[Interview] How Kruidvat wants to get everyone on board with its sustainability story

Kruidvat wants to keep sustainability accessible to the general public. The retailer is steadfast in its sustainability vision and insists on factual substantiation, says sustainability manager Leendert van Bergeijk of parent company AS Watson Benelux.

“With the masses, for the masses”

AS Watson Benelux recently published its Sustainability Report 2024, in which the retailer announces new steps in making its logistics and store infrastructure more sustainable. For example, the company recently started using a new packaging machine that automatically folds boxes to size. As a result, the company transports 50% less air, requires 66% less plastic filling material and has 2,500 fewer delivery vans on the road each year. The retailer is also focusing on sustainable innovation in its stores: by the end of 2024, 1,310 stores will be equipped with LED lighting, an increase of more than 22%, which will reduce energy consumption by around 30%. RetailDetail spoke to sustainability manager Leendert van Bergeijk about this.