By Ellie-Rose Davies, Content Executive at IMRG
Today’s shoppers aren’t just looking for products, they’re looking for brands that share their values. More than ever, customers want to see retailers supporting social and environmental causes.
The good news? Retailers have countless opportunities to make a difference, and in doing so, strengthen customer loyalty.
In this blog, we explore the initiatives consumers want to see most, with real-world examples of retailers leading the way. We also share insights from industry experts on how businesses can weave purpose into every stage of the customer journey.
Read on to discover:
- How retailers are putting social and environmental causes at the heart of their business
- Why eco-friendly packaging and sustainable sourcing top customer expectations
- How delivery and logistics play a major role in environmental initiatives
- The growing influence of marketplaces in driving sustainability
Retailers putting purpose at the heart of their business
Numerous leading retailers are putting social and environmental initiatives at the heart of their business.
Just shy of 50% of customers said that they ‘Sometimes’ see retailers supporting these causes, with a further 14% saying that they see this ‘Often’ – that is according to our recent ‘The Giving Economy’ report (2025).
Customers expectations for retailers supporting social, environmental, and charitable causes is growing as over 45% believe ‘more retailers will adopt sustainable practices’ in the next five years, and over 22% see that this will ‘become standard practice.’
Below industry experts have provided examples of retailers who are socially and environmentally responsible, to help inspire others to think similarly.
Experts at Prisync say, ‘Customers love to see that their purchase will create a positive impact.’
‘Companies can develop campaigns that emphasise whether committing to choosing a particular material over another during product manufacturing, ethically sourcing their products, using sustainable packaging, or not testing products on animals, to show that they support environmental causes.’
‘Or merchants can donate a certain percentage or amount of the purchased products to NGOs, like in Sephora and Lady Gaga’s “We Belong to Something Beautiful” campaign.’
Prisync note that ‘Even though the price and quality are still top factors influencing customer choices when purchasing products, 2025 results show that people are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, which conveys an opportunity for retailers to align their practices with consumer preferences toward sustainability.’
Our research shows that eco-friendly packaging is the top sustainability effort, selected by 32.3% of respondents, that will inspire customers to shop with a retailer.
Moe Dhanji, Key Account Director at Commerce also provides examples; ‘Today’s consumers are opting for values-based purchasing decisions. They want to buy from brands that reflect their social and environmental priorities.’
‘Retailers like Patagonia and The Body Shop are leading the way by embedding sustainability and ethical practices into every stage of the customer journey, from eco-conscious product sourcing to transparent post-purchase communications.’
Moe reveals that ‘73% of global consumers say they would change their consumption habits to reduce environmental impact.’
‘Looking ahead, initiatives that emphasise circular commerce, carbon-neutral shipping, and ethical supply chains will continue to gain momentum. Retailers that lead with purpose not only drive loyalty but also future-proof their business in an increasingly values-driven market.’
Sadé Weeden, Influencer Partnerships Executive at Awin reflects on brands who have embracing sustainability and social causes as a movement rather than a tick box exercise:
‘Take Wild, they turned a refillable deodorant into a movement, powered by eco-minded influencers who live its cruelty-free values.’
‘John Lewis makes “Mend and Make Do” fashionable through advocates of slower, greener living, while Tesco’s food-waste mission comes alive when zero-waste cooks curate online recipes from what’s already on hand.’
‘By linking big-brand initiatives to real, everyday choices, influencers turn sustainability into more than a message. They make it a shared movement everyone can join.’
Delivery and logistics as a sustainability opportunity
Our research found that 35% of UK customers ‘Sometimes’ choose to shop with retailers that are environmentally friendly, including, for example, those who offset CO2 emissions through delivery options and optimised delivery routes. Other consumers ‘Often’ (20.5%) and ‘Always’ (4.4%) choose to shop with those retailers.
Industry experts have provided examples of how to approach delivery, from the checkout and beyond, that will meet customer expectations.
Dr. Arne Jeoschewski, CEO and Co-Founder at Parcel Perform says, ‘While sustainable packaging is a great start, the conversation often misses the biggest piece of the puzzle: the delivery journey itself.’
‘Choosing the truly ‘greenest’ option for every parcel is a complex data problem, balancing carrier carbon footprints against speed and cost.’
Arne shares, ‘I believe the future lies in using data to make these intelligent routing decisions dynamically—empowering customers with clear, sustainable choices at checkout.’
‘This approach transforms sustainability from a static policy into an active, measurable part of the customer experience, which is the authenticity consumers now demand.’
Barley Laing, the UK Managing Director at Melissa, also argues for intelligent routing, exclaiming that ‘challenges such as failed deliveries and returns, inefficient routing and excessive packaging waste contribute to an unnecessary environmental impact, despite the push for greener logistics.’
‘This is largely due to issues around inaccurate customer addresses. The reason – customer data decays by around 25 per cent a year on databases, while at the same time around 20 per cent of addresses entered online contain errors.’
“This means it’s valuable to undertake address verification which solves the issue of incorrect and incomplete customer addresses and thereby helps retailers to avoid failed deliveries.’
‘It also supports optimised routing, which leads to reduced miles driven per delivery, with lower fuel consumption and emissions, along with faster, more accurate deliveries. Something that’s vital when customers are accustomed to same or next day deliveries.’
Barley urges retailers to explore address lookup or autocomplete tools, and then these can be used to inform geocoding to ‘plan the most efficient delivery routes, further supporting their efforts in speeding up fulfilment and reducing cardon emissions.’
Sustainable post-purchase experiences doesn’t stop at delivery. A key part of making this stage more sustainable is through improving returns management.
Mike Viscione, Interim New Business Sales Director at ReBound Returns comments, ‘Shoppers want flexibility when ordering clothing and accessories, including different sizes and colours, and the chance to test quality, look and feel at home. They expect to return unwanted items easily without environmental guilt.’
‘Retailers can have processes to reintegrate returns into sales rather than sending them to waste, while also offering sustainable return methods such as reusable packaging, store drop-off and collection points to cut supply chain miles.’
Mike says, ‘These practices not only meet consumer expectations but also demonstrate social and environmental responsibility, building trust, reducing waste and creating longer-term loyalty that benefits both brand reputation and the wider community.’
Marketplaces driving the sustainability movement
Marketplaces are a great option for those customers seeking to support social and environmental-focussed retailers.
Industry expert PayPoint notes how ‘Retailers that respond to evolving customer values will reap the biggest rewards, including those relating to sustainability. For parcels, this ranges from packaging credentials to the journey of a deliver – from sender to receiver.’
Store-to-store initiatives, where parcels are consolidated at drop off and also local collection points, help cut down on emissions by reducing the number of individual van drop-offs. We have seen huge growth in this area from the likes of Vinted and other marketplace sellers where customers value the environmental, convenience and cost benefits.’
Payment argue that ‘From a social perspective, integrated parcel services also allow customers to send or collect parcels while running other errands, complementing modern lifestyles by offering more convenience and flexibility.’
Simon Dyer, RVP Northern Europe & Middle East, Mirakl continues the conversation around marketplaces role in supporting sustainable initiatives.
He says, ‘Today’s consumer is more conscious than ever, and a brand’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility is a critical driver of loyalty and growth.’
‘At Mirakl, we see the marketplace model as a powerful enabler of this shift. By offering a curated platform, retailers can onboard sellers who align with their values, showcasing everything from locally-sourced goods to circular economy initiatives.’
Simon shares how ‘This not only meets consumer demand — with data showing 53% of consumers want to buy from sustainable vendors — but also allows retailers to innovate, reduce their own carbon footprint, and build a more resilient business for the future. The marketplace is the engine for this responsible eCommerce evolution.’
In Summary:
This blog can be well summarised by Tradebyte’s Head of Corporate Relations, Alexander Otto, quote:
‘Consumers increasingly expect retailers to address social and environmental priorities across the customer journey, but brands face the challenge of aligning these initiatives with economic viability.’
‘Consumers want transparency on sourcing, fair labour, and low-carbon operations, with 71% unwilling to buy from brands they don’t trust.’
‘Post-purchase, re-commerce and circular economy models are gaining traction. Successful eCommerce strategies include nearshoring to cut transport emissions, agile inventory to avoid overproduction, and circular models such as resale. Brands balancing cost control with meaningful social and environmental initiatives will likely retain loyalty and build resilience.’
Can you think of a brand that positively stood out to you for their social and/or environmental initiatives? Feel free to share them with us!
If you’re interested in learning more about consumers’ opinions and demands around social, environmental, and charitable initiatives, read our latest report in collaboration with Ecommpay: The Giving Economy: How Social Impact and Sustainability Drive Ecommerce Growth
Published 22/08/25
