• by Amy Lanzi , Op-Ed Contributor, May 10, 2022

We’ve spent the last two years focused on how consumers and retailers are forever changed – with nearly everything available for digital purchase and consumers being in a perpetual always-on buying mode, making the buy whenever and wherever they choose. These shifts have ignited the mandate for commerce transformation so brands can maintain relevancy and be truly consumer-centric to win over time.

However, a new imperative has surfaced: the need to focus on re-commerce and the circular economy.

Here are some ways I see this important trend taking shape in the marketing industry over the coming year and how brands can take action:

Embrace the Re-Commerce Mindset

Shoppers have learned they can have anything they want in today's always-on shopping systems. We have grown to love bright shiny objects or anything that "Tik Tok Made Me Buy." There is a new luxury mindset that has emerged on extending items’ lifespans beyond their first owners. In order to make this an important and compelling need attractive to shoppers, brands and retailers must provide circular offerings in a frictionless, consumer-friendly way. Consumers want to do their part but are also easily dissuaded if the experience is not as flawless as fast fashion acquisition.

Find Circular Solutions & Educate

Many brands have made an effort to reduce plastic use and we’re seeing more consumers show greater concern about plastic waste and climate change. Plastic packaging represents nearly half of all plastic waste. This is a huge issue for our industry, with consumers finally showing behavior change and a desire to choose sustainable options, as well as demanding transparency and the desire to support mission-driven brands with their wallets.

Recycling is not really a solution for this so the key focus for brands of the future is a circular solution that limits disposable moments. The convergence of online and offline shopping establishes a key education moment for consumers to learn more about this and make better choices.

Facilitate Regenerative Retail

There is still tension between doing what is right for the planet and what is right for the bottom line. At Shoptalk 2022, Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, chief marketing & communications officer at Whole Foods, talked about using sustainable materials and doing good for the planet through regenerative practices.

In the near future, publicly traded companies will require disclosures of carbon usage.

Companies like Whole Foods follow a three-pronged approach to making regenerative retail real. The first focus is on increasing food quality as defined by its impact on people and the planet. Next is their impact on suppliers; and finally, they focus on innovating new ways to drive transparency of products and adherence to legal sustainability standards as claims lack standardization.

Proof of this model happened during Valentine’s Day, where 99% of the roses sold via Whole Foods were fair trade, resulting in happy Whole Foods shoppers. Employees in the local county also benefitted by receiving a stipend to fund love for their town, including free dental care and access to mortgages for first-time homeowners. This is a new way to think about how smart choices can restore our planet as well as restart local economies.

The importance of the circular future has been validated by many leading brands in our industry, who are doing their part to reduce waste, educate consumers and save the planet. It’s always been important, but now imperative that we pursue more sustainable options together.