). The same accounts for fair-trade products, where do they come from and how are they produced.
One good example of communication of origen of fair-trade products is the English company Chippindale Foods. This retailer offers full egg traceability via their website www.wheresyoursfrom.com. Every egg in the supermarket is foreseen of a tracking code. When the clients types in the code into their website, it gives full information on the origen of the egg. Furthermore there are menu suggestions and information on the production of "green" eggs.
In an article in the Guardian we could read a topic from Lucy Siegle about the green effect and advantages of shopping online. It sound very environmental friendly to do your shopping from the computer, but is this really true?
In the United Kingdom they expect the online Shopping to grow up to 21,3 billion pounds in 2011, a growth with almost 9 billion pounds. Some people do their shopping with the computer, because they consider it to be green, less transport and less shopping bags. There have been several studies on this topic.
One of these studies goes back to 2000 when Webvan, a big US onliner retailer, when they concluded that wider adoption of online shopping would not result into environmental profits, another study in 2002 of US book retailing did not see greater energy savings when buying online.
One of the most recent studies is the study of Carnegie Mellon University, where they concluded that shopping online via resulted in a decrease of 35 per cent energy consumption and CO2 emissions than the traditional retailer (where they loose energy because of the open doors of the store and bad refrigeration furniture for example).
This effect is caused by the save of the driving to the stores and for example less receipts. But both ways to do your shopping need the transportation to get it to the distribution centers, stores or at home. We can now see more and more retailers who introduce electricity home-delivery cars like the Spanish supermarket chain Condis or the Eco-Truck of Delhaize in Belgium where the route is better planned and the load is bigger to save extra kilometers.
Online shopping may prove marginally more green in terms of energy saving but we see retailers more and more take measurements to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions and acting green.
What are the advantages and opportunities for a retailer in green retailers? Where do they need to think of and which measurerement they can apply now? A small guide into green retailing.
Suppliers Some important questions retailers need to think about when they choose a supplier looping at the environmental benefits of this supplier and his products.
What kind of company is your supplier, how are their production methods, are they looping for ways to reduce pollution and garbage and are they reducing the level of energy and water?
Where is your supplier located? What does this mean for the pollution of the transport from the factory to the distribution center and finally the supermarket? This is a difficult paradox, once a company decided to quit all the African products from their assortment to reduce the level of transportation and emissions of gases, on the other hand this decision resulted into a lot of difficulties of the farmers and suppliers in Africa.
What happens with the product after use of this product? What is the level of garbage? Can this be re-used? Can it be recycled?
Consumers Communicate with your clients, make sure that your claims can be proved! If you say to reduce the level of plastic bags, reduction of CO2 make sure it happens and very important make it understandable for the consumers.
Communicate how things are measured and what the effects on the environment are. Display these environmental friendly products on an important place, support them with labels of the environmental impacts of the products and the packaging.
Opportunities in green retail Green retailing gives you a good opportunity to win the trust and the loyalty of the consumers. Search for the measurements you can take to get a green store: Offer reusable packaging and bags, to return it to the supplier or that the consumer can re-use it. Install energy efficient lighting and water saving devices in-store (for example rainwater installation to re-use the water). Reward your customers when they do not need a bag. Vary the size of a bag; convenience stores can work with smaller bags than traditional supermarkets, offer different sizes.
Tell your customers and employees about your efforts to save the planet!
The advantages for the retailer - Your customers feel good about shopping in your store - You reduce your impact on the environment - Your employees enjoy a better working environment - You improve your companies “green” image - You save and earn money
The company Accenture did a research about how the retail industry would look like in the year 2020, what are the mayor technological, socio-demographic and business trends we can export in the future of retail. Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, committed to delivering innovation.
In this research they recognize the environment to be one of the most important factor for today´s retailers. Before the retailers did not see that much the importance but consumer demands, regulations from the government and the effect of green organizations changed the world of retail.
Some of the leading retailers started the green revolution, seeking to obtain an environmental-friendly and sustainable business. Tesco for example wants to be recognized "a leader in helping to create a low-carbon economy.” Tesco for example introduced new transportation methods, invested in recycling centers and introduce to their consumers the level of carbon that every product contains and how much they can save purchasing a certain type of product.
Coop, one of the world’s largest grocery chain, is basing its product ranges on green propositions. In fact, working with products of Bio Suisse, 30 organic farming organizations and around 6.300 farms producing organic products in Switzerland.
Accenture asks itself in this report some questions about what will happen in the development in green retail, how will the environmental plan adapted into retail strategies? Premium payments for environmental-friendly products, more low-energy production, and the creation of new—higher—standards for ethical trading?
What do you think what will happen in green retail in the future months and years?
The American supermarket giant, actual world leader in sales, wants to inform their client more on green retailing impact of their products and services. By better giving information about their products, the clients of Wal-Mart have more options to choose their preferred (green) supplier or products. To obtain this required information all the suppliers need to give an insight of the environmental effect and use of energy of their products. In history this is the biggest impact on green retailing. The data obtained will result into a rating-system, which will be communicated on the shelves of the supermarkets.
The aim of this new environmental program is to reduce the use of energy, the reduce the level of garbage and to stimulate sustainability in retail. For the manufacturers and suppliers it has a big impact, they need to invest in obtaining the information. To better compete with their competitors and to obtain a better score on the Wal-Marts scorecard and the communication to the customers. To get the total plan operation it will take several years, the Wal-Mart concern expects everything to be ready in ten years. Experts think they can introduce it earlier, in 2011, supported by the wave of environmental measurements international retailers introduce.
An earlier measurement of Wal-Mart (the introduction of energy-efficient lamps in their assortment) had a positive effect on the environment, this green initiative already resulted into the sales of over 100 million energy-efficient lamps.
Leading supermarkets have failed to meet a target on cutting the use of carrier bags given to customers despite Government campaigns
The amount of plastic bags used by supermarkets has dropped according to research by almost a half in the last three years. This means that retailers were very close to achieving their desired aim of cutting the use by 50%.
This measurement has been taken from leading supermarkets in the United Kingdom Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Somerfield, Marks and Spencer and the Co-op. This announcement comes as there have been calls this week for supermarkets to be more open about the amount of carriers they use.
Last year, these seven supermarket chains signed up to a voluntary agreement with the Government to achieve a 50 per cent cut in the number of bags given out compared to 2006. In May 2006, 718 million bags were being given out - by May 2009 this had almost halved to 372 million, a reduction of 48 per cent.
Most of the topics and discussions about Sustainability are always focused on products or services related to making products more sustainable. I have been working on planning for the 2010 NWA Green Expo and had a meeting today with a non-profit called Teen Action Support Center. This was an eye opening experience that led me to this discussion.
Sustainability is not just about the "greening" of products or our habits, but it also is about taken care of our generations to ensure they are aware and able to take care of the environment. There is always a human side to everything we do. Now, the NWA Green Expo will be partnering with the Teen Action Support Center to create an overall expo that addresses products/services for both the earth and human benefit.
I would like to know what your thoughts on this are and if you have already seen this type of partnership in action, let me know some tips on how to make it successful. Now, to advertise the expo. The expo is hosted by the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce. It will take place on April 30th - May 1st, 2010, in Bentonville, AR. I am currently trying to sign up keynote speakers, so if you know any or are aware of companies that would be willing to sponsor such speakers, please contact me at kyle.howell@wal-mart.com.
Grupo Cuevas is a famous Spanish chestnut manufacturer, who had the wish to develop a new innovative supermarket concept in the region of Galicia, especially in the Ourense Area, next to their 25 supermarkets.
Together with Jos de Vries The Retail Company the formula Aquié has been developed during in 2008 which was based on a new, modern design, the use of new technologies and a well-balanced assortment of healthy groceries. Everything developed thinking of the trend on sustainable Retailing. The company only supplies bio-recycable bags and when the client brings his own bag the client gets a small reward from Aquié. The furniture and lighting was selected on the environmental advantages because of the low consumption of energy.
Next to these innovative aspects of Green Retailing the clients can choose from a selected assortment of daily varying fresh and healthy menus (to prepare or prepacked). These products are tested and prepared by the university of Vigo to create an ecological and healthy product assortment and offering meal solutions for the customers.
This fifth generation supermarket of Aquié directly was very succesfull with this new innovative concept. They are that succesfull that they opened their 2nd store already (in A Porriño, Galicia). The first supermarket could welcome over 1.250 visitors on a daily base and the turn-over is over 29% higher than the other stores of the Grupo Cuevas.
The supermarket concept of Aquié has been choosen as one of the most innovative new retail concepts in the world during the recent World Retail Awards in Barcelona.
The increasing importance of sustainable packaging as a consumer issue means companies need to constantly reassess the amount of packing they use, according to a new report.
The study, from market analysts Datamonitor, said while sustainable packaging is not yet the main reason for purchasing a product, it is becoming a “consumer expectation”. It is one of a growing number of issues – including ethics, economics and environmentalism- that is driving consumer choice, said report author Matthew Adams.
The Carbon Trust has published a new guide on how to reduce display lighting costs in the retail sector. The document is entitled "Display lighting - Creating maximum impact with minimal energy consumption".
The guide shows that retailers could cut their display lighting usage by up to 30% by adopting the latest energy saving technology.In addition, as LED lighting advances the potential savings will be greater.The guide can be downloaded from the website of Carbon Trust (downloading the doucment is for free but registration is required).
Mars Company in the Netherlands is testing a new initiative in logistics: Green order. The objective is to change the order behaviour to reduce the emission of CO2. The impact on the environment will be measured and communicated to the clients. When an order is placed the emission of CO2 will be mentioned at the delivery receipt, to see the effects of the order on the environment.
With Green Order Mars wants to support social responsability and improve the occupation grade of the delivery trucks. The project will be done together with transport company Kuehne + Nagel and the consultancy agency Capgemini.
Introducing the Green Order system they also hope to reduce the number of traffic jams and have lower costs because of a more efficient delivery system. The client will benefit by the more efficient receival of products. Clients will also get a “logistic customer scorecard”, where supplier and client can formulate their environment goals.
The French supermarket chain E.Leclerc and Alter ECO (promotor of fair trade products) work together and developed a website (http://www.laboequitable.fr/) to inform and educate the French consumers about the origen and availabilty of the FairTrade Products in their French Leclerc supermarkets.
Information point and meant to created an increase awareness of the use and benefits of the fair trade concepts. The website shows fairtrade products, services and fair trade projects. Leclerc sold last year for a total of 22 million euro on fair trade products, this means a 18,5% of the total turn-over of fairtrade products in France. Alter Eco Americas Corporation is a start-up dedicated to the import and distribution of fair trade food products.
The German retailer REWE has announced plans to reduce its annual CO2 emissions of 2.5 million tons by 30 per cent by 2015. Compared to the 2006 reference year, the CO2 emissions per square metre of sales floor area will thus be reduced from 320 kg to 224 kg. To achieve this goal, the company will cooperate with the Öko-Institut in Germany and with the Federal Office for the Environment in Austria in the collection and evaluation of data and in taking further steps.
More than 60 per cent of the total emissions of REWE Group are caused by the factor "electricity". By increasing the energy efficiency of the stores and by the switching to green electricity important steps towards achieving the corporate climate goals have already been taken. Now, the aspects of refrigerating agents (15 per cent of the emissions), heat (12 per cent), logistics (8 per cent), paper consumption (3 per cent) and business travels (2 per cent) are on the agenda.
The Spanish recycling organisation Ecoembes, recycled last year 1.229.636 tons of packages, a total of 62% of the total market of packages. Furthermore they could turn 99.111 tons into energy value. A total of 1.328.747 tons of packages, 67% of the total market value, was recuperated.
If we look at the typs of material we can see that paper and cartoon was the biggest product group, followed by plastics (+12%) and metal. The results are higher than the law of packaging from 1997 states. Spain can be placed more and more by the best recycling countries of Europe, countries like France, United Kingdom, Sweden, Czech Republic or Norway.
Since the start of Ecoembes in 1998 they avoided the waste of over 10 million tons of packages, this is the same amount as the contact of 750 football stadions of FC Barcelona. Of this number they recycled over 8 millions of tons, a saving of 7,7 million of tons of CO2, 8.900 Mwh energy (yearly consumption of 900.000 housholds).
In Spain an increasing number of families and companies have the option to separate their garbage. A number of 12.376 Spanish companies work with Ecoembes (90% of the total amount of packaging). The biggest sector of recycling is the food sector, followed by the drinks sector and companies of hygienic and beauty products.
In The Netherlands you see the trend that despite, or maybe thanks to, the crisis, that green retailing is hot. For some important Dutch retailers it was a stimulation to further focus on green retailing, sustainable and repsonsable retailing.
When the economical crisis began, many people were afraid of the effects on green retailing, that companies would choose for cost savings instead of social responsability. Partly this happened, retailers competing on price without thinking to much of the environment, but we also some innovative new initiatives to develop environment-friendly retail projects.
Research shows that 59% of the Dutch people is prepared to pay an extra for more sustainable products and/or services.
Below we give some examples of the Dutch retail sector of how some of the mayor players adapted to environmental-friendly and honest retailing.
Maxeda, the organization of 11 retailers launched a program called “keen on green”. La Place for example serves only Max Havelaar coffee and biological tea
De Bijenkorf launched a clothing brand “Pure”, all products made of biological cotton
V&D increased the assortment of with a lot of new green products
DIY-markets Formado and Praxis increasingly add new construction materials which are used to make houses more environmental friendly, they even decreased the format of the leaflets which are now printed on environmental friendly paper.
Project “The Green Plug” of BCC electronics chain, increasing the consciousness of the consumers for environmental solutions like saving light bulbs. Clients can borrow energy meters for free.
Clothing brands G-Sus and Mexx are now members of the Fair Wear Foundation
In the Dutch city Almere they are working and developing a new bio-shopping-mall. The design is foreseen of a green environmental-friendly roof-top. The green roof, let the shopping-mall integrate with the environment, it is also works as a water reservoir, isolation of heatness and coolness and as roof for the parking. It also it seems a parc. The idea is to integrate a greenhouse under the roof. In the shopping mall they can sell the produce of this greenhouse in a biological restaurant and supermarket.
The total area measures 2.500 sqm, everything built in an environmental friendly way, including a supermarket, biological restaurant, several stores and 28 appartments (selected for the image and sustainability).
The European Ecolabel is a voluntary scheme, established in 1992 to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment. Products and services awarded the Ecolabel carry the flower logo, allowing consumers - including public and private purchasers - to identify them easily. Today the EU Ecolabel covers a wide range of products and services, with further groups being continuously added. Product groups include cleaning products, appliances, paper products, textile and home and garden products, lubricants and services such as tourist accommodation.
While the logo may be simple, the environmental criteria behind it are tough, and only the very best products, which are kindest to the environment, are entitled to carry the EU Ecolabel. What is more, this is a label that consumers can genuinely trust. The criteria are agreed at European level, following wide consultation with experts, and the label itself is only awarded after verification that the product meets these high environmental and performance standards.
The EU Ecolabel is a rapidly growing brand. Many producers wanting to sell their products across Europe have realised the benefits that the European Ecolabel brings. Products bearing the Flower logo can be marketed throughout the European Union and the EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).
The voluntary nature of the scheme means that it does not create barriers to trade. On the contrary - many producers find that it gives them a competitive advantage.
Ecolabel criteria are not based on one single factor, but on studies which analyse the impact of the product or service on the environment throughout its life-cycle, starting from raw material extraction in the pre-production stage, through to production, distribution and disposal.
The flower logo helps manufacturers, retailers and service providers gain recognition for good standards, while helping purchasers to make reliable choices. The EU Ecolabel is part of a broader action plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy adopted by the Commission on 16 July 2008.
Over the past ten years, the "Flower" has become a European-wide symbol for products, providing simple and accurate guidance to consumers.All products bearing the "Flower" have been checked by independent bodies for complying with strict ecological and performance criteria. There are currently twenty-three different product groups, and already more than 250 licences have been awarded for several hundred products.
The EU Eco-label is administered by the European Eco-labelling Board (EUEB) and receives the support of theEuropean Commission, all Member States of the European Union andthe European Economic Area (EEA).The Eco-labelling Board includesrepresentatives such as industry,environment protection groupsand consumer organisations.
Check http://www.eco-label.com/ for the manufacturers and retailers who have this label and/or for more information on this topic.
The Dutch soft drink sector will save yearly 2 per cent in energy costs. This plan will include the yearly saving untill 2020. The cooperation of Soft Drinks, Juices and Waters (Dutch name FWS), including companies like Coca Cola, Vrumona, Refresco, United Softdrinks and Hero, agreed this last Friday with the government.
The focus point of the agreement is to lower the quantity of energy per product, for example looking to reduce the quantity of water. The participating companies are responsable for 80% of the energy use in the soft drinks sector.
Trends in Retail: The consumer research of Capgemini shows that there are many new green companies in retail. This research is done together with TNS NIPO and shows the yearly trends and developments in the retail sector.
At the area of eco-retailing / green retailing the most important changes of the retail sector are seen. The consumer can rapidly change their buying behaviour but with the choice for green companies and green products they are secure of their choice; they think green. The influence of green retailing is increasing, many new companies are launched. The companies need to invest in new, fresh concepts with the real green story. It is not only telling that you are a green retail company but more important think and act as a green retailing company.
As one of the first UK supermarkets, Asda has achieved an environmentally friendly product in its low carbon beef. Having made efforts to establish and lower the level Co2 emission of its dairy bulls, the store is now offering beef that emits a third less carbon than the standard twenty-four month cattle. The chain has produced the industry's lowest carbon rate in meat produce.
This new method of supply won the Best Head Office Initiative Award at the 2009 Supermeat and Fish Awards in London last week. The supermarket chain, worked closely together with their suppliers, now rearing dairy bulls for 9-11 months in order to reduce the carbon measurement emitted from the dairy bull during its lifetime. The results are smaller and more manageable portions, a more positive impact on the environment, and a cheaper product for consumers.
Asda hopes that the operation can benefit their stores throughout the UK and that it results into a greener and cheaper product which benefits suppliers, retailers and consumers alike. The group hopes to extend this production process into dairy products like eggs.
The Spanish supermarket chain Condis gives a new impuls to sustainabilty in retail. The last result is the introduction of the electric delivery van, delivering the internet orders at home. The initiative will be tested first in the region of Barcelona, but there are plans to adapt it also to the rest of the stores in Spain.
The new ecological delivery van reaches a maximum speed of 80 kilometer per hour and has a reach of 160 kilometer with an availability of 2 tons of weigth. The recharge point is located at the central office in Montcada I Reixach (province of Barcelona), where the chain also placed 200 sun panels and biodiesel tank for the current vans.
At this moment the Condis Group posesses 20 delivery vans in the metropolitan area of Barcelona to deliver the internet orders at home. The new delivery van, being the first food distributor in Spain, will not be added to the current number of delivery vans but will replace the traditional ones. The big advantage of this new delivery van is that there is no emission of CO2, next to the lower costs in maintenance there the motor is more easy to repair.
Condis supermarkets are located in Catalonia and in the centre of Madrid, with 193 owned supermarkets and 224 franchisers. In 2008 the Condis Group made a turn-over of 762 million euros.
Delhaize Belgium launched a new ecological, multi-temperature truck to limite the impact on the environment and mobility. With 2 levels with differing temperatures this truck has more space inside, therefor less trucks are needed to transport the products to the supermarkets. Less trucks results into lower emission of CO2 and less trafic jams. In the strategy of sustainibility Delhaize also makes a lot of efforts in green retailing. The truck drivers were trained in “eco-proactive driving” to drive more ecological. In 2008 a new planning has been introduced, resulting into 40 trucks less, 2 million kilometers and a reduce in emission of CO2 with 21.000ton. The Ecotruck has now been launched to further lower the emission of CO2. The ecotruck will be used for the longer distances.
More products can be transported because of the 60% extra capacity. With 2 levels and different temperatures more product groups can be transported at once. The first results of this new eco-truck are very positive. Delhaize is now thinking of adding 3 new Eco-trucks to their car park.
Sainsbury’s Dartmouth store is run on renewable energy, reducing CO2 emissions by 40%.
Sainsbury´s opened a new flagship green store in Dartmouth, Devon (United Kingdom), in August 2008. Built with respect for the use of natural resources, including energy, water, waste, timber and land, the store was specifically designed to reduce both its operational and embodied carbon.
The pioneering store will save 40% of its overall CO2 emissions, achieved by the use of cutting edge technology. The store’s ‘biomass boiler' will heat both the building and water, using locally sourced wood that would otherwise be wasted. By using renewable energy, the amount of energy consumed from the national grid has been dramatically reduced by 50%.
Sainsbury's Dartmouth has been designed to leak fewer draughts and employs other measures, such as 'quiet revolution wind turbines' ™, to power the checkouts. This is contributing to cutting electricity usage (kWh) by a third overall.
Further carbon savings are made through the use of lower lighting levels and increased use of daylight, and cool air will be collected from chillers to keep the store cool during warmer months.
Rainwater harvesting is one of the techniques being used to reduce water consumption. Collected rainwater is used to flush customer and colleague toilets, and to irrigate plants. The store will save over one million litres of mains water every year, and uses 60% less water overall as a result.
The store's construction is also environmentally responsible, and where possible recycled or recyclable materials have been used or FSC-approved timber. As 200 trees have been used for the frame of the store, Sainsbury's will also re-plant 400 trees in the local community.
The Dartmouth store is an important stage in the plans to roll out sustainable features to the remainder for further expansion of Sainsbury´s in the United Kingdom. These plans make a significant contribution to their overall target to reduce CO2 emissions per square metre by 25% by 2012.
More information on http://www.j-sainsburys.co.uk/
Mobile ecocooling in retail applications
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For more information, or to locate a distributor near you, call 0034-932
312 810 (for European sales) and 1-800-695-2942 (for international sales).
Or, yo...
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