Is it just us, or is the conversation about retail social and environmental impact getting louder? My colleague Luis and I are certainly hearing a lot more about it.

These are not new topics, of course, but there is a renewed fervor and tone: from documentaries on plastic in the ocean and calls from celebrity environmentalists (such as the UK’s beloved natural historian David Attenborough) to younger generations taking to social media and petitioning for change.

Should retailers and brands take note? YES! (and not just out of a sense of moral obligation)

Consumers increasingly care about the social and environmental impact of their purchasing and consumption — and it impacts their decisions for what and where to buy.

 

Forrester’s Consumer Technographics® data reveals that consumers increasingly consider a corporation’s values and commitment to social and environmental sustainability when choosing brands and products. Today, consumers explicitly consider factors such as company values and commitment to certain causes or beliefs when choosing brands to associate with or products to buy.

We explored these changes in a recent webinar that considered the following questions:

  • What influences the values-based consumer?
  • How are retailers and brands reevaluating their businesses to respond to issues of sustainability?

You can find the webinar here:

WEBINAR: Retailers And Brands Must Value Sustainability

Of course, there are many more questions for retail and brand executives to consider:
• Is sustainability just a cost of doing business, or can it be business-positive?
• How is sustainability measured?
• Who needs to be involved?

What questions do you have? How is your company tacking questions around sustainability?
Please feel free to set up an inquiry with us to discuss!