Combining Sustainability and Digital Transformation in Retail and Distribution Channels: Introduction

Many companies operating in the retail and distribution channels are currently facing a dual challenge: (1) digital transformation and (2) increasing the sustainability of their business. In this special issue we collected relevant contributions to help companies facing this dual challenge. The special issue is divided in two parts, focusing each on one of those two aspects. In this part we will focus on the sustainability issue. This is a key priority today for retailers to remain competitive and relevant in a hyper competitive landscape. This is the result of the increasing attention from customers, media, and institutions to issues such as environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and on fair and equitable treatment of employees and suppliers. All stakeholders in the business ecosystem participate in various ways in the company’s activities or are interested in the consequences these produce in their competitive, social, and environmental context. This highlights the fact that only a satisfactory performance across all the three dimensions (economic, social, and environmental) is compatible with the goal of creating business value and, therefore, with a sustainable development.