Bol.com will use a network of consulting firms to assist its sales associates in becoming more sustainable.

Bol.com will use a network of consulting firms to assist its sales associates in becoming more sustainable.

Bol.com, a Dutch online retailer, revealed this week that it will provide a network of advisory and support groups to help its sales partners become more sustainable.

By providing this support, bol.com’s 51,000 sales partners will be able to more easily locate qualified assistance for calculating their carbon footprint, lowering and offsetting emissions, and expanding their sustainable product offerings. According to the Climate Neutral Certification standard, bol.com’s own operations have been carbon neutral since 2022. With this next step, the business will also assist partners in becoming more sustainable. In the beginning, it is anticipated that hundreds of sales associates will use this network.

How to implement sustainability guidance
Bol.com has already connected sales partners with outside parties who can help them develop through the Apps & Services on the bol.com Partner Platform. These parties can, among other things, offer strategy counsel or assist with the automation and optimisation of pricing. Bol.com has previously collaborated with other companies to provide these services, such as with Rabobank to apply for financing and with insurance provider Insify. Now there is also help for sustainability.

Bol.com’s pre-selection of trustworthy parties and its simplified access to the new network of advisory and support parties are advantages for the sales associate. The network currently includes GroenBalans, The Terrace, Rainbow Collection, Vaayu, and Returnless. These are the parties that can give sales partners information about emissions and offer specific recommendations on how to make buying or making products more sustainable. More events and services will be introduced over time.

83% of sales associates desire to increase the sustainability of their company
Chief Marketing & Sustainability Officer at bol.com, Boukje Taphoorn: “While 83% of our sales partners want to increase the sustainability of their companies, many of them are unsure of where to begin. In addition to the measures our business is taking, we are pleased to support our sales partners’ own sustainable development. We use the market’s current expertise for this; sustainability is a significant job that we must accomplish jointly.

Director at The Terrace firm, Leontine Gast: “There is a strong desire and need to improve sustainability, but we observe that many businesspeople are unsure of where to begin.” What must you accomplish? How do you determine your priorities, set objectives, evaluate your effect, and spread the word about sustainability? These are difficult issues, particularly for a company that already has a lot on its plate. A dependable advisor with in-depth sustainability knowledge can make a significant impact. The fact that bol.com is now making it simpler for their sales partners to discover the ideal sparring partner is fantastic because of this.

launching a campaign for good
The effort by Bol.com is an excellent illustration of how Ahold Delhaize’s brands are striving for a more environmentally friendly retail system. A key component of Ahold Delhaize’s decarbonization efforts is encouraging and assisting suppliers to set their own emissions-reduction goals in accordance with the most recent scientific research. We want to take the initiative in this. We are constantly interacting with the supply chain of our brands and utilising our global position as a food and e-commerce retailer to help advance the cause of greenhouse gas emission reduction.

GSN