How To Appeal To Eco-Conscious Shoppers
According to a survey by Forbes, more than 80% of consumers would buy ethically if given the opportunity and a huge 97% of consumers are more likely to trust a retailer that supports environmental issues.
With sustainability driving brand loyalty, there's lots for retailers to gain from adopting ethical practices, promoting eco-friendly products and making small in-store changes to do their bit for the environment.
It's important to develop a retail environment that encourages sustainable shopping and gives customers the opportunity to make more responsible choices, so we'll give you some tips that are easy to put into action and get you thinking about ways to reach eco-conscious customers.
Of course, we've got gift packaging and retail display that can help too! We'll highlight a few along the way but get in touch with us if you would like some more advice.
Speak to our sales team on 01278 437123.
Choose Eco-Friendly Gift Packaging
A survey by YouGov shows that almost half of people in the UK feel guilty about the amount of plastic they use which is motivating them to reduce their plastic waste and would be willing to pay higher prices for eco-friendly packaging.
We understand that sometimes retailers have to make choices that are the most cost efficient and at face value, single-use gift packaging may appear to be the cheapest present box option. However with customers willing to spend more on eco-friendly gifts, reuse and repurposing gift boxes are increasing in popularity.
Ditching the disposable and opting for high quality gift packaging offers many natural and recyclable gift packaging options including wicker hamper baskets, bamboo trays and recyclable cardboard gift boxes.
Another great thing about high quality gift packaging that can be repurposed by the customer, is that it increases the perceived value of the gift and in doing so increases your margin!
Choose Natural & Biodegradable Retail Display
The appearance and texture of natural materials such as wicker and wood can bring the feeling of quality and well-being and help suggest produce as locally sourced, natural or organic, which are great attributes for an environmentally friendly shop.
Wicker has many environmental benefits, including being reusable and biodegradable. Our wicker display baskets are made using fast-growing plants such as willow and bamboo, which makes it a more sustainable alternative to man-made materials, they're also free from harmful dyes or toxins.
While there are many different types of retail display in various materials, there are numerous advantages to choosing wooden display stands, CrateWall and wooden display crates. Besides looking more attractive than acrylic, they're highly durable, long-lasting, economical and biodegradable.
Now, you may be thinking why we'd suggest plastic wicker baskets in a How-To about eco-friendly retail display. They may be made from polywicker but this food safe alternative to natural wicker is long-lasting and promotes the use of non single-use plastic.
Introduce Gravity Food Bins into Your Store
One of the most common ways customers are trying to cut down on their personal plastic use is in the food aisle.
There is no need to eradicate all single use plastic from your shop in one fell swoop, this would be a sizeable feat! Instead you can help to reduce the quantity of individually wrapped and packaged foods by introducing Gravity Food Bins into your store.
The self-serve bulk food dispensers are designed to hold a large capacity of loose dried foods such as cereals, grains and pasta, ideal for independent Farm Shops & Delis to Supermarkets chains. Customers are encouraged to bring their own refillable containers to reduce the use of non-recyclable plastic.
What's also great about this innovative food merchandising system is that they'll help increase your margin by allowing bulk purchase of goods.
To find out more about our 8L, 13L and 19L countertop and wall mounted Gravity Food Bins, head to our information page.
Use Sustainability Messaging
You'll want to tell your customers about the positive steps you've made in-store to reduce single-use plastic and to support greener shopping.
Walking into your store, eco-conscious customers will be looking for key messages to help them make more environmentally friendly choices when shopping for groceries and gifts. If you make the effort to implement positive changes to your retail displays and gifting, then you'd have already activated their subconscious.
In-store point of sale and chalkboards are also going to be fundamental in educating your customers about sustainable products, services and experiences in your store. There are many types available; adjustable display clips which are great for clipping to the side of display baskets, mini chalkboards suited to shelving units and freestanding chalkboards for our display and counter-top stands.
Once you've chosen your POS, you'll need to create eye-catching signs; we've written a helpful how-to guide on mastering chalkboard lettering to help you create your own chalkboard designs.
