New data collected by Lumina Intelligence exclusively for Retail Week shows customers believe Marks & Spencer and Tesco are the most sustainable retailers.
Lumina Intelligence conducted a survey where 2,000 respondents ranked retailers based on their sustainability, with M&S and Tesco shining green as customers placed them on top.
For supermarkets, sustainability is a high contributor to customer loyalty and a retailer’s reputation as a whole.
Which retailers do shoppers think are the most sustainable?
| Retailer | Percentage of consumers |
|---|---|
| Marks & Spencer | 13% |
| Tesco | 10% |
| Waitrose | 6% |
| Sainsbury’s | 6% |
| Co-op | 5% |
| Asda | 5% |
| Amazon | 3% |
| Aldi | 3% |
| Other brands | 50% |
| Source: Lumina Intelligence survey of 2,000 consumers | |
Shoppers placed M&S and Tesco ahead of other retailers such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Asda, who all rank similarly for sustainability.
Consumers gave various reasons for why they believed brands to be sustainable including recyclable shopping bags, reducing packaging and selling fair trade products. Respondents also cited sourcing ingredients in the UK, waste reduction and transparency with production.
Top of the tree
Consumers are more aware than ever of their environmental footprint, so it’s increasingly important for retailers to convey their sustainability message clearly.
It is no surprise M&S sits at the top of the tree for sustainability. As part of its well-known Plan A programme, the retailer has brought its sustainable credentials to the forefront of its store branding.
The retailer’s sustainability message greets customers at the trolley bays in the new 43,000 sq ft store at Galleries Washington in Tyne and Wear, explaining how M&S uses in-store electricity rather than gas, which helps reduce carbon emissions.
In other stores, customers are invited to ‘Look Behind the Label’ and learn more about the sustainability of the products they are buying, with clothing departments featuring donation stations for unwanted clothing and plastics.
M&S launched Plan A in 2007 and was the first major retailer to become carbon neutral in its own operations in 2012. The plan aims for the business to become net zero across their entire supply chain by 2039/40.
The retailer prioritises communicating their sustainability plans to customers in a straightforward, unmissable way while they shop, flagging their initiatives in multiple places across food halls and bakeries.
This helps customers question how net zero affects them, what they can do to help and what Plan A is.
In the survey, customers commented on M&S’ sustainability, saying: “Most of their goods have labels indicating that they are environmentally friendly and locally sourced where possible, plus lots of advertising showing their good’s sustainability.”
An M&S spokesperson said: “Communicating the work we’re doing to our customers is essential to our vision and purpose, and integral to our trusted value proposition.
“At M&S, our vision is to be the most trusted brand, doing the right thing for our customers, with exceptional quality products at the heart of everything we do. Plan A demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and underpins our vision.”
Tesco adopts a similar response, making sure its initiatives are advertised alongside its products.
The supermarket’s clothing brand F&F provides customers with information about products, including where they were sourced through “digital passports”.
The supermarket is also working towards net zero and was one of the first retailers to link 25% of executive bonuses to ESG and sustainability targets.
As the government presses ahead with a deposit return scheme for drinks containers by 2027, supermarkets will become return points for the environmental policy that forms parts of the UK’s effort to tackle climate change.
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