So you want it to look "sustainable"?: Creatively incorporating sustainability into retail design

Given all the palpable signs we have of climate change these days, it’s nice to be able to look for some optimism that people and brands are trying to do better. It’s heartening to see how many brands across a range of categories are incorporating sustainability into their purpose. Some are, of course, doing much more than others and ‘greenwashing’ is a real issue that can’t be brushed aside (sticking a “responsible” label on it does not a sustainable product make). But walking around town and window shopping, or just scrolling Instagram, it’s clear that in store displays and comms it’s an issue that brands want to shout about, sometimes in more obvious ways than others. It raises the question, though, of how does “sustainability” look now, and how is it enacted in store? How can brands prove sustainability credentials whilst standing out from the crowd and being true to the brand’s personality?

A display in Levis Haus London

Of course the first thing to take into account is that sustainability comes in many different forms and incorporates a huge range of different issues. The most ‘sustainable’ option would most likely be to simply never change anything, and never produce any new material or objects. Realistically, though, things wear out, and contemporary brands are built around change and demand for something new. Stores need to balance staying relevant and interesting whilst incorporating long-term thinking and circularity. As brands and individuals do need to replace merchandise, materials, displays, objects, and technology, each needs to find a solution that is sustainable, but it’s often also desirable to make it clear that sustainability is being taken into account so that customers buy into it as well. At the moment I am seeing a range of strategies brands are using to do so, from material use in displays, to services offered in store, to creative approaches to merchandising. Depending on what a brand wants to achieve there is an ever-expanding range of ideas that can be used effectively and in a way that adds to the shopping experience rather than just layering on heavy information.  

Innovative Materials

In the case of materiality, the imperfection and blended colors and textures of recycled goods is one clear way brands and designers are demonstrating sustainability with visual and tactile cues. Recycled plastics seem to be a popular option for displays and furniture now, with speckled, multicolored surfaces showing the blending of pre-used materials into something new. Smile Plastics products and finishes, which appear to be particularly popular from my views into shop fronts recently, achieve this in a playful, artistic way with smeared bright colors running throughout the material at varying depths, adding a layer of contemporary fun while showing their origins.

Ganni store in London featuring Smile Plastics

This kind of multicolored, mottled surface is a visible representation of recycling and creative re-use of materials, which serves as a quick visual cue of sustainability efforts. Similarly rough, soft-looking materials such as recycled cardboard, as seen on the gift boxes I recently saw in an Aesop window display, signal the rough, purposeful imperfection that comes from recycling. It seems to be particularly effective in contexts where the sustainable credentials of the product itself might not necessarily be obvious - for example it’s difficult to tell the difference between regular virgin polyester and the recycled textiles used in some Ganni dresses, but the recycled plastics used in store design point to the brands values and other material use. 

Aesop’s recycled cardboard tube store in Downtown LA

Likewise unexpected re-purposing of recognizable objects can be a playful and unexpected creative opportunity. Doing so positions a brand as a creative thought-leader on how to have a positive impact, and sparks curiosity and emotional connection from customers who walk in and either overtly or subconsciously register that something they recognized has become something new entirely. How can the materials used by a brand in the lifecycle of its products (shipping materials, product packaging, textiles, etc.) stay within the brand and become circular? It’s a great challenge with a lot of creative potential in it, one that could be embraced more rather than pushing constant new-ness of aesthetics and objects. (For this to be really effective and meaningful, the products themselves need to be a real reflection of what is being signalled on the surface as well.) But beyond simply sticking a “sustainable” label on something, these types of materials show tangible evidence of action taken to re-use materials and reduce waste, which is an effective shortcut for consumers to read and respond to emotionally and rationally.

Transparency & Process

However, the use of visual shortcuts to signal a commitment to sustainability is also something that can be easily questioned, and with consumers who are well armed with information at their fingertips brands need to prove that they are walking the walk. (And in some cases, those who are truly leaders in sustainability may not have obvious visual cues of it, such as the biodegradable mannequins used by Stella McCartney in 2018 which have the same, neutral appearance as those used in most high-end stores). This can be done through comms and digital content, but sometimes seeing (and experience) really is believing. In that vein, demonstrating process is increasingly an important way of showcasing a commitment to sustainability, and being fully transparent about how brands work and how they are tackling environmental issues. 

In many cases this means having at least one store where customers can walk in and see it in action - the retail equivalent of an open kitchen. Particularly in fashion, showing the process of making and repairs is a way of highlighting longevity and a commitment to zero waste. Levis Haus, for example, features an open atrium-like space where customers can watch repairs, re-making, and sewing happen. Or Nudie Jeans, which places repair orders and sewing machines front-and-center of some of its stores (and many of them being labelled “repair shop” even if they also sell new goods as well), prioiritizes maintenance and mending over the continual selling of new products and styles.

Being transparent also means embracing that none of us has the perfect answer, and invites consumers to optimistically participate in evolving towards better practices, which likely has greater longevity in terms of emotional engagement than just broadcasting an idea with visuals. And in a digitally-led world, communicating the same value to customers who may only engage with the brand online is equally important. Camper is an example I particularly like, showcasing their ongoing research and development of new materials in shoes, how they’re made, and why they choose a particular material for a particular element. Even if they’re not ‘perfect’ solutions, this kind of transparency makes it interesting and validating for customers to buy their next pair of shoes from the brand, when they inevitably do need (or want) a new pair.

Circular & Collaborative Merchandising

One final strategy is to look at merchandising and product ranges within stores. Sometimes using valuable retail space to highlight other sustainable products or brands can be a show of confidence in ones own quality and back up sustainability credentials. The Shoreditch store of clothing brand Reformation, for example, has multiple large racks of designer vintage clothing in the front third of the store, prioritising pre-loved Missoni over its own designs. Doing so allows Reformation to position itself as a curator of beautiful, luxury clothes whether used or new and carve out a role for itself in customers lives that keeps them coming back. But it also shows their commitment to sustainability without using any of the visual or tactile cues people tend to immediately associate with recycling, instead opting for a fresh, Californian minimalism in its visual identity and contemporary, playful outfits. It’s a subtle, but effective strategy to cue the brands underlying values that requires no special investment in displays, new comms, or product development.

Vintage clothing on display in a Reformation store

For brands wishing to show their commitment to sustainability, the interesting creative challenge is to make retail spaces, both on- and off-line, communicate a brand’s personality without creating too much that is new or made from non-reusable or regenerative virgin materials. Being ‘sustainable’ doesn’t have to mean falling back on obvious, generic cues of ‘naturalness’ at the expense of unique brand personality, nor does it have to me shouting it from the rooftops. But as sustainability and circularity become requirements to maintain brand trust, loyalty, and the simple ability to keep operating, designing with these values in mind should blend seamlessly in with everything else a brand wishes to achieve. This takes some extra thought: to understand the best strategy that fits with what a brand is really doing to improve its footprint (what does sustainability mean in the brand’s context?), what its consumers want, what it stands for, and what else it wants to communicate besides an environmental mission. Answering those questions might not solve the climate crisis at once, but they will help brands strike a balance between the cycle of new-ness and creativity people expect with the desire and need to show that they can do so responsibly. And it bears saying that if brands can’t answer the first question, they’d better start there before they go any further.