How to help your business have a sustainable Christmas this winter
2 min read
Increasing environmental concerns mean that having a sustainable Christmas is high on the list of priorities for many individuals and businesses. This can be achieved in a number of ways not only in the products you buy but also in the bespoke packaging used for those products. Here are some of the methods that your business can adopt to help it have a sustainable Christmas.
- Stock sustainable items
One of the ways you as a business whether you’re a small local high street retailer or a larger online operation you could promote sustainability through the stocking of sustainable items in your marketplace. A potential example of a fun small Christmas present that might be good is to stock sustainable socks or you could think about stocking sustainability handbooks. These small little presents might be beneficial in promoting sustainably this Christmas through small gifts that customers can purchase if they wanted to.
- Use sustainable bespoke paper packaging
Marketing to the environmentally-conscious consumer means that you have to take into account the sustainability of all aspects of the product offering, including the packaging. With this in mind, we recommend using bespoke packaging that is used from recycled materials. This will help to reduce the carbon footprint of your business and your consumers.
A lot of the time sustainable materials are also viewed as more ‘high-end’ by customers. The perceived higher level of quality means they will feel more comfortable using your bespoke packaging when giving presents over Christmas.
- Adopt reusable paper bags in your retail stores
It is a somewhat pointless endeavour if you improve the sustainability of your bespoke packaging without making sure the bags you use in your stores are also good for the environment. Having reusable paper bags for your products will give you an opportunity to increase your brand awareness and the perceived quality of your customers buying experience.
- Encourage customers to purchase long-term use products
Another way that you can increase your business’s sustainability over Christmas is through marketing upcycled products or similar items that are sustainable to your customers. If you are a regular clothing store, encourage consumers to buy items that can be worn again and again over a period of time as appose to ‘fast-fashion‘ items that are discarded after a week of use.
- Ensure you have a viable strategy to process goods after Christmas
Making your business sustainable is not an overnight venture and it is a process that does not end after Boxing Day. Many retailers have leftover items after the festive period which often are never purchased and end up taking up space in storage.
We recommend organising some strategic sales to help the clear stock of the shelves and reduce the amount of dead stock that you need to process. This includes finding a use for any bespoke packaging you don’t use in the build-up to Christmas.
