Göra mer med mindre

Sammanfattning: As a result of the current climate crisis, which reflects people's unsustainable consumer behaviour, there is an increased need for companies to apply sustainability strategies. One of the responses to the crisis is the increasing number of packaging-free grocery stores that have opened across Europe. These new stores have the intent of reducing waste by using, for instance, Circular Economy strategy and aim for the philosophy of Zero Waste. These strategies aim to change the currently linear consumer behaviour and improve the usage of existing environmental resources. This study uses a qualitative approach and the empirical material consists of interviews, observations and qualitative content analysis. Based on the collected empirical material, we could establish why there is a demand for sustainable retail, why packaging-free grocery stores is a popular niche to address this demand. We were also able to identify that packaging-free grocery stores do not have a monetary business strategy but rather a choice driven by personal values. The business owners of the sustainable retail stores that were observed agree that there is a strong bond between sustainable retail businesses and that they feel a sense of solidarity to each other. Furthermore, the informants all agree that they wish to have a positive impact on the environment, which is done by affecting various actors, mainly consumers and suppliers. The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of the packaging-free phenomenon. To study the phenomenon, we have chosen to focus on what differentiates the packaging-free grocery stores whose concept promotes sustainable retail. To answer the purpose of the study, the following question will be answered: What differentiates packaging-free grocery stores whose concept aims to promote sustainable retail? The theoretical framework is based on previous research on sustainability strategies, packaging and its environmental impact and packaging-free grocery stores as value-driven businesses. It can be concluded that what characterizes packaging-free grocery stores who work for sustainable retail is the desire to positively influence others to reduce the environmental impact and that it isn’t necessarily important how one chooses to be sustainable, only that everyone engages in the alliance and the joint responsibility of reducing the environmental impact.