What: The NRF VP of CSR and sustainability’s interview for Earth Day.

Why it is important: Customers are increasingly aware that every business decision has real-world impacts and they expect retailers not only to be prepared, but also very active… even though this is uncharted territory and each retailer is trying to make do with what they have.

For the Earth Day and in preparation for the upcoming Supply Chain 360 Expo, the NRF decided to interview Scot Case, VP of CSR and Sustainability for the Federation.

For him, there is no really one definition of sustainability on the market as he remarks that it greatly varies on who is defining it, and with 4.2 million retailers in the US, that can create confusion. This is why he prefers to stick to a simple definition: “sustainability for the retail community is about creating net positive environmental, social and community benefits”. This allows to have a rather simple way of measurement, just like how companies assess their profits, even though this does not wipe out the complexity of calculating the hidden costs of any purchase made by customers.

Consumers care: 70% of them expect retailers to commit and provide information about the products they sell, and this proportion goes higher within the younger generations.

What is retail sustainability and why should you care? 

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