Amdea: retailers must play their part in selling sustainability


Paul Hide, Amdea’s chief executive, told delegates that


the industry has a collective responsibility to encourage consumers to embrace sustainability and that reaching net zero required collaborative action and was not down to manufacturers alone. Mr Hide said: “Now is the time to ensure


that your customer conversations on sustainable appliance purchases are set at equal priority to features, performance and design. Your customers will expect, even demand this information, and are likely to end their relationships with suppliers and retailers who fail to actively support sustainable purchases.” “We have a collective responsibility to educate and encourage greater levels of household action linked to sustainable appliance use. Individual small actions can make a collective big difference.” Mr Hide said that sustainability had not always been a priority for consumers, however, he pointed out that research conducted by Amdea last year showed that is changing and that more consumers are considering sustainable products. Amdea surveyed 2,000 households and


found that almost 67% of those said they would be more likely to buy an appliance made of some recycled materials.


there’s an awful lot of white gentlemen, who are senior in our industry, and of a certain age. Without being unkind, it’s something that we all have to look at.” Mr Saycell also used his opening address


to highlight a number of top topics, namely manufacturer selling direct to consumers, the Right to Repair and a proposed internet sales tax. Starting with direct selling, Mr Saycell said: “This


is entirely your decision as a manufacturer – it’s none of Retra’s business what you do. “Retra believes strongly that the best possible experience for a consumer is buying


quality, innovative products, provided by the manufacturers, in retailer stores. “The challenge that Retra wants to throw


out there to the manufacturers is if you have to engage directly with the consumer, how are you going to protect your current route to market – how are you going to ensure that the relationship that you have with your retailers, whether they are large or small, is protected in a new style route to market?” Turning to Right to Repair, Mr Saycell reported that consumers are already ringing members confused about what the actual situation is.


“We need to consider that there will be an awful lot of misinformation, particularly in the media, so it’s down to us as an industry to be clear,” he said. Moving to another ‘hot potato’, Mr Saycell told


delegates that the government consulting on an online sales tax started in February 2022 and was due to run until May 20. “The thought process behind it is that the


government will introduce an online sales tax to try and help alleviate the burden on business rates.” Mr Saycell said. “Retail accounts for roughly 5% of the total


gross domestic product of the UK, but it pays 10% of business rates – it’s clearly unfair and impractical and it needs addressing. “Retra is a diverse organisation. We have many members that would potentially support an online sales tax and we have many members who wouldn’t. The question that I will be asking is if business rates is a broken tax, why introduce another tax just fix a broken tax? Why not just fix the broken one?”


July 2022 www.ierdaily.co.uk | 15


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