Green Retailers Six Key Focus Areas

August 18, 2008

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The top actions on the green retail agenda align with the strategic decision to take a holistic approach to all aspects of brand management and total cost of operations, according to “Getting From Green to Gold: Retail Success Factors and Outcomes,” a new Aberdeen Group report authored by Jhana Senxian.

For 59% of retail respondents, implementing a responsible and green-oriented sourcing and procurement plan is a crucial element of success. The focus on the very beginning of the retail supply chain complements the strategy of adopting eco-friendly standards for waste management (54%) and product end-of-life, recycle and reuse programs (41%). This end-to-end approach underscores an intensive vision of the retail value chain and indicates that retailers are becoming more involved in the entire life-cycle of their products and operational activities, according to the report.

The six top actions of green retail initiatives demonstrate that practically no aspect of the retail enterprise will go untouched by the sustainability agenda.

Results of the study demonstrate that the Best-in-Class achieve not only dramatic cost savings (20% decrease in energy costs) especially when compared to industry laggards (39% increase in energy costs), but also dramatically improved customer loyalty.

Research methodology: Between May and June 2008, Aberdeen examined the implementation, management, and outcomes of 100 retail enterprises with green/sustainability initiatives.

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Reader Comments

There is no question that sustainability efforts are becoming more critical for businesses today. Wal-Mart is one of many retailers that are pressing brands to improve packaging. At Schawk, a big part of our business is packaging, and we’re working with several top brands to make sure they are developing the kind of sustainable packaging that goes hand-in-hand with their sustainable products and meets retailers’ expectations.

Schawk has found that package design is an increasingly critical factor in delivering a successful brand — with more than 70% of purchase decisions made today being made in-store. Package design influences the relationship a consumer has with a brand — but it’s just one aspect of it. Unless a brand can deliver a compelling and consistent brand experience across all touchpoints — not just the packaging — for a consumer, there is a good chance the brand will be less successful.

So, if messaging is just as important as meeting retailers’ requirements, — it’s important that they are consistently delivered in every experience a consumer has. The category of business that can deliver that is brand point management. To learn more, here is some information about brand point management: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/854644/Brand-Point-Management.

I’d be curious to know what people think about brand point management and how the drive toward sustainability in packaging relates.

Miguel | August 21st, 2008

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