New Research Report: Sustainability Management in Retail

A new research report, Sustainability Management in Retail, has been released by MMTC members Mart Ots, Timur Uman, and Miguel Gil. The report is part of the project Trade’s “Green Deal”: the development of strategic instruments for trade’s climate commitment, funded by The Swedish Retail and Wholesale Council.

The study examines how four of Sweden’s largest retailers approach climate sustainability in their strategic management. While all companies show strong ambitions to meet climate goals, they operate under different conditions shaped by their markets, ownership structures, regulatory contexts, and histories. This diversity provides a range of challenges, opportunities, and solutions from which other firms can draw inspiration.

A key finding is that, despite many retailers setting ambitious sustainability targets, integrating these into core strategic management processes remains complex. In many cases, sustainability work has developed in parallel to – rather than as part of – business strategies, making it harder to align environmental goals with financial targets such as sales volumes and margins. This separation often slows the pace of transition.

At the same time, retail holds a unique position between producers and consumers. By influencing supply chains, product offerings, and in-store communication, the sector has significant potential to drive climate-friendly practices and behaviors across the value chain.

The report combines a research overview and interviews with senior executives at large retail companies to provide insights and propose ways forward for embedding sustainability more effectively into retail management.

The full report is available via The Swedish Retail and Wholesale Council External link, opens in new window..