Sustainability Practices in Indian Retail Industry: A Comparison with Top Global Retailers

Abstract Globally retail industry has significant impact on economy and in the lives of the people. With fast deteriorating environmental conditions and widespread awareness of the consumers about it, retail industry is taking necessary steps to prove its concern for the environment. This article explores the sustainable practices adopted by the retail industry to protect the environment. Since the retail industry is growing at a faster pace in India, it is necessary to understand where the retail industry in growing economies such as India stands in comparison to global retailers in adopting sustainable practices. For the purpose of this study, secondary data was obtained from sustainability reports, annual reports, and policy documents published by the retailers available in the public domain besides their own websites. Indian retailers were compared with global retailers based on the key sustainable practice indicators. The results of the study show that sustainable practices in retail industry in India are still in nascent stage. The results also indicate that Indian retailers have to go a long way in sustainability reporting and leveraging it as a marketing tool