At the Winning Group, sustainability sits at the core of its mission – to create the best experiences in the world, for the world – for customers, its people, its communities and the planet.
“In 2005, Appliances Online created an industry-first removal and recycling program for appliances. Tapping into the reverse logistics capability of Winning Services, we currently help to recycle more whitegoods than any other retailer in Australia,” Winning Group head of sustainable business and corporate social responsibility, Alice Kuepper told Retailbiz.
“At no cost to our customers, we collect and responsibly recycle old appliances, mattresses, and product packaging to ensure that precious natural resources can be diverted from landfill or reused and given a new life.
“To help our customers extend the product lifespan, Appliances Online launched the Maintain Campaign – a three month post-purchase eDM encouraging Australians to take better care of their appliances, to increase the longevity of the product and reduce its carbon footprint. Through developing easy tips on how our customers can make the most of their appliances in their homes, we are increasing longevity and providing information on how they can be more conscious during use.
“Also part of the Winning Group, Home Clearance allows many unused products – such as those that have cosmetic imperfections, been damaged in transport, returned within warranty, superseded or are no longer in their original packaging to be resold to customers at discounted prices contributing to our product stewardship initiatives.”
The Winning Group recognises that one of the greatest opportunities is to influence positive change and collaborate with suppliers to reduce carbon footprint and transition to more sustainable solutions.
“Our Responsible Sourcing program focuses on assessing our suppliers to identify opportunities for education, process improvement and partnership across the key areas of human rights, carbon emissions and packaging,” Kuepper said.
In 2021, Winning Group completed a comprehensive review of the material social and environmental issues and opportunities for its business.
“This review informed our sustainability strategy and commitments, identifying where we can have the most positive impacts on our customer, our people, our communities and the planet. Our sustainability strategy contributes to the UN’s SDGs, in particular goals 7, 8, 9 and 12 which has helped us to form our four main pillars: community, awareness and education, responsible sourcing and environment.”
Alice Kuepper is speaking at this year’s Online Retailer Conference, Australia’s largest conference event for the ecommerce industry, held at ICC Sydney from 19 – 20 July, 2023.