Responsible retail

For a healthy and sustainable food system

Shopping basket

In Western Europe, nine out of ten people visit supermarkets on a weekly basis and a majority of their daily food is purchased in a supermarket. This gives these companies an important role in society. As key gate keepers of the food system, supermarkets determine the environmental and ethical standards in food production to a large degree , as well as the quality standards of the products consumers can choose from. Supermarkets also constitute an important part of our 'food environment'. Price, promotions, shop layout, and even the recommended recipes within store magazines, all greatly influence consumer behaviour.

This programme supports supermarkets in stepping up and shifting their strategies and actions towards buying and selling healthy and sustainably produced food.

Responsible retail is a multi-year international research programme that compares supermarkets' efforts towards a healthy, sustainable, just and animal-friendly food consumption and production. It provides practical recommendations for improvement. It compares supermarkets every two years on the impact areas health, environment, human rights and animal welfare based on their policy, assortment, promotions and shop design.

All projects

Below is a list of completed, running and planned Superlist projects within the Responsible Retail programme.

project
Superlist Social Belgium 2024

How do Belgian supermarkets encourage a fair food system?

Tractor on field
project
Superlist Green The Netherlands 2023

How do Dutch supermarkets contribute to sustainable food?

project
Sustainability Dashboard

Dutch government takes on monitoring retailers’ sustainability performance

Woman working in field
project
Superlist Social The Netherlands 2023

How do Dutch supermarkets encourage a fair food system?

Supermarket shelf unhealthy food
project
Superlist Health Sweden 2022

Do Swedish supermarkets make healthy food the easy choice?

Meat shelf supermarket
project
Superlist Environment Sweden 2022

How do Swedish supermarkets make sustainable food the easy choice?

Environmental impact food system
project
Superlist Environment Belgium 2022

Which efforts do Belgian supermarkets take to make the food system more sustainable?

project
Superlist Health The Netherlands 2022

Which Dutch supermarket makes healthy food the easy choice?

Meat aisle supermarket
project
Superlist Environment UK 2022

Do English supermarkets make sustainable diets the easy choice?

project
Superlist Animal Welfare the Netherlands 2021

Which Dutch supermarkets are taking the lead in animal welfare?

Soft drinks supermarket shelf
project
Superlist UK Health 2021

How do English supermarkets promote health using price promotions?

Biodiversity - field with flowers and insects
project
Superlist Green The Netherlands 2021

How do Dutch supermarkets contribute to sustainable food?

Healthy shopping basket
project
Superlist Health the Netherlands 2020

Do Dutch supermarkets make healthy food the easy choice?

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