Retailers of all shapes and sizes are continually working to become more eco-conscious, and technology is key to becoming a greener business. From telecommuting to paperless operations, technology is an innately green component of retailers’ businesses that can minimize environmental impact and maximize business growth. With a well integrated e-commerce platform, retailers can run a virtually paperless online business—effectively reducing the amount of trees, water, and greenhouse gas emissions used in paper production and shipment each year. It is estimated that 19 billion catalogues are mailed to Americans each year, and the majority of that paper ends up in landfills. With the power of smart e-commerce technology, receipts, inventory records, vendor correspondence, catalogues, coupons, and more can all be created, managed, and sent out electronically, saving tons of paper.
As an added bonus, many online retailers find a paperless office is more organized and efficient. “With ShopVisible’s digital marketing capabilities, Bambeco.com has effectively reached our customers with digital catalogues and stayed true to our environmentally responsible culture,” said Susan Aplin, president and CEO. “By leveraging the power of our e-commerce platform, we can be competitive in marketing efforts without the need to waste natural resources.”
Operating an online storefront gives retailers the power to reduce energy consumption and land use necessary to operate brick-and-mortar businesses. Online storefronts allow retailers to essentially turn off the heat and air conditioning, turn off the lights, un-pave the parking lot, and work from just about anywhere, all while selling products to happy customers 24/7.
E-commerce reduces the amount of harmful greenhouse gases put into the air from driving each day by allowing people to work and shop from home. Whether retailers are looking to start a new business online or create an eco-friendly e-commerce counterpart to an existing brick-and-mortar store, e-commerce gives retailers the ability to run a successful business with a much smaller carbon footprint.
Just as retailers are working to be greener, so are consumers. Retailers that want to grow a business that provides eco-conscious products can thrive with e-commerce technology, even if demand in their physical location doesn’t generate enough business.
Online retailers like ecomeme.com, VapourBeauty.com, TerraSageStores.com, and Bambeco.com successfully sell specialty green products—from water-saving showerheads to organic makeup—by reaching green-minded shoppers across the country and around the world.
Using technology, retailers can give customers a greener lifestyle by providing them with access to eco-friendly products and services that may not have been available to them where they live.
Contributed by Sean Cook, CEO of ShopVisible, LLC.
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