Sustainability is driving the customer experience forwards as consumers are developing an astute eco-consciousness. They’re favouring brands that have incorporated sustainability in their brand culture and ethos.
A brand whose eco credentials align with the customers’ values can significantly impact the customer experience in a positive way and result in a flourishing business.
Today, we explore how you can create an outstanding customer experience in line with rising consumer demands while preserving the environment.
Shared values
The prime shoppers of today are Gen Z and millennials. Their purchasing preferences and behaviour are what inform the market, and brands are responding to that. And what these two generations are supporting is sustainable practices. In fact, 62% of Gen Z and millennials prefer to buy from sustainable brands, according to “The State of Consumer Spending: Gen Z Shoppers Demand Sustainable Retail” 2019 report.
Shared values between consumers and a brand are informing shoppers’ decision-making when it comes to which brand to buy from. That then builds loyalty, as 68% of consumers are motivated to be loyal to a brand they share the same values with.
So if you want to build a loyal relationship with your customers, make sure you communicate your eco company values clearly. Support a sustainability-oriented organisation, make a stance on the environment, and be transparent about your supply chain processes.
Designing a sustainable space
The best way to convey your sustainability message is through what your customers can see. In the case of retail and hospitality, that’s your brick-and-mortar store or hotel.
Interior and surface design can help you not only create a welcoming environment but also tell your brand story. Who are you as a brand? What are your core values? What are you advocating?
Reconnecting with nature through design
Incorporating sustainable items into your business space, such as furniture made from recycled items, natural stones, and sustainable materials and textures such as bamboo and linen, is a great way to induce an eco feel.
Recently, the biophilic design concept has been on the rise, and we’ve talked about it in more detail in our previous blog. Biophilic brings the outdoors inside through several elements, including:
- lots of greenery;
- natural materials, such as wood-effect tiles, textured brick-effect surfaces, and even metal custom designs that have that rawness and industrial feel to them;
- neutral and calming colours, such as green, light grey, and brown, which have a calming effect.
This design concept not only brings us closer to nature but also emphasises the sustainability aspect of interior design. Recently, it’s become increasingly popular in both home and commercial spaces, so don’t wait to embrace the trend and entice some eco-conscious customers.
Sustainability at its core
Interior and surface design can do wonders in terms of creating a welcoming space in line with eco-friendliness. But it also has one more way of conveying sustainability in business that goes far beyond design preferences.
Products that incorporate or reinforce sustainability through the production methods or how they’re used hold a significant value. Novograf’s 3D surface emulations, for example, have an extended shelf life because of the thoughtful approach behind them. Our products are an echo of the four Rs in sustainability: Rethink, Renew, Recycle, and Rebrand.
Sustainability is ingrained in the whole consumption process; from the moment you purchase and install our surface emulation to when they reach the end of their life cycle.
Our products can wrap tills, checkouts, units, tables, chairs, desks, and more. This prolongs the life of the furniture and installations and helps reduce waste going to landfill. If a section of the surface gets damaged, you don’t have to replace the whole product, only the patch that needs repairing. While traditional surface products last between five and ten years, our 3D emulations can see you through up to another ten years on top of that.
Not only that but Novograf’s products are made with longevity in mind. Their UV resistant, anti-microbial, and anti-graffiti properties ensure they won’t fade, shrink, or show signs of wear and tear for many years to come. As little waste as possible goes into the production, as our 3D panels are produced by our solar-powered factory with high efficiency.
Incorporating such products into your business interior design will help you stand out in front of your competitors and build loyal relationships.
In today’s world, running a successful business is all about facilitating an outstanding customer experience. With more and more consumers getting into sustainability, it’s up to you to meet their demands for a greener present and cater to that forward-thinking, eco-conscious consumer. That’s what the future holds.
Sources
http://23813463.s21i.faiusr.com/61/ABUIABA9GAAgrvX1gwYo_uv72wQ.pdf
https://customerthink.com/the-role-of-sustainability-in-customer-loyalty/
