Dynamic Business

Five quick steps for greentailing success
What steps can a retailer take to move toward a greener business model?

1. Eco-packaging
Packaging companies have developed more environmentally-friendly packaging, which is recycled, biodegradable, reusable and less bulky in recent years, in response to consumer demand. In Australia, both Bunnings Warehouse and Ikea charge an extra 10 cents for plastic bags, which Bunnings claims has resulted in a 99 percent reduction in plastic bag usage. An increasing number of retailers are expected to adopt similar strategies as the Federal Government considers a ban or levy on plastic bags. One option is to consider selling reusable bags in your store at cost.

2. Expanding the green offer
Growing numbers of mainstream retailers are increasing their range of organic, fair trade and eco-friendly products. It’s important to note, however, that there is no hard and fast definition of what makes a product green, with all products requiring ‘un-green’ elements such as transport, manufacturing and packaging.

3. Inside the store
The days of flooding a retail environment with energy-guzzling lighting are gone, with designers and lighting consultants opting for more environmental options. The Building Code of Australia outlines a maximum wattage for retail shops of 25 watts per square metre in shopping areas, which varies depending on ceiling heights. Also consider opting for low wattage lighting options.

4. Decrease your waste
Consider the environment when purchasing office supplies and go for Energy Star appliances. Also make sure you keep up with regular maintenance on mechanical equipment and use only recycled paper and ink cartridges. You could also consider enforcing two-sided copying among employees and keep a stack of used paper by the printer for rough drafts. When shipping, use shredded paper rather than plastic products such as Styrofoam pellets or bubble wrap. Also, consider designing marketing material which doesn’t require an envelope and can be folded and mailed.

5. Green marketing
Once you’re in the swing of things, don’t let your green status go unnoticed. Consider a marketing campaign to let consumers know you’re committed to saving the environment and are making responsible choices, which is likely to attract environmentally-aware customers into your store.

QUICK GREEN FACTS
According to the Australian Centre for Retail Studies (ACRS), there are a number of factors driving the green movement. They are:

• Government — introducing green legislation, national green targets and tax incentives to consumers
• Companies — greening operations due to legal obligations or as a marketing tool
• Non-government organisations — placing pressure on consumers to boycott companies with bad environmental records and encouraging consumers to recycle or save energy
• Consumers — wanting to do their bit to save the planet, as well as ‘greening up’ being seen as trendy

Source: ACRS Environmentally Friendly Retailing Secondary Research Report 2008

This article first appeared in the March/April 09 issue of Giftrap, the official magazine of Gift and Homewares Australia (GHA).

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