Whether for drugstore items, household goods or books: As an interface between customers and manufacturers, retail is a central driving force behind sustainable transformation. In stores and online, it enables more sustainable purchasing decisions, for example through the design of the product range, the introduction of labels on the products and advertising campaigns that highlight eco-fair alternatives.

It is important to protect customers from greenwashing and to critically examine sustainability promises. Products that are proven to be unsustainable can be delisted. Digital Product Passports create transparency along the supply chain and make ecological and social aspects visible in the supplier and sales network. Retailers can contribute to a successful circular economy – especially with their own brands – through smart packaging, products made from recycled materials and refill stations, among other things.

Some pioneers are relying on re-commerce marketplaces: reselling raises awareness of the monetary value of items that have already been used and saves resources. Refurbishment extends value chains and product life cycles. The influence on manufacturers and consumers creates great opportunities for action. Some retail companies have been leading the way with ambitious sustainability strategies and flagship examples for decades, while others have even more far-reaching transformation steps ahead of them in order to achieve a resource-saving, climate-neutral circular economy for consumer goods.

The industry includes, for example, the retail trade in non-food consumer goods including household goods, drugstore items or books online, stationary, at markets and in department stores.