How Can Going Green Make Green?

By  Janet Hawkins, president, Opterus
In a good economy it is much easier to make ethical and socially responsible choices such as "going green." You can offset any costs by charging a premium that people are happy to pay because you are being ethical and socially responsible. However, in today's challenging economic environment, retailers and apparel brand managers need to decrease costs just to survive. So the question is, how can going green make green?

Although it would be nice, it is almost impossible to undertake a large amount of green initiatives all at once, but apparel retailers do understand that it is time to become socially responsible and either begin or continue their green branding initiatives. So, what if that "next step" helps the entire organization spend time on those things that matter most for the company's survival? And, what if that "next stepš" also keeps employees engaged and stimulates productivity? Bring it on.

Currently, there appears to be a slight disconnect between the technology that organizations provide their workers and how young workers actually want to use technology and collaborate in the workplace. At least 75 percent of an apparel retailer's workforce is accustomed to accessing online applications and collaborative tools. With web-based retail portal tools, apparel retailers can now leverage Web 2.0 technologies and SaaS (software as a service) solutions to provide their workers with the technology they want. These solutions provide controlled and consistent store communications and execution management, and a simple way to pass on corporate strategy and day-to-day objectives between head office and store locations.

By taking advantage of this kind of technology, apparel retailers can take that first step or perhaps another small step in becoming green. Embracing the technology to centralize communications means mass-consumption documents are available in a far less expensive way. Paper use can be significantly reduced, and there is far less need to mail out those documents. Communications from stores to head office can be done via the centralized solution therefore saving, in many cases, the time and cost of faxing and eliminating the paper copy received at head office. The greenest paper is no paper at all. By cutting back on required driving, reducing shipments to stores, and scheduling fewer (yet more focused) visits to stores from district and regional managers, apparel retailers can play a role in reducing carbon emissions. Additionally, depending on where your stores are located, there may be government incentives designed to reward environmental responsibility.

And the cherry on top? These technologies will help apparel retailers cut costs and increase efficiency throughout the entire enterprise. Think of it as an alternative way to communicate head office strategies ensuring that communications are being read by the right people, store-level tasks are being executed as they should and that their stores are compliant with corporate objectives. These solutions are being proven as easy and inexpensive to implement. The cost is a simple monthly service charge; not the traditional capital expenditure of server/client software implementations.

In today's economic climate, survival is priority one, however any step to become more socially responsible should considered. Green initiatives are activities that conscious consumers care about and can definitely help you differentiate your brand. All these steps, which can be accomplished by leveraging online tools, contribute in a positive manner to both the environment and your company's bottom line. So, for apparel retailers, green just may be the new black.