Consumers attracted to greener retail stores, report says

A new report from the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) claims that retailers can improve the shopping experience for their customers and potentially increase their profits by providing greener, healthier stores.

Led by the UK Green Building Council, the report ‘Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Retail: The Impact of Green Buildings on People and Profit’ details emerging evidence showing that retail stores which typically have good levels of daylight, fresh air and greenery are becoming more attractive to consumers and potentially more profitable for retailers.

“This should be a wake-up call for retailers and those with a stake in retail property,” said John Alker, policy & campaign director, UK Green Building Council. “They are sitting on a potential goldmine of data, which can help cement the business case for investing in healthy, greener stores — both new build and refurbishment.”

“This report is about empowering retailers to look within their own properties to understand and monetise how better, more sustainable physical environments can potentially drive profit and, in doing so, ultimately strengthens the business case for greener, healthier buildings,” added WorldGBC CEO Terri Wills.

The report is said to be the most comprehensive project to date into the potential impact of retail environments on economic performance. It also forms one of the first major outputs of WorldGBC’s global campaign Better Places for People, designed to increase the number of green buildings that support people’s health, wellbeing and productivity.

“Retailers have a distinct advantage over other sectors because they have an extensive understanding of how consumers behave, from the amount of time they spend in stores to where specifically in stores they spend that time,” said Richard Francis, principal of The Monomoy Company, who chaired the project task group. “Linking that behaviour to sustainable store design will be a catalyst for major change within the industry — change that will lead to retail spaces which are better for consumers and employees, retailers and the environment.”