Over the last two years, people across the world have had to change the way they shop for essential items. In addition, the pandemic has significantly fueled the growth of ecommerce, enabling businesses to meet the evolving news and demands of their customers. As a result, nearly 70 million digital shoppers have emerged in South Asia alone since the pandemic's onset.
As the benefits of digital businesses become evident, the impact that online stores leave on the environment has also come to light. So now, the e-commerce sector is stepping forward to embrace the idea of creating a sustainable e-commerce ecosystem.
In this blog, we will discuss how Zaapi can help you set up a sustainable, eco-friendly e-commerce business in Thailand.
What Is Eco-Friendly Ecommerce?
Eco-friendly e-commerce involves selling products through a digital store while also considering the environmental impact of the methods used during the process.
Sustainable practice, in its truest form, refers to addressing the needs of the current times in a manner that can preserve the needs of the upcoming generation. Sustainability introduces acts that minimize waste, cut down the carbon footprint, and other ways of creating an eco-friendly online store.
For businesses in the e-commerce industry, this means implementing measures to reduce wastage and carbon footprint. Sustainability isn't just good for the environment but can also positively impact your bottom line. That's because research shows that 57% of customers prefer brands that implement sustainable practices.
Sustainable Ecommerce Is Good For Business
In addition to making the brand attractive for customers, integrating sustainability into the business model can also cut costs and prepare the business for any sustainability regulations that may be mandated in the future.
Eco-Friendly E-Commerce Attracts Buyers
The current state of the world has shed light on the importance of sustainability. Therefore, customers are more motivated to invest in brands that use environmentally friendly approaches in their marketing. In fact, 80% of customers in South East Asia pay more for brands that offer sustainable products.
This is because customers, especially those part of millennial and Gen Z populations, prefer to invest in brands that have similar values.
That said, if your business does not target the younger population, you can still implement sustainable practices to deliver the brand's message of having community values. This can increase your referral rate and introduce you to a larger audience.
Sustainability Is Cost-Effective
Most businesses are under the impression that implementing sustainability can harm their profits. However, this is not true.
A study by Harvard Business Review highlights how sustainable practices help businesses flourish. It concludes that there doesn't have to be a trade-off between solid financials and eco-friendliness for a business.
Moreover, implementing eco-friendly procedures can also cut production and shipping costs. For instance, using an optimal amount of material for packaging can reduce the parcel's weight, thus decreasing shipping costs.
Ensures Regulatory Compliance
As interest in sustainable businesses continues to rise, governments are also taking action to promote the reduction of waste and carbon footprints.
Let's take the example of China, one of the largest e-commerce retailers in the world. With its increasing CO2 emissions and waste packaging pollution, the country has recently faced sanctions and regulations related to business sustainability.
Although the sustainability policies in Thailand are not as strict, the government may introduce new laws promoting eco-friendly practices in businesses.
How Zaapi Can Help You Set Up An Eco-Friendly Ecommerce Business
Zaapi is a mobile application that enables businesses to easily create an e-commerce store to feature and sell their products. Additionally, the platform encourages sustainability practices and offers businesses convenient ways to set up their eco-friendly digital store.
Let's take a look at how Zaapi helps with setting up an e-commerce business in Thailand.
Create An Online Store With Zaapi
Zaapi is a tool of convenience for business owners. It enables sellers to create a digital marketplace for their products, cutting the buyer's carbon footprint in half.
You can open an eco-friendly e-commerce company in Thailand simply by visiting the platform, entering your business details, building your inventory, and selling your products. Unlike other marketplaces, Zaapi gives you full ownership of the store that you can personalize to your liking. Moreover, the platform does not charge a transaction fee, thus making it an economical option.
Introduce Sustainability To Your Brand
Once you are finished opening an e-commerce Company in Thailand, you can take the next step of promoting sustainability in your branding strategy.
The company's branding is the way it connects with the customers. So, be sure to introduce sustainable practices as an integral part of your branding. To do this, you can alter your mission statement to include eco-friendly practices and launch a sustainability-focused campaign. If you have the budget, making donations to non-profits that support green practices can also help get your message across.
Enforce Sustainable Shipping Options
Shipping has a significant impact on increasing a business's carbon footprint. If you want to practice sustainability, choose a slower shipping option. Research shows that 9% of customers decide to go with slower shipping if it promotes sustainability.
However, suppose you do not want to compromise on providing quick delivery services. In that case, you can rely on shipping companies that take an eco-conscious approach by shipping items in bulk or using compostable packaging materials. Enforcing sustainable shipping can drastically impact the environment, so be sure to adjust the brand's shipping policies.
Reduce Packaging Problems
Making changes in your packaging can lead to a significant reduction in wastage. If you are opening an eco-friendly Thai e-commerce business, be sure to switch to recycled packaging materials, invest in different-sized boxes to ensure a better fit for smaller products, and use compostable packaging material.
Lower The Carbon Footprint Of Your Products
Adding products that are sustainability-focused to your online store is another move to support eco-friendly e-commerce practices. You can take this step in two ways.
For starters, you can update your existing product list to include sustainable and environmentally-friendly products in your store. Taking this initiative could be highly beneficial, as more and more customers are now inclined towards purchasing eco-friendly products.
Taking this step can also land you a competitive advantage, especially if you create an eco-friendly version of the in-demand products that already exist in the market.
On the other hand, you can also introduce changes to the supply chain of your existing products and take measures to decrease the carbon footprint of the items featured on your online store. This can be done by making a switch to work with eco-conscious manufacturers, vendors, or materials.
Create Recycling Policies
Your businesses' sustainability practices can also introduce the usage of recyclable packaging material. Essentially, recyclable cardboards are not only cost-effective but also consume less energy during the production process. Moreover, recycled cardboard also affects the amount of waste collected in landfills. Research shows that one ton of recycled cardboard can save up to 9 cubic yards of space in the dumping grounds. This can have a significant impact on reducing environmental pollution.
In addition to using recyclable products for packaging, you can also create marketing movements that urge your customers to follow through with your company's vision. One way to do this is to create social media campaigns that encourage customers to recycle packaging. For instance, offering rewards to customers for performing a recycling challenge can be a great initiative to encourage participation.
Minimize Energy Consumption
Sustainable practices in the e-commerce industry include more than just changing shipping and product packaging policies. In fact, your business can also integrate eco-friendly approaches in its infrastructure model. One way to do this is to minimize the energy consumption in your offices, warehouses, and production areas.
When introducing sustainable practices, taking small steps can bring positive results. For instance, you can cut down energy consumption by adding low-energy lighting to your offices, switching off the machinery that is not in use, and adjusting the temperature controls to maximize energy conservation.
If you are not well-versed in the energy conservation processes, you can request an energy audit in your firm to identify areas where you can cut the usage. Based on this report, your business can make the necessary changes.
Produce Educational Content
If you genuinely want to make a change, creating educational content that preaches the importance of sustainable practices can help you achieve your objective. You can use email marketing, newsletters, and blog posts to educate your customers and implement social media marketing tactics to raise awareness about the sustainability initiatives that your brand is taking.
The distribution of educational content can generate awareness of the importance of embracing eco-friendly procedures. It can also help you deliver your brand's message to existing and potential customers.
Rebuild Your Brand with Sustainable Ecommerce Practices
Sustainable e-commerce practices have become a priority for sellers and customers alike. Creating an environmentally friendly e-commerce business model informs your customers how your brand plays its part in protecting the environment and the community. Additionally, engaging in sustainable practices can further create a durable business model, provide an increase in sales, and make your business a dependable resource to purchase products.
Ready to set up an eco-friendly e-commerce store? Get in touch with Zaapi and take the first step towards eco-friendly ecommerce.
