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Whole Foods Adopts Transparent Animal Welfare Ratings
This summer I’ll celebrate a decade of being vegetarian (yeah, I’m getting old). Being a veggie isn’t always easy, and I can’t say I haven’t cheated on occasion (for some reason, I really craved buffalo wings when I first started), but year after year the cause has stayed important to me.
But this post isn’t about me; it’s about Whole Foods’ new animal welfare ratings. Last month, the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods announced the launch of the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards, a new labeling system designed to educate consumers on the living conditions of the meat (pigs, chickens and cattle) they eat.
What does it all mean? The ratings are determined by independent third-party certifiers using auditors trained by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP). Essentially, the higher the step, the better the conditions for the animal. Step 1 equals “no crates, no cages,” meaning the “animals live their lives with space to move around and stretch their legs.” Step 5+ means the animal has enjoyed Step 1-5, including a “pasture-centered” life and living only on one farm.
Though organizations like PETA have been remarkably silent, others have questioned the transparency of these standards, including Certified Humane which compares GAP with other ratings available to Whole Foods. To be fair, Certified Humane offers a competitive rating system to GAP’s so it’s bound to be pushing for the use of its standards, but some of the issues it raises are worth noting. Even at Step 5+, the best rating, GAP does not have standards for slaughtering, does not guarantee animals are allowed dark/sleep periods and does not ensure animals receive disease prevention health care.
Compassion is the number one reason I choose to avoid meat, and, as of 2003, 96% of Americans agree animals deserve "some" protection from harm and exploitation. While I would love to see greater transparency in Whole Foods’ current initiative and a shift from publicizing humane treatment to requiring it across its supply chain, I appreciate the operational challenges that must exist and personally applaud the company for taking this important first step.
In the meantime, I’m eager for Whole Foods to apply these standards to other animal products and bi-products and look forward to a day when Whole Foods expands the program to include Step 6: No animal life was sacrificed to produce this product.
- Jillian Wilson, Account Supervisor
Tags: corporateresponsibility transparency labels retail activism
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Consumers Shop With a Cause in Mind This Holiday
There are two traditions that define the holiday season for many Americans – shopping and giving. In this spirit of the season, consumers are shopping with an eye toward giving back to good causes and expect companies to lead the charge, according to the 2010 Cone Holiday Trend Tracker. Key findings of the study include:
- 89% of Americans expect companies to support causes this holiday;
- 78% of consumers want to be personally engaged in a company’s cause efforts; and,
- 49% of consumers say they have already purchased or plan to purchase a holiday gift that supports a cause.
You read that right – almost one-in-two Americans have cause on their shopping list this season. What’s more, consumers are willing to engage with corporate causes in a variety of ways, such as supporting an in-store gift drive (78%), making a donation at the register (68%), redeeming or buying a discount card or coupon that gives back to a cause when used (64%) or supporting a company’s cause efforts through social media (47%).
According to a new Gallup poll, consumers will spend an average of $714 on gifts this year. Imagine the impact if just a dollar or two of this was diverted to a social cause. Millions of dollars and untold awareness could be raised through very simple, turn-key cause marketing this holiday season. A gift to consumers, companies and causes alike.
Tags: causebranding retail nonprofitcausebranding corporategiving holiday charitablegiving
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Storefront Philanthropy
Storefronts can be for more than just peddling wares - they can also serve as a vehicle for promoting the greater good. Although selling products associated with a cause has become mainstream, there are a small number of retailers going beyond the shelf and creating new models for pairing business and philanthropy.
Seattle-based department store Nordstrom caused a flurry of chatter when it signed a lease for a prime NYC location. But the venerable chain isn’t moving into a new flagship location. Instead, Nordstrom will be opening a nonprofit subsidiary that will be branded separately from the well-known retailer. Though the details are still in the works, a Nordstrom spokesperson confirmed “all [store] profits will go to nonprofit organizations.” Perhaps Nordstrom is in search of philanthropic success like that of Geoffrey Beene, the legendary men’s retailer, which donates 100 percent of net profits to nonprofit organizations, raising $145 million for various charities to-date.
In May 2010, Panera opened a pilot nonprofit restaurant driven by the motto, “Take what you need. Pay your fair share.” That’s right – at Panera Cares Cafés, you name your own price. Using the company’s existing distribution system, the goal is to feed community members who can’t afford food for low/no charge with overhead costs, such as rent, staff salaries and food costs, covered by generous patrons who pay full price or above for their meals. Given the success of the first Panera Cares Café in St. Louis, the restaurant is poised to open a number of nonprofit locations around the country.
While each of these retailers is taking a different approach, all are leading the way in creating an entirely new model of philanthropy and cause marketing. These models may seem to contradict the spirit of capitalism, but in actuality are quite progressive, as the role of business in society evolves to one of true citizenship. Only time will tell if these new approaches will serve as viable strategies and help transform retail giving in the future. For now, we commend the innovation of these retailers to align storefronts and giving back.
Tags: causebranding charitablegiving philanthropy retail trends donation corporategiving
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Partnering to Build Your Brand
I recently experienced a missed brand-building opportunity at Staples when I tried to salvage some files from a defunct computer. What happened was a great example of how companies need to make their social contributions clear and actively partner with their customers for even greater impact.
I took an IBM desktop circa 1997 (!) with a frozen hard drive and forgotten passwords to the Tech Services Desk at my local Staples, where I had a GREAT customer experience – the staff was thorough and the job got done quickly for a reasonable price. I would definitely go back and this transaction helped evolve how I thought about the Staples brand (solutions provider for my life vs. seller of pens and paper).
The missed brand-building opportunity came when the tech offered to recycle my computer. Terrific – computers should definitely not end up in landfills. Just one catch: It would cost me $10. I experienced a moment of consumer confusion – it wasn’t clear if Staples was making money off me, breaking even or picking up part of the tab. I ended up walking out with my old IBM, feeling skeptical about Staples’ green effort and figuring I could find a way to junk it responsibly that wouldn’t cost me $10. This ambivalence was cemented when I discovered my town has a program where I could recycle my computer for free (Staples’ website explains that a “recycling fee is charged to cover handling, transport, product disassembly and recycling”).
I applaud Staples’ effort to reduce the environmental impact of technology obsolescence. But here’s the miss: Staples had a chance to cement my loyalty by wrapping a successful, well-executed business transaction in a successful corporate responsibility experience. They missed an opportunity to partner with me to fulfill broader responsibilities vs. simply charging for a service. My good opinion of Staples might have been solidified if they had followed up the offer to recycle with an overture to partner – and put some skin in the game by offering to help me defray the cost of recycling somehow, either through cash, in-store credit, or even a coupon for future use back in their store.
Lesson learned: At a time when consumer expectations are higher than ever, and more and more brands are linking themselves to social causes, it is critical for companies to be fully transparent about the contribution they are making and to approach their customers as genuine partners.
- Craig Bida, Executive Vice President
Tags: corporateresponsibility transparency sustainability retail
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Green Street Cred: Seventh Generation and Walmart
Getting your CPG product on Walmart shelves has long stood as the holy grail of retail visibility. Yet some brands have intentionally avoided Walmart, one being Seventh Generation whose founder Jeffrey Hollender once claimed that "hell would freeze over before Seventh Generation would ever do business with Walmart." As Fast Company reporter Ariel Schwartz noted this week – “hell now sells ice.”
Walmart is making strides toward transparency, aligning well with Seventh Generation’s commitment to do the same. Most notable in the retailer’s push for sustainability disclosure is its membership in the Sustainability Consortium, organized to bring together diverse stakeholders to collaboratively drive innovation and improve consumer product sustainability. Walmart’s main objective moving forward is to develop and implement a Sustainability Index for all products it carries, making it easier for consumers to understand the environmental impacts their purchases.
For Walmart, the agreement marks yet another milestone on its journey from big-box bully to sustainability sultan. For Seventh Generation, it will accelerate efforts to compete with mainstream products and fulfill its mission of radical transparency and inspiring widespread conscious consumption. And let’s not forget about consumers – the partnership will create a widely accessible way to make environmentally conscious purchases. Perhaps Walmart’s tagline will one day read “Save money (and the environment). Live better (and sustainably).”
Tags: corporateresponsibility seventhgeneration transparency sustainability walmart retail
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