Retail Supply Chains and Sustainability : True Possibilities or Insolvable Paradox?

This chapter discusses the effects of sustainability on retail supply chains in the context of the triple bottom line of the economy, environment, and society and the UN’s sustainable development goals. The chapter’s objective is to look at current issues in retailing and how they are affected by sustainability requirements or indeed affect sustainability themselves. Major areas of concern include the current state of the global economy, the demographic shift in market segments toward generations Y and Z, the growth of ecommerce and online retailing, the influence of information and communications technology on retail supply chain processes and management, and concerns about human resources across the entire retail supply chain. Sustainability is considered from a holistic perspective and various frameworks and performance measurement and environmental management systems are presented that could assist retailers in improving their sustainability initiatives. The chapter concludes by noting that true possibilities for sustainable retail supply chains exist but current practices and understanding provide an appearance of it being an insolvable paradox.