Retail’s ongoing digital transformation hasn’t just been about improving shopper experiences. It’s also giving retailers the tools they need to address consumers’ growing environmental concerns. Once a “nice-to-have” among businesses, sustainability in today’s world is now imperative. With NRF Retail’s Big Show around the corner and sustainability taking center stage, we took the time to check in with American shoppers and explore their perceptions of the progress made over the past year and how retailers can contribute to a more sustainable future.

Our recent consumer trend survey, which sought to identify what shoppers will be looking for in the coming year, found that a large percentage (79%) of consumers are still concerned or very concerned about the future of the environment. This is nearly unchanged our findings from a similar survey earlier this year.

Consumers aren’t just expressing concerns—they’re taking action. Many indicated that they are planning to adopt more sustainable shopping habits in the new year. Respondents shared that they plan to buy more items in one store to eliminate multiple shopping trips (39%), shop in-store more often to eliminate packaging and shipping waste (38%), and frequent thrift stores more often (33%) in 2023 to help reduce their impact. With that, they expect retailers to do their part as well.

Nearly a quarter (23%) said they would only shop at stores that have proven to implement sustainable practices. Additionally, 69% of respondents said that seeing retailers improve environmental performance and energy management is important or very important to them. This is in line with the findings from our previous study which showed that, at that time, a plurality of consumers (49%) considered the responsibility for environmental protection to be on businesses rather than government regulators (17%) or individuals (34%). As such, they expect retailers to continue to make progress toward more responsible operations.

Sustainability has been at the heart of Sensormatic Solutions for decades, as we have prioritized the pursuit of a more responsible and purpose-driven retail industry. To learn more about how Sensormatic Solutions digital offerings are leading retail’s journey toward a more sustainable future, visit booth #6305 at the 2023 NRF convention, January 14-17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and follow #SensormaticNRF2023 on Twitter and LinkedIn. To request a booth tour or schedule a meeting with your account manager, visit our scheduling page.