Retailers and sustainable development in the UK

Purpose - Aims to offer a simple exploratory review of how the major retailers in the UK are tackling the issue of sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach - The top 20 retailers, based on 2002 sales figures, were selected for analysis and an internet search of their web sites, exploring their "corporate social responsibility" reports and statements, was undertaken. Findings - The review suggests that the majority of the major retailers are addressing sustainability agendas, that they recognise, albeit in varying measure, the impacts their businesses have on the environment, the economy and society and several of them are looking to measure and benchmark their performance. Originality/value - Sustainable development is attracting increasing attention in government and in the business community and the paper provides students pursuing retail and business management programmes, academic staff teaching on them and retail researchers and consultants with a contemporary view of how the UK's large retailers are addressing the issue.