There has been a significant economic and industrial shift toward sustainability in recent years. A greater number of customers are demanding to see eco-friendly and ethically sourced decision-making from the brands they support and, as a result, businesses are seeking to adapt their operations and brand. Typically, this green-consciousness first manifests itself within products and services, with businesses seeking to adopt more sustainable manufacturing practices or sourcing and offering sustainable products. Now, within retail, we are beginning to see businesses redesign their stores to match.
In addition to the environmental benefits of high street retailers going green, there is now evidence that it benefits profits too, with the Carbon Trust stating that even a 20% reduction in energy consumption for many retailers can lead to a 5% increase in sales.
Businesses are continuously endeavouring to find new and inventive ways to make their retail sites more sustainable, going beyond LED bulbs and renewable energy supplies to achieve an eco-friendly aesthetic too, one that immediately demonstrates their eco-friendly intentions to all customers who enter. Here’s how they’re doing it.
Locally Sourced
When choosing your retail furniture and shop shelving, sourcing your materials and manufacturing locally has huge environmental benefits. Most notably, it limits the amount of carbon emitted during production, that which would have otherwise been spent transporting goods. Local companies also manufacture within the country too, contributing to the employment of skilled regional artisans. This is why supporting local companies, such as ourselves, is beneficial.
Reclaimed And Recycled
A number of major retailers, including Ikea and Starbucks, have begun opening stores designed and fitted with reclaimed materials. These recycled and upcycled shop furniture pieces are both beneficial to the environment, reducing the need for new material production, and aesthetically pleasing, bringing to each store a statement of environmental conscientiousness.
Within our own catalogue, we offer a variety of shop shelving features, such as slatwall panels and bespoke shop counters, that are available to be supplied in various materials, including a number of natural wood finishes. These design choices can easily transform a space into a grounded environment, one that looks and feels organic.
Plastic Alternatives
Many stores are beginning to seek out plastic alternatives to their most commonly used store assets. Hooks, stands, hangers, and shelves are each available in non-plastic alternatives, such as metal, glass, and wood. Great-quality alternatives can also be found for single-use plastics too, which is exemplified in a new wave of plastic bag and plastic cup offerings within many high street stores. It is now not uncommon for some retailers to refrain from disposable bags altogether, offering, instead, cotton tote bags as a replacement. While this may seem like a rather ambitious direction, international brands, such as Lush, have already begun to eliminate plastic entirely from some sites.
Crown Display
If you would like to talk to our team about sustainable products and local, bespoke manufacturing, then please reach out to a member of our team as we are always happy to discuss retail furniture and shelving. We can be reached via email at sales@crowndisplay.co.uk or by calling 0800 587 5880.
