A Sustainable Industry


This year’s Retra Conference was themed around ‘A Sustainable Industry’. Sean Hannam reports on some of the highlights.


The Panel


Matthew Todd, managing director, Dacombes of Wimborne, Dorset


Sean Hannam, editor, Alert /owner, Ipcress Media


Luke Gammon, director of Wades, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire


Matthew Todd, partner, Herbert Todd, York and Harrogate, North Yorkshire


‘How sustainable is your business?’


The industry panel at this year’s Retra Conference answered members’ questions on a wide range of topics, including sustainability. Host Declan Curry asked the retailers what steps they were taking to make their businesses more sustainable.


Declan Curry: Matt Renaut – how sustainable is your business? What’s your score card? Matt Renaut: It’s OK – we do recycling and in February, we’ve got 100 solar panels going on [the building], so we’ll be completely sustainable – we’ll generate all the power we need and hopefully a little more for electric vehicles, when we get them.


DC: What’s your reason for doing it? MR: Electricity bills, firstly – it’s a lot of money per month. Secondly, it’s great PR.


DC: It’s the right and practical thing to do. Luke – what about your business? How sustainable is it and what improvements are you planning? Luke Gammon: It’s pretty sustainable – we do recycling and we’ve just had a big redevelopment, so every light bulb is LED. That helps us and it helps the planet.


DC: Matthew Todd - how sustainable is your business and what are you planning? Matthew Todd: Hopefully, it’s pretty sustainable – we moved to a new out-of-town building about six years ago and we put solar panels on the roof. We have an electric vehicle and we’re seeing how it works for us – so far, it’s been really good. About 10 years ago, I got a compactor for polystyrene


because that was one of my bugbears – putting it all into a skip and having it taken away was horrendous. We’re trying to do our bit.


DC (to all the retailers}: Is there anything you would like to do but not just yet because it’s too expensive, too complicated or the technology’s just not there yet? MT: Our heating system isn’t great – the cost of using it is so prohibitive that we’re cold in the winter and hot in the summer.


24 Retra Conference Report


If there was a grant to help with heat pump technology, we would definitely look at that.


DC: So, a grant would make a difference? MT: For the cost of it – yes. MR: I got a grant from the local government – it will pay half of the cost of our solar panels, a Tesla battery and electric vehicle chargers. I want electric vehicles – that’s the next thing.


DC: Sean, it’s an interesting conversation – the factors that play into the decisions on making businesses more sustainable. Sean Hannam: As part of my job editing Alert, I interview a lot of retailers and, over the past few years, I’ve seen a lot more of them embracing sustainability and contributing to the circular economy, but the challenge for a lot of independent retailers is that they need some help and guidance on how to do it. If you’re a mini-multiple or a large chain, you have a fleet of vehicles and more staff and departments to deal with it. I visit retailers all over the country and they’re doing their


bit – recycling batteries and putting solar panels on the roof… It’s small steps but there definitely needs to be more education – I think a lot of retailers find it hard to implement. But retailers, brands and customers are taking it more seriously – sustainability is higher up on customers’ shopping than it was before, but price is still top.


DC: (To the retailers): Do you feel there’s enough information and support out there to make the decisions on sustainability for the business? LG: There’s enough information, I’d like electric vans as well, but it’s the cost implications. We don’t travel a lot of miles, so electric vans would be perfect for us, but it’s the initial cost. MR: It’s bit by bit. Like any retailer, we’re not loaded – it has to be part of our business plan over the next three years.


Retra Conference Report


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