With the peak shopping season just around the corner, nShift has identified four ways in which retailers can enhance the sustainability credentials of the shopping experience.
This follows research that 80% of shoppers would be willing to pay more for a more sustainable shopping experience, while ethically-minded shoppers are willing to pay almost 10% more for goods that they consider to be ethically sourced or recycled, from a proven sustainable business.
Sustainable shopping
How retailers can make the shopping experience more sustainable:
- Offer sustainable delivery options at checkout. Some shoppers are willing to pay more for a lower-emissions delivery. It’s crucial that online retailers offer these options at checkout. They also need to ensure that they are clearly labelling these options so that the shopper can find what they are looking for quickly.
- Give shoppers a chance to ‘give back’. Consumers seek brands and retailers that share their ethical values. Retailers should consider configuring their checkout so that specific delivery options can automatically trigger a donation to a sustainable or charitable cause.
- Measure carbon emissions. If online retailers measure the carbon emissions associated with each shipment, they gain real evidence to demonstrate that their eco-strategies are working.
- Drive returns in store. Through a digital returns process, multichannel retailers can give people the chance to return items for free provided that they take them in store. This reduces the emissions associated with the delivery and return. It also creates an opportunity for a customer to talk to a salesperson who can encourage them to exchange, rather than return, their item.
Making an ethical choice
“Shoppers may be seeking discounts in the run up to Black Friday and Christmas, but they also want to be as environmentally friendly as possible,” commented Mattias Gredenhag, CTO at nShift, a delivery and experience management firm.
“Increasingly, ethically-minded consumers choose to shop with retailers that they believe share their values. So for online and multichannel vendors, demonstrating their eco-credentials is no longer ‘a nice to do’. It’s a critical means of attracting and retaining customers.” More information can be found here.
