Green Retailing 101: Create a More Environmentally Friendly Business

“Green retailing” is the term used to describe environmentally friendly practices by companies and businesses. Far too many companies turn a blind eye to the footprint they are leaving behind. By incorporating green, environmentally friendly practices into your normal everyday business operations, you’ll gain a number of unique benefits. To learn more about the benefits of green retailing and where to start, keep reading.

More Companies are Going Green

A 2009 study performed by Retail Systems Research found that slightly less than half (49%) of U.S. retailers surveyed supported green, environmentally friendly initiatives. In the following year, however, this number rose dramatically to 61%. What’s even more impressive is that just 4% of retailers surveyed believe going green is a fad.

Benefits of Going Green

Still on the fence about going green with your business? Here are just a few of the top benefits of going green…

• Reduces overhead costs (electricity, gas, water, etc.)
• Possibility to receive federal and state tax credits
• Attracts environmentally conscious consumers whom only want to purchase from green retailer
• Creates a positive example for other retailers to follow
• Gain additional press exposure for green practices
• Better sustainability

How To Go Green With Your Business

After reading the green benefits above, you’re probably wondering where to start. The truth is that there are dozens of environmentally friendly changes business owners can make, one of the easiest being the use of recycled material. Most grocery stores and supermarkets have already made the switch to recycled paper materials.

Whether you operate a grocery store, apparel store, electronics store or any other type of retail establishment, you should look into recycled materials. There are several companies out there who specialize in recycled materials, and they oftentimes cost less and perform just as well as their non-eco-friendly counterpart.

Another step retailers can take to make their business greener is using energy-efficient lighting. Incandescent light bulbs are the worst in terms of energy-efficiency, but unfortunately they are the most commonly used. Business owners choose them due to their inexpensive price. It’s not uncommon to find incandescent bulbs available for sale for $.30 cents or less, making them the least expensive. However, you’ll end up paying more in the long run in the form of a higher electricity bill.

Instead of using incandescent bulbs in your store or business, try using compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, both of which are last longer and use less energy.