‘Let’s take a human centric approach to sustainability’

In this exclusive column, Sanjay Agarwal, Co-Founder & MD of FRDC, shares his thoughts on how sustainability can make a meaningful difference in the context of the current Indian retail reality and why inclusivity, accessibility, amenities & empathy will drive true sustainability with collective benefits.

The term sustainability is broadly used to indicate programs, initiatives and actions aimed at the preservation of a particular resource. However, it actually refers to four distinct areas: human, social, economic and environmental – known as the four pillars of sustainability.

Retail being about people and for people, it’s very important that the concept of sustainability is not limited to environmental consciousness, but is also aligned with the human factor and social consciousness.

I would in fact like to emphasise on the human and social aspects for retail stores in India, as part of the overall sustainable approach.

A human centric approach involves a mind shift. Right from site selection, to layout and store planning, design thinking should include people and community. Inclusivity, accessibility, amenities & empathy all drive sustainability for people and living beings.  

Sustainability in the context of current Indian reality

Indian retail is expanding through multi-channel formats where even dark stores are becoming part of the retail network. The recent phenomena of hundreds of dark stores coming up in the neighbourhoods is an alarming situation for cities and residents. The unplanned expansion could have adverse impact on the community and social fabric, apart from the humungous use of energy and resources like water and the resulting generation of waste.  

Retailers and brand owners, while following quick commerce as a wagon to ride sales, will have to think in the long-term if they can integrate hyper local deliveries through their stores in order to cut back on the environmental impact. This may require rethinking and redrawing store plan and store design. 

Rethinking the retail model

As store designers we have started advising brands on integrating quick delivery and ‘click n collect’ options as part of the store journey and on planning the warehouses accordingly. This is likely to be applicable to all formats of stores in time to come. 

Essentially, the design of delivery stores/dark stores will need to be thought through from the perspective of sustainability and embracing the neighbourhood. Safal, Mother Dairy, and similar stores established by the government across cities are examples of sustainable retail similar to the dark store model. They doubled up as walk-in and sales/distribution outlets, while embracing the neighbourhood in an apt manner and created a landmark and an eco-system driven by the community needs around them. May be, a similar model needs to be evolved for dark stores, which is more humane and socially activated. 

Retail stores can also double up as social and neighbourhood destinations or landmarks. They can not only become an intrinsic part of the community around, but also participate in the social and festive events around the area they operate in. Retailers and brands will really need to think this through and ask themselves if their stores also serve a social purpose and are thus more aligned with the community they serve. 

It goes without saying that once retail store is designed around people, it will have economic benefits too, and in the process uplift the society and the community. And that’s what true sustainability is about.

Retail designers’ role in re-looking the store space

It is crucial that we as retail designers integrate sustainable thinking while planning the stores. This entails thinking of diverse models that can optimise retail space and resources, while taking into account new retail delivery models like quick commerce. This also means inclusion of smart technology, including inventory and racking systems, efficient segregation of the retail area and looking at the store also as a hyper local fulfillment space. It means for example, having a dark store within the store, and integrating a delivery model within the store. The crux of it is that the store can become a complete fulfillment centre, besides offering the retail experience to customers. This is the future direction in which retail is headed. A lot of global brands are already working on these formats, and it is only a matter of time before we start seeing them in India too. So store design and planning needs to evolve in the same direction, while taking a sustainable approach.