Over 83% of shoppers consider the environment when making purchases and almost 100% of senior retail executives acknowledge that consumers now expect them to operate in a more sustainable way. The message is clear for the retail industry — go green or go home.
With formidable consumer sentiment for more sustainable practices, plus the likelihood of new legislation designed to limit global warming, sustainability isn’t just good for the environment — it’s also good for business.
It’s impossible to ignore that the retail industry by definition creates products and generates waste, but that doesn’t mean implementing sustainable practices is a lost cause. On the contrary, brands and retailers have even more of a reason to act now and minimize their carbon footprint.
Some strategies to reduce emissions come at the cost of profitability or require significant changes to operations, but Quivers’ omnichannel solution is remarkably simple: Brands can make a significant dent in last-mile emissions by leveraging retailers for fulfillment.
The Problem With Retail
The retail industry isn’t kind to the environment. Its operations consume natural resources, contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases, and generate waste through the production and disposal of goods.
There’s plenty of room for improvement, but a good place for brands and retailers to start is at the end, with the last mile.
Up to 80% of emissions from the retail industry come from suppliers and transportation. In fact, 29% of all greenhouse gases in the US are attributed to the transportation and logistics industry, making it the largest contributor to CO2 emissions.
It’s undeniable that giants like Amazon have fostered an appetite for fast and free delivery. Unfortunately, this has a negative impact on the environment, as more deliveries mean more emissions. The good news is that these harmful emissions can be reduced with a relatively simple strategic change.
Quivers for Sustainability
If you utilize multiple distribution locations rather than a single centralized location, your products are closer to consumers, and the shorter final mile will result in lower emissions.
But how do you go about creating multiple distribution locations without a huge investment, dismantling your current model, or spending time and money opening retail stores?
You use your retail network which, with the Quivers Omnichannel Toolkit, can be leveraged to give you a network of key distribution partners.
Wholesale orders are more environmentally friendly than direct-to-consumer orders. Why? Because less packaging is used, allowing more products to be shipped at the same time. With Quivers, you can supplement your wholesale operations by leveraging retailers for the final stages of fulfillment of orders made on your website, which means:
- You reduce the distance each order travels
- You shorten delivery times
- You cut delivery costs for your brand and for consumers
- You minimize the delivery carbon footprint.
Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS)
The last mile is problematic: It produces greenhouse gases and requires additional individual packaging for products. One way you can reduce last-mile emissions and packaging is by getting rid of the last mile entirely.
BOPIS surged in popularity during the pandemic and continues to be used by over 56% of shoppers. Quivers BOPIS effectively eliminates the last mile and turns the retailers who stock your products into mini-fulfillment centers, resulting in a reduction of both emissions and packaging.
Offering BOPIS is a sensible decision however you look at it: 54% of consumers are more likely to purchase if they can pick orders up in-store, and businesses with BOPIS capabilities can sell up to 7X more than the competition.
To Reduce Returns Is Vital
You’ve probably heard of the “Three Rs” — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — but we’d like to introduce our own retail-centered mantra: To Reduce Returns Is Vital.
Returns are a big part of ecommerce: Consumers frequently over-order and send back whatever isn’t the right fit or to their liking. In 2022, US consumers returned 26.5% of what they bought by dollar value. While shoppers value free and easy returns, they can potentially double the number of miles on the road and the amount of single-use packaging required for each order.
Offering BOPIS through your retail partners’ stores means consumers are able to experience your products in person and return any unwanted items immediately to the retailer that is now acting as one of your “mini-fulfillment centers.”
But BOPIS isn’t the only omnichannel fulfillment option that has a lighter impact on the environment. Quivers Ship-from-Store helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with moving inventory by utilizing local retailers for fulfillment, rather than always shipping from a central location. By shortening the distance of last-mile delivery, Ship-from-Store provides a more efficient and eco-friendly solution than traditional ecommerce fulfillment.
Quivers White Glove Delivery is the premium delivery method for products that require special attention during shipping. White Glove Delivery reduces the chances of damage occurring to products during transit, which in turn decreases the likelihood of returns.
Quivers Delivers for You, Your Consumers and the Environment
The Quivers Omnichannel Toolkit provides mutually beneficial commerce solutions for brands, retailers, consumers and the environment.
- Brands save on shipping processes and associated fees, while also increasing their access to available stock for orders made on their websites.
- Retailers gain an additional sales channel, an opportunity to get rid of dead stock, and the chance to offer setup and installation services to consumers.
- Consumers save on shipping fees, get their products quicker than before, and have their expectations met — whether that’s for additional fulfillment options or a more sustainable way of shopping.
- The environment benefits from a reduction in the release of greenhouse gasses associated with delivery.
Consumers are demanding more eco-friendly practices from businesses today. There’s still a long way to go for the retail industry to become more sustainable, but by making changes now we can help secure a better tomorrow.
Quivers is committed to providing omnichannel solutions that help minimize your brand’s carbon footprint. To see how the Quivers Omnichannel Toolkit works, request a demo today.
