A survey, “Retailers and the Environment”, co-released today, on Earth Day, by Retail BC and Ipsos Reid, finds that British Columbian consumers are still drawn to retailers who preserve and protect the environment, despite the economy. 74% of respondents state that on a day-to-day basis, it is important (53% deem it somewhat important, while 21% state it is very important) that the retailers they choose to shop with are taking action to preserve and protect the environment.

Even facing today’s current economic climate, 49% of respondents say that in making shopping decisions, they place even more importance on retailers’ actions toward helping preserve and protect the environment than they did last year (13% find it “a lot more important” while 36% deem it “a little more important”).

Unfortunately, transparency is a challenge when it comes to determining a retailer’s commitment to sustainability. Consumers have expectations that retailers do their part to save the planet; however 56% of respondents did not feel that they could judge if BC’s retailers were doing a good or a poor job in helping preserve and protect the environment (44% cannot judge very well and 12% cannot judge at all). This negative response may be a result of retailers not marketing their commitment to sustainability to their customer base.

While 40% of respondents did agree that they are cutting back on purchasing products in general due to the economy, they say that they are cutting down on sustainable products about as much as other products. According to the Ipsos Reid survey, 16% of respondents say they are actually cutting back on environmentally sustainable products less than other products.

Retail BC hopes to change the perception of sustainable business practices costing more, by reinforcing the importance and longevity of being ‘green’, at its annual Passion for Retail Conference on May 5th, at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. The conference will address how retailers can operate their businesses profitably and sustainably, by striving to save the planet.

Keynote presenter Gary Hirshberg, renowned author, speaker and Chairman, President & CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm is a fine example of a businessman who believes that green business is profitable; Stonyfield Farm went from a 7-cow organic farming school to a $260 million dollar business on this very notion! Other noted speakers: Peter Robinson, CEO of David Suzuki Foundation and Clint Mahlman, Senior VP of Retail Operations Distribution Centre and E-Commerce at London Drugs. Also featured, a panel of retail thought leaders, representing independents and chains that believe that their businesses can, and do, make a difference.

Event information and registration available at www.retailbc.org or call 604-689-1463. This conference is presented in cooperation with Metro Vancouver, BC Hydro, Ipsos Reid and a number of other partners. The event Chair is David Ian Gray from DIG 360 Consulting.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll fielded from April 10 to April 15, 2009. This online survey of 1,170 adult British Columbians was conducted using Ipsos Reid’s proprietary “Voice of the West Interactive Forum” – an online panel of more than 5,000 British Columbians who have been randomly recruited to match the overall characteristics of the adult residents of the province. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls; however, an unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Retail BC is the voice of over 3,000 retail companies within British Columbia. BC’s retail industry generates over $56 billion in sales and employs over 280,000 British Columbians.