Retailers focusing inward on green issues

U.S. retailers are growing impatient with a lack of sales of eco-friendly products, according to a recent survey, and are focusing instead on their own sustainability efforts. This was the conclusion of "Lean and Green: How Sustainable Practices Are Changing Retail, Benchmark 2010," a report put out by RSR Research in partnership with the National Retail Federation.

The survey, which involved 95 retailers, was conducted in the fall of 2010.

"When it comes to consumer demand, we definitely saw a certain amount of impatience," said Nikki Baird, a managing partner at RSR Research and co-author of the report. "Winning retailers -- those that outperform their peers in year over year sales -- are particularly challenged by a lack of consumer demand for greener products.”  

The report found an increased willingness among retailers to invest in store-based green initiatives, such as increasing energy efficiency and reducing waste in stores.

“We saw a real opportunity for retailers to do more to educate consumers about the things they're doing in other areas of the business -- things that ultimately benefit consumers in their own neighborhoods," Baird said.

Based in Miami, RSR Research is an analyst firm providing market intelligence on retail technology trends.