Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
A survey last year from business strategists Boston Consulting Group found the pandemic had actually heightened environmental awareness, that people wanted to see more aggressive action taken on the environmental front, and were more willing to change their own behaviour to advance sustainability.
Almost seven in 10 Brits (67%) thought environmental issues were at least as concerning as health issues, and 83% felt private companies should do ‘more’ or ‘a lot more’ to incorporate environmental considerations into the way they operate or the products and services they sell. This was just one of numerous reports and studies conducted in recent months that suggest coronavirus has focused people’s minds on helping to create a better, healthier world.
It is true that concerns over plastic, say, have been pushed down the agenda by the immediate, urgent priorities of the Covid-19 crisis. This can be clearly seen in the independent retail sector with even green pioneers such as Andrew Thornton of Budgens Belsize Park in north London having been forced to row back on his commitment to go plastic-free as a result of customers’ hygiene concerns during the pandemic.
But the issue will inevitably resurface as we emerge from coronavirus restrictions and life begins to return to some form of normality – and it’s likely to come back even stronger than before. That’s why it is encouraging to see symbol groups such as Nisa continuing to push environmentally friendlier options such as refillables within the modules available to retailers as part of its latest store formats. Individual retailers such as Peter Patel also continue to incorporate such elements into their new and existing stores, and rightly so. As sustainability becomes ever more important to consumers, retailers will increasingly need to reflect this in the design of their stores.
David Shrimpton, editor
