Jeff Bond says sustainable solutions will only be able to launch at scale in GTR with a joined-up approach from retailers

The lack of a joined-up sustainability definition across travel retailers is making it difficult to launch green solutions at scale, according to Accolade Wines’ Channel Sales Director EMEA Jeff Bond.

Bond said there needed to be more collective responsibility between brands and retailers when addressing sustainability challenges. However, he believes a lack of a shared approach between retailers is creating difficulty.

“There doesn’t seem to be an aligned view on sustainability across different retailers, in my opinion,” he commented in response to a question from TRBusiness.

“As a consequence a sustainable brand will hit the mark with one retailer and not another, which means launching at scale is difficult.”

Some retailers focus on vegan claims, or a reduction in plastic. Another might champion organic products.

“Our research shows that the key drivers for consumers are low carbon emissions (our wines are carbon-neutral), product sustainability and recyclable packaging.”

He added that brands have a responsibility to produce more sustainable products, but that retailers needed to actively support them through listings and feature areas.

“Sustainability is a key pillar of our global strategy and we are constantly looking at ways to reduce our impact on the environment, so as a business I think we are playing our part in bringing more sustainable products to the consumer,” he continued.

In March, Lagardère Travel Retail revealed it is preparing to trial a sustainability solution with Jack Daniel’s in a bid to test consumer sentiment around the use of secondary packaging.

For more information and analysis on how stakeholders are improving efficiency and making sustainability gains, please view our dedicated feature in the March/April 2023 issue.