Guru Case Series: Mr. Samuel Lee (Watsons Hong Kong)
“As a member of the retail industry, we also aim to promote sustainable lifestyles among our customers in Hong Kong.”
When looking at our daily purchases through the value chain framework, there are commonly identified stages, including raw material extraction, production, logistics, and retail, before the product reaches the customer. Retailers, whether brick-and-mortar stores or e-commerce platforms are usually the closest stage to the customers. Hence, they also play a vital role in reflecting customers’ expectations to manufacturers and shaping customers’ spending behavior.
In this episode of Guru Case, we are honored to have Mr. Samuel Lee, Managing Director of Watsons Hong Kong sharing with us the company’s endeavor to engage suppliers and customers in supporting various sustainability initiatives, driving change in product options and spending behavior through collaborative efforts. That includes engaging suppliers to stop producing rinse-off cosmetics products or personal care products containing microplastics and rewarding customers’ recycling behaviors (#SupplierandCustomerReationship); incorporating sustainability elements into the O+O (Offline plus Online) retail model, to reduce plastic and paper waste from the logistics and retail experience (#Innovation and #ResourceManagement). Samuel also shared views on how the growing consumers’ environmental awareness will reinforce the inevitable trend of sustainability in the retail industry.
(Please see below for detailed question and content list)
| Time code | Question |
|---|---|
| 00:00 – 01:20 | Introduction |
| 01:20 – 02:50 | The Shift from the Retail Industry 1) What prominent shift have occurred in the retail industry to address climate change and sustainability issues? |
| 02:50 – 03:55 | Corporate Governance 2) Can you share with us the establishment and operation of the Sustainability Committee in Watsons Hong Kong? |
| 03:55 – 05:30 | Resource Management 3) Please share the details of the ‘Greener Stores Global Framework’ launched by AS Watson Group and how does the Framework implemented in Hong Kong? |
| 05:30 – 08:40 | Innovation 4) Running the self-owned brands is one of the key businesses, how does Watsons Hong Kong incorporate sustainability elements into product development and manufacturing? |
| 08:40 – 10:34 | Customer-supplier Relationship 5) Reducing waste and carbon emissions are key trends globally. How does Watsons Hong Kong promote its’ territory-wide recycling scheme through cross-sector collaborations? |
| 10:34 – 12:35 | Customer-supplier Relationship 6) How does Watsons Hong Kong engage suppliers to stop producing rinse-off cosmetics products or personal care products containing microplastics and minimize product packaging? |
| 12:35 – 14:05 | Customer-supplier Relationship 7) How does Watsons Hong Kong promote the company’s sustainability commitment and initiatives to customers? |
| 14:05 – 16:52 | Innovation 8) AS Watsons Group has been developing the O+O (Offline Plus Online) model, how does this new model of retail blend in with the sustainability concept? |
| 16:52 – 18:47 | Conclusion 9) Moving forward, what is the plan of Watsons Hong Kong in terms of driving sustainable development? |
