2020 has been highlighted as a pivotal year in creating mass responsibility for taking better care of our planet. 27% of Brits say the environment is one of the three most important issues facing the country. Furthermore, UK ethical consumer spending has hit a record high with the average spend on ethical purchases increasing over 600% in the last 10 years.
Asda have upped the ante amongst the UK’s largest supermarkets by announcing their first test and learn sustainability store in Leeds. Shoppers will be able to reuse and refill their own containers with products such as cereal and tea from well-known brands as well as Asda’s own-brand ranges. Although this in-store update is similar to Waitrose’s “Unpacked”, this is the first time one of the UK’s “big four” have struck a brand partnership of this kind to provide environmentally conscientious shoppers with a way to limit their single-use plastic consumption.
With an eye on the state of tomorrow’s world, brands are raising the bar for sustainable products, supply chains and shopping behaviors. Brands will have to re-think how they work with supermarkets in order to provide the long-term sustainable benefits their consumers are looking for, as well as for the survival of their own brand.
Contributed by: Neil Brasier, Senior Planner, Integer London
Image Source: Unsplash
