A reading of the new report published by FEVAD*: These times of economic crisis are accompanied by a ecological awareness and a questioning overconsumption inherited from the Trente Glorieuses. Consumers are now attentive to your corporate social and environmental responsibility. It's up to you to turn this into an asset, without resorting to greewashing! We help you to monitor trends and identify action levers that may concern you.
Delivery: the sinews of ecological warfare
With the development of telecommuting, consumers want their parcels to follow them wherever they go. According to a SendCloud study, 63% of customers want to be able to change the delivery slot even when the order is already on its way. Is this craze for deliveries at odds with the search for a more environmentally virtuous way of consuming?
Between the packaging, the carbon footprint of transport and the risk of having to return the product, it's hard to know whether the increase in deliveries is good news for the planet. Yet there are arguments for making your delivery option a pillar of your CSR:
Delivery generates up to 4 times less Co2 than in-store purchases**.
- Buyers know this because they are 67% to declare delivery to avoid a car journey*.. Don't hesitate to highlight the number of households delivered by each of your deliveries. Avoiding express deliveries and favoring point-delay deliveries is part of this approach.
- If your e-commerce activity really does replace the opening of a store, Showcase your heating and cooling savings by choosing to sell exclusively online.
- And if you have a fleet of clean" vehiclesshout it from the rooftops. This is the commitment of La Poste, which is announcing that ¼ of its national routes will be run by natural gas-powered vehicles by 2025, and that half of its last-mile routes will be run by electric vehicles by 2023.
- Don't forget stores also deliver. And sometimes from very far away, when it's a network of stores dependent on a national buying group!
What could cause the consumer to adopt an anti-delivery approach is packaging management and working conditions for delivery drivers (closely watched with the boom in dark stores). Don't neglect these subjects...
What about your packaging? The Agec law will mark a turning point
Anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec) has set itself the target of eliminating all single-use plastic by 2040, and from 2025 onwards, it will have to do away with all "useless" single-use plastic such as plastic blisters around batteries and light bulbs. The rest should be 100% recyclable or reusable.
Some will see this as a major constraint, but for others it's a golden opportunity to build loyalty and create a buzz. For example, Samsung in 2020 has delivered all its TV sets in practical, fun packaging that can, for example, be transformed into a small kennel for pets.
Did you know that over half of all e-tailers already use eco-responsible delivery packaging*? Even Amazon has announced that it is moving away from plastic shipping packaging and increasing the number of products that can be shipped in their original packaging.
Beyond the material used for packaging, the problem of packaging is also one of quantity. According to DS Smith, a firm specializing in industrial packaging, 24% of container volumes shipped by ship are empty space! In partnership with FEVAD, 15 major e-commerce players have decided to commit to reducing the packaging volume of their products by 75% by the end of 2024, and to giving preference to recycled, recyclable or reusable materials.
Inflation appears to be accelerating this anti-waste trend. Lightboard has seen inflation of almost 21 % over the past year, and brown board of over 60 %***. A vertiginous rise in prices driven by a shortage of raw materials, combined with a surge in demand at a time when all segments of the catering, retail and commercial sectors were in demand for single-use bags and tableware for delivery and takeaway, due to the pandemic.
To go even further, and if your product allows it, don't forget to consider bulk distribution and deposits. The planet will thank you.
Less visible pollution from your production
Made In France... indirectly encouraged by the war in Ukraine
66 % of e-buyers prefer Made In France products and 56 % are willing to pay more for them *! It's up to you, e-tailers, to review and enhance your sourcing and manufacturing processes. And don't neglect to produce the editorial or audio-video content you'll need to add value. Photos, testimonials, cards... don't skimp on storytelling.
You may also be reviewing your supply chain for other reasons... The War in Ukraine is impacting 37% of small French online retailers in terms of stocks and supplies, according to a survey of 2,000 of its European customers carried out by the Packlink PRO shipping solution****. To another question, 43 % answered that "the conflict has had a considerable impact on costs and, consequently, on their prices and business." It's a safe bet, then, that if Made In France gains market share in all e-commerce sectors in the near future, it won't be for CSR reasons alone.
What if you integrated the circular economy into your offering?
Don't be a bystander to the growing success of Vinted or Back Market! You too can make the leap to the circular economy.
- You may be able to resell your second-hand products. Simply offer your customers the chance to take back and possibly repair products they no longer use. LaRedoute has launched LaReboucle and ready-to-wear sites like Balzac, so why not you? It's a low-cost innovation that's sure to boost your image.
- The circular economy also means renting rather than buying! Décathlon understands this, and has recently started renting out its sports equipment! It requires a bit of logistics, but it's a very profitable solution. Not all your products will be involved, but if some can be rented out, go for it! It's a golden opportunity to build customer loyalty.
Overproduction: invisible pollution
Inventory management is one of the most sensitive aspects of e-commerce, as it is obviously difficult to accurately quantify customer needs. Today, companies choose to over-produce and overstock. But little by little, the "sale without stock" scheme is making a comeback after a century of oblivion. This is the prerogative of small companies, who emphasize artisanal production, since not mass-producing represents an additional cost that the consumer must accept. In this way, the manufacture of a product is launched once it has been ordered by the end customer... a complete upheaval in the way we produce and consume. Could this become a fundamental trend? Watch this space in the coming years.
Environmental impact labelling
What is the carbon cost of a particular pair of shoes or screwdriver? The Agec law launched an 18-month experiment in environmental and social labelling of every purchase or product. In this vein, Prestashop modules (such as Climate Kit) are flourishing to help you take the lead on what may soon become a regulatory constraint.
In the meantime, it's an element of reassurance for your customers that may be worth looking into. In the same way as micro-donation modules, such as the "round-up for solidarity".
As you can see, CSR is more an opportunity for innovation and differentiation than a set of constraints on your growth. The ideas are numerous, and they have the advantage of having a dual impact: on your brand image and on your environment!
