Five sustainable stores we love

‘Normal life’ may have been turned upside down in 2020, but whilst the Completely Retail Marketplace team work remotely, we’re still dedicated to shining a light on the latest retailers, innovative brands concepts and exciting new developments in this ever-evolving industry.

Here, we showcase five sustainable concepts by amazing brands.

Ace & Tate

Stylish eyewear brand Ace & Tate are an eyewear brand from Amsterdam with stores across Europe. Their ethos is to create handmade, carefully crafted frames using in-house specialists to streamline the process – all with an incredibly stylish attention to detail.

Following Ace & Tate’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030, the brand have partnered with materials company, Plasticiet, to create a sustainable interior for their Antwerp store in Belgium. The Dutch startup cladded the interior of the store with a striking terrazzo of colourful chips made from locally sourced recycled plastic.

Stay up to date: https://www.aceandtate.com/gb/

Ganni

Copenhagen-based fashion brand Ganni has grown since its launch in 2009 to become a label coveted across Europe and beyond, including New York’s SoHo district where the first store to grace The Big Apple recently opened. Developed by Stamuli Architecture, the design is colourful and eclectic to reflect the hallmarks of the Ganni aesthetic.

A key element of the store is its eye-catching product podiums, which are made using panels of recycled plastics — think yogurt packaging to water bottles and even chopping boards. Upcycling is also used throughout the space, including one-of-a-kind furniture either pre-owned or created using old fabrics, and rugs which utilise old materials from past Ganni collections.

Stay up to date: https://www.ganni.com/en-gb/home

BOTTLETOP

Proving that luxury retail and sustainability can walk hand in hand, British brand BOTTLETOP started life with a collection of handbags made from – you guessed it – upcycled bottle tops. Today, BOTTLETOP is known for its unique collection of bags and accessories made from upcycled metal ring pulls and its signature ‘chain mail’ look.

The brand’s flagship store on Regent Street opened as the world’s first zero-waste retail location. Created using 3D printers and recycled plastic waste, the BOTTLETOP flagship store showcases exceptional design married with sustainability. The store is inspired by the interior of a ‘can’ – made from around 60,000 upcycled plastic bottles and repurposed rubber tyres.

Stay up to date: https://bottletop.org/

CONTENT Beauty & Wellbeing

Back when natural and organic beauty was a whisper on the lips of those in the know, CONTENT was founded in 2008 to support independent beauty and health brands with consciously crafted formulas and ingredient lists. Now, hailed as London’s leading organic & natural apothecary, CONTENT is an incredible collection of sustainable beauty brands, as well as clothing, books, jewellery and living products, all of which are recycled, upcycled, vegan, Fairtrade or zero-waste.

The design and execution of CONTENT’s Marylebone-based lifestyle store echoes the ethos of its products; walls are coloured with non-toxic paint, the floors have been restored or repaired using reclaimed flooring and fixtures that have been locally sourced, and reused items and furniture fill the unique interior.

Stay up to date: https://www.contentbeautywellbeing.com/

IKEA Greenwich

The Greenwich, London branch of IKEA has received an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM certification since its opening in 2019 – this is the highest award for sustainable construction.

The super sustainable build is covered in solar panels across 75% of its roof to generate renewable energy, whilst rainwater is also harvested to help reduce water consumption for the store by 50%. This combined with a geothermal heating system, 100% LED lighting and the use of recycled textiles have solidified IKEA Greenwich’s position as the UK’s most sustainable retail store.

In addition to the store’s sustainable construction credentials, IKEA Greenwich also strives to have a positive impact on the local community. Since opening, its projects have involved supporting a nearby ecology park and local wildlife, plus educating local schools about sustainable food and energy.

IKEA Sweden

During Autumn, the world's first secondhand IKEA store will be opening in collaboration with ReTuna, the world's first recycling mall which launched five years ago in  Eskilstuna, Sweden.

“At IKEA we don’t want to merely be a part of the sustainability movement – we want to lead it. If we want to reach our sustainability goals, we have to challenge ourselves and test our ideas. The climate crisis cannot be solved in theory, it has to be solved in practice,” says Jonas Carlehed, Sustainability Manager IKEA Retail Sweden.

Find out more and stay up to date with IKEA's sustainability plans at: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/this-is-ikea/sustainable-everyday/