Are you a responsible retailer?

LifestyleGarden® issues a rallying call to retailers

Having launched two benchmark setting furniture ranges that go above and beyond in their mission to making sustainable material innovation available to the masses, as well as ensuring that its entire supply chain is focused on delivering environmentally friendly solutions, LifestyleGarden® is a brand that is dedicated to being a responsible manufacturer. But what does it mean to be a responsible retailer and how can retailers maximise their offering to meet the needs of consumers wanting to source more eco-responsible products? Here, LifestyleGarden® offer some words of advice.

 

Paul Cohen, Commercial Director at LifestyleGarden explains more: “Forget battling it out to offer the keenest price points; you won’t win fans that way anymore! Consumers have a broader agenda now and expect far more from retailers and brands than flash sales and budget lines.  As we face a climate crisis, people care greatly about sustainability, transparent supply chains, and quality products that last, rather than sending piles of plastic and packaging to landfill. Shoppers are taking greater responsibility for the products they purchase, and they demand their retailers do the same thing. So, keep a narrow focus at your peril because, while you’re busy fighting it out over competitive RRPs, your customers will be going elsewhere.”

 

Cheap isn’t always cheerful

It’s true, people are still feeling the pinch and watching their pennies – that probably won’t ever stop – but as the saying goes “buy cheap, buy twice”. Gone are the days when price alone was the be all and end all because people want the money they do spend to go further. In fact, with greater awareness around manufacturing processes, slave labour, and questions around the provenance of products, many now eye items that boast rock-bottom price tags with suspicion. They’ll ask themselves “why is it so cheap – it’s saving me money but at what cost to the planet or the people who made it, and is it actually built to last?”

There is a strong desire to move away from a throwaway society, which means consumers want products that perform, stand the test of time and have a reduced environmental impact. Can retailers always honestly say that the ranges they stock deliver on all those fronts?

In a 2021 survey, conducted by Deloitte, nearly one in the three consumers said they had stopped purchasing certain brands or products because they had ethical or sustainability-related concerns about them. More than a third of UK consumers said they had actively chosen brands that have environmentally sustainable or ethical practices. Of those, 44% viewed waste reduction as important and 43% valued brands producing sustainable packaging and adopting circular practices. Other practices that were valued highly by these consumers included reducing carbon footprints, committing to ethical working practices, and protecting and supporting biodiversity.

 

More to the story

Competition in the marketplace hasn’t disappeared overnight and we know price tags still need to be attractive to shoppers, but retailers are doing their customers a disservice if they think snagging a bargain is all there is to talk about. Manufacturers are making great strides in the use of sustainably sourced and recyclable materials, as well as the recyclability of packaging; all whilst continuing to bring highly-innovative, stylish and creative products to market that enhance the lives of the people that use them.

 

Get customers excited about the stories behind these ranges. The fantastic features and benefits – which help to improve both their lives and the planet we inhabit – will do more to encourage a purchase than just shouting about bargain-basement pricing.

 

LifestyleGarden® is setting the benchmark for sustainability and innovation in the outdoor furniture market with game-changing launches and world firsts, such as DuraOcean®, and the recent addition of Social Plastic to its portfolio. Taking eco-friendly, ethical materials to a whole new level, this unique recycled plastic material helps to clear the world’s waterways of plastic pollution, whilst also supporting local communities who collect the waste for recycling; helping to lift them out of poverty.

 

As many as 2.08billion plastic bottles have been recovered for processing since the inception of Social Plastic by Plastic Bank®. Even more gratifying is that the lives of more than 110,000 people have been improved. as a result of their involvement in the scheme.

 

The use of sustainable materials never compromises the quality or performance of LifestyleGarden®’s ranges and, even better, many of these elegant pieces can be dismantled and recycled at the end of their life. Design-lead and ahead of the curve, these furniture collections provide innovative solutions for customers and offer style, versatility and durability; meaning consumers enjoy them for years to come.

 

Rightly or wrongly, a retailer’s offering strongly reflects the business as a whole, so take a minute to consider how consumers might judge you by what’s on your shelf and shopfloor. It’s not too late to change the narrative and build greater trust with savvy shoppers by shaping your offer to include more responsible products.

 

Find out more

To find out more about LifestyleGarden® and its multi-award-winning ranges please visit www.lifestylegarden.co.uk

 

Ends

 

Words: 834

 

For more information, interviews or images please contact:

Kimberley Hornby, LifestyleGarden PR Team, Hornby Whitefoot PR

Tel: 07851 610573           Email: kimberley@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk

 

 

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