With the ever - increasing consumer demand for sustainable products coupled with an increased desire for purpose at work from employees, retailers of all sizes and locations have an opportunity to grow stakeholder engagement by incorporating environmental and social impact into their business strategy. To turn this opportunity into action, the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) and IndiePet are announcing a new partnership that will provide education, membership access and implementation tools to accelerate sustainability in the independent pet channel.
Whether it's an employee-led sustainability team, equipping its merchandising team to identify authentic sustainable products that differentiate the shopping experience, or saving money through efficiency improvements in-store, retailers have a plethora of options to capitalize on the rapidly advancing sustainability movement that's alive and well in the pet industry. Through this partnership, PSC and IndiePet are coming together to ensure retailers have the knowledge and support they need to identify and implement the sustainable opportunities that will best move their business forward, serve their community and drive real impact.
'Independent pet retailers are known for our deep connections to our communities and that includes being responsible corporate citizens. We also have tremendous passion for both social and environmental sustainability, but often we don't know where to start or we just can't give as much time to this portion of our business as we would like. PSC and iIndiePet are committed to building a unified approach to sustainability that fits the IndiePet channel and that makes it easy for independent retailers to customize a sustainability plan that fits their business and their community' said AL Puntillo, President of the Independent and Neighborhood Pet Retail Association (IndiePet).
The three primary goals of the PSC + IndiePet partnership are education, membership access, and retailer tools so that independent retailers can be part of the sustainability movement building in the pet industry:
Education: Sustainability topics advance quickly and retailers are short on time. PSC will work with IndiePet to offer credible information in digestible sizes to inform the retailer community. Topics ranging from sustainable proteins and packaging to employee engagement techniques are on the top of the list. Find content from PSC in the IndiePet monthly newsletter and keep a lookout for more in-depth education offerings soon!
Membership Access: Retailers play a critical role in the sustainability movement but less than 10% of PSCs members are retailers. PSC and IndiePet both offer significant discounts to their existing members to join both organizations.
Retailer Tools: PSC is offering a free sustainability assessment report to all interested IndiePet Members. Retailers can identify low hanging fruit and learn how they compare to other businesses of similar size and type when it comes to environmental and social impact. Other member tools include retail case studies like All The Best Pet Care that used PSC's Employee Survey to evaluate employee interest in sustainability and launch a successful employee-led sustainability team.
Catch PSC and IndiePet together at SuperZoo at the inaugural IndiePet meeting on Aug 16th from 4:00 - 5:30pm at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
To RSVP visit
To learn more about this partnership or to get started with a PSC Membership email.
Author: Caitlyn Bolton
Source: Pet Sustainability Coalition
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