Retail is fundamentally bad for the environment. And doing better isn’t easy.

Retail is fundamentally bad for the environment. And doing better isn’t easy.

Retail is fundamentally bad for the environment. And doing better isn’t easy.

Source: https://www.retaildive.com/news/retail-is-fundamentally-bad-for-the-environment-and-doing-better-isnt-eas/624555/

Author: Cara Salpini

Retail might never be an environmentally friendly industry, but we as a society are also unlikely to ever do away with retail. Pursuing sustainability, then, requires retailers to re-examine how they operate and in some ways, reconsider the core purpose of a business: making money. Listen to any earnings call and retail executives will discuss their path to growth. The promise of fast growth has led to skyscraper-high valuations for some of retail’s youngest players, including fast fashion company Shein, which has become known for its heavy environmental impact. Thinking sustainably in the long run might mean jettisoning growth, or at least de-prioritizing it.