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The Department Store Re-Imagined: a new era in sustainable shopping

Lauretta Roberts
17 April 2023

Shortly after physical retail was finally allowed to re-open after the first lockdown of 2020, Selfridges made a bold statement: it planned to ‘change the way we shop’ by 2025.

Sustainable models, materials and mindsets were being placed at the front and centre of its strategy bringing circular practices such as rental, repair and resale into the mainstream.

Ever the trailblazer the historic department store was once again ahead of the curve (in the intervening two to three years circularity has been rapidly adopted across the industry). It was a brave move to make at a time when many retailers were scrambling to find their feet again.

Other department stores followed suit with Harrods introducing rental, for example, and Harvey Nichols championing reselling and repair.

What these department stores were doing, however, was in fact going back to the kind of conscious shopping (not that it was known as that at the time) that they were known for more than 100 years ago or more.

Buying well-produced garments, taking them back in for repair and reusing the fabric when a garment was at the end of its life was completely normal when department stores dominated the shopping scene in the late 19th and early 20th Century.

For today’s shoppers shopping sustainably is very much front of mind, but a rather more complex process than it once was. Understanding where a garment was made, from what, how to sustainably dispose of its at the end of its useful life is not necessarily easy.

Payments provider Klarna, which has partnered with TheIndustry.fashion on “The Department Store Re-imagined” landmark report, is committed to helping consumers buy more consciously and, what’s more it has made the process easy.

As they shop via the Klarna app, customers will received personalised CO2 insights to help them track their individual footprint and take action where necessary.

In addition, Klarna has partnered with Good in You to offer Brand Sustainability Ratings, so customers can choose to shop at brands according to their rating with 4 being good and 5 being great.

Klarna Good in you

When customers have items they no longer have a use for, they can use the integrated resell options for items purchased via Klarna and use the app to donate to their favourite ‘planet health causes’.

On top of these initiatives to offer more sustainable shopping options, Klarna is also committed to driving sustainability within its own operations, conscious of the fact that it has an impact on the sustainable credentials of its retail partners.

Retailers partnering with Klarna can do safe in the knowledge that it holds itself to the highest ESG standards and that it can also provide its partners with a wealth of data on how 150 million consumers around the globe are shopping sustainably to help them shape their strategies.  

Klarna is perhaps best known for powering shopping via e-commerce but it is equally passionate about supporting physical retail and wants to be a supportive partner for the Department Store sector as it re-invents itself in the post-pandemic era.

As such Klarna for Business has partnered with TheIndustry.fashion on ‘The Department Store Re-imagined’ project. At its heart is a land mark report that takes a deep dive into the history of the department stores and examines its vital role in the retail landscape of today and the future.

To read our landmark report, The Department Store Re-imagined, created in proud partnership with Klarna, please download your free copy here. 

Learn more about Klarna for Business here. 

 

In proud partnership with

Klarna for Business

 

Main image: Selfridges

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