We got to do it again, without face masks: for the first time in a long time, RetailDetail organised a fully-fledged marketing conference with a diverse programme and one main theme: “Doing good is good business”.
Inconsistent consumer
More often, consumers use bicycles to get around, there are more vegetarians, and air travel is coming under scrutiny: things are definitely changing, said Gino Van Ossel (Vlerick Management School), presenter of the event. The first turning point was probably the fire in Bangladesh in 2013. The Covid crisis also boosted awareness, as did the recent floods and wildfires, which made global warming tangible.
Consumer behaviour is highly inconsistent: “During Covid, many people started exercising and eating healthier, but others gained weight. There is more interest in fair trade, but the commitment remains low. Affordability remains the first criteria for consumers, followed by health and only then, the planet.” Yet, there is an additional reason why retailers and other companies invest in sustainability: it is a matter of employer branding. Younger people in particular no longer want to work for companies that cut corners. “Doing good is good business.”
In our DNA
At fashion retailer C&A, the focus on sustainability has been in the company’s DNA since the very beginning. It has been a conscious choice by the founding family Brenninkmeijer from the start. The retailer does not want to hear about ‘greenwashing’: every sustainability claim must be verified and certified by a third party, Catherine Louis and Eva van Elst told us.
“Consumers often talk about sustainability, but that is not why they buy things. We have to make it easier for them, simply not leaving them a choice. We do not measure the impact of our sustainability approach on business. But we do know that it will pay off in the long run.” And indeed: it also helps the company in the war for talent.
Circular revolution
“We are facing a revolution in fashion, and we want to be part of it”, said Maurits Tiethoff and Ruben van Pelt of laundry platform Dobbi. “Even the luxury department store Galeries Lafayette is now selling vintage.” The start-up is also becoming a service provider that can help fashion brands and retailers on their way to circular fashion as that is the ultimate goal. What about the name? It refers to Dobby, the house-elf of the Malfidus family from the Harry Potter books, who can only be free if someone in the family gives him a piece of clothing… So, we learned something new.
“Taking oats to the next level”: oatmeal bar and puns champion Oats Day Long, which first began in Ghent, is now coming to Antwerp and wants to open five more locations in the next two years. Possibly, the brand will then also move into retail. Remarkable: 80 per cent of the customers are women under the age of 35. To expand the customer base, the company is working on broadening the menu offer, which includes oat pancakes and savoury dishes such as ‘risoatto’ or oat bread with avocado and salmon. An ‘Oats app’ is in the pipeline. Above all, the restaurants strive for an ‘oatstanding experience’.
A message of inclusivity
What if new insight and current affairs force you to rethink your brand identity radically? It happened to Mars Food, which is now rolling out the name change of the world’s best-known rice brand in Belgium. Uncle Ben’s becomes Ben’s Original. Although the brand retains the recognisable orange and blue look – to continue to win those decisions made within seconds at the shelves – Global Brand Director Anja Spielmann told us that the operation had to be more than a redesign.
That is why Ben’s Original now carries a message of inclusiveness. Real families feature in the campaign. In Belgium, the brand partners with food banks. Another nice touch: post your original recipe on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtags #bensoriginal #alloriginalrecipes #retaildetail, and Mars Food will donate 100 rice meals for each post.
Mandatory label?
Veerle Poppe of Colruyt Group was only the second speaker to include a picture of Greta Thunberg in her presentation, but the umpteenth to talk about ‘sustainability in the DNA’. Of course, Colruyt Group is allowed to say that. Food has an enormous impact on the climate: the sector is responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions and 80 per cent of deforestation. Consumers want more sustainable food; 57 per cent are in favour of a mandatory label. There is a demand for more transparent information.
“For example, people do not know that most of the grain in our bread originates from Poland and Ukraine.” Will the Eco-Score be a game-changer? She believes so: the label is as simple as the Nutri-Score, and the implementation is proceeding quickly, now that other larger retailers are also getting behind it. To continue: Colruyt is still working on ways to reward shoppers for their sustainable purchases.
Retailer becomes brand
A cross-over between Colruyt and Zeeman can be found quickly: ‘simplicity’ is the common factor. “Simplicity is the key to Zeeman’s success”, says CEO Erik-Jan Mares. “Retail is not rocket science, although you have quite a few decisions to make daily.” The big challenge now is to transform from retailer to brand, with a strong focus on the consumer rather than on costs, with a European focus, with e-commerce as a growth generator. That growth has to come from the south of Europe: in the Netherlands, the retailer closed stores – which paradoxically increased sales – and in Belgium, there are still only a few uncovered areas left.
The final speaker was an advocate of the plant-based revolution. Lieven Vanlommel, top executive at Foodmaker, saw that 35 per cent of consumers gained weight during the lockdowns, and he developed a ‘back on track plan’ to help them. He wants to make healthy food accessible everywhere: not only in their own restaurants but also in stores, at work, schools, aeroplanes, etc. A matter of ‘nudging’. And as much as possible directly from field to fork: on its own organic fields, the company now even grows sweet potato, ginger and turmeric
Save the date
Extensive photo coverage of RetailDetail Day can be found on our Facebook page.
RetailDetail will also organise several physical events in the coming weeks and months. On 30 September, there is the Trade & Shopper Marketing Congress in collaboration with LD&Co. With presentations by Carrefour Belgium, PepsiCo and some top-notch European shopper marketing experts.
On 21 October, The Future of Department Stores, about the opportunities for luxury department stores in the new normal, will take place. A tie-in to the book bearing the same name, with a high-quality international line-up.
And on 25 November, there will finally be another RetailDetail Night, the traditional end-of-year celebration of the retail industry.
All events take place at the RetailDetail event venue, inside the unique Shopping Stadsfeestzaal in Antwerp. We hope to meet you there!
