Retailers like two things:
- to satisfy their customers’ desire to spend money with them, and
- to achieve the above for the highest margin possible.
“Simples”, as a meerkat near you might say.
However, we see that:
- customers are now requiring evermore ‘green’ and sustainably-sourced products
- there’s a trend towards ‘enoughism’ and a rejection of consumption/consumerism
- businesses are recognising the marketing and sales advantage of ethical, green, organic and sustainable products and services
- there are some arguments that ‘sustainability’ and efficiency can go hand in hand
- there are challenges to tokenism and an understanding that ‘greening’ one part in isolation can have adverse consequences elsewhere…
In short, this is a complex area, full of opportunities, risks and issues.
Since this is such an interesting area we’re going to dedicate our panel discussion at Internet World to this topic.
Join us at 1200 on Wednesday 29 April, 2009 in the eCommerce Theatre:
http://www.internetworld.co.uk/education/ecommerce-theatre/ecommerce-theatre-wednesday
We’ll have four leading, experienced minds in conversation on the key topics, and I can confirm that we’ll be joined by:
- Walter Blackwood, ex Chairman of HDNL and now CEO of Drop&Collect. Walter’s created and run the biggest distribution business in the UK and is better placed than anyone to consider the impacts of direct-to-customer eCommerce, logistics and operations
- Tom Kay, founder and CEO of Finisterre, a surf-inspired brand that’s extended beyond its initial activities in 2002 to embody the passion for product, people and the environment. Tom and Finisterre are multi-award winners, including the Observer’s Ethical Business of the Year 2008.
- James Alexander, co-founder of Zopa, CEO of TheGreenThing and previously Strategy Director at Egg, the online bank.
Registration for Internet World is free – just apply here:
www.internetworld.co.uk/register
We really hope to see you there on the 29th and we’ll be at the event all day. Send us a message on Twitter (@etail) or @ianjindal if you’d like to connect.
I’ll be announcing our other speakers over the weekend.
Finally, if you have any questions you’d like to put to the panel please don’t hesitate to tell us – either via twitter as above or to editor@internetretailing.net
