While much of the news around sustainability initiatives focuses on the work being done by brands and retailers, shopping centres are also at the forefront of the wider drive forwards. 

That can mean straightforward things like specifying certain levels of sustainability for stores at their properties, careful brand curation, and individual actions to build a more sustainable centre and get customers on board too.

Partnering with outside companies that can help drive a mall’s eco approach forward is also key and one of the UK’s top destinations, centre:mk in Milton Keynes, has done that in a link-up with Stickerbook. It’s a first-of-its-kind awareness platform focused on sustainability that’s now being piloted there.

It sees those working at the centre able to use the platform to boost their eco awareness and actions.

FashionNetwork.com spoke to Stephanie Glendinning, retail relations manager at the centre, about the initiative.

FashionNetwork.com: What is Stickerbook and how is centre:mk using the platform?

centre:mk: Stickerbook is an online platform designed to make sustainability more accessible and engaging. It breaks down complex sustainability topics into simple, bite-sized pieces called ‘stickers’. Each sticker might be a short-form video, an article, or an interactive challenge. Once completed, users can earn accreditations, for example, the Green Foundation: Sustainable Built Environment, which is CPD-certified.

It’s exciting to be the first retail destination to launch it, and to have worked closely with the platform to create bespoke stickers tailored specifically for centre:mk. One of the first was a personalised welcome sticker, developed by our team, to give the platform a more local and human touch. We’ve created stickers focused on our sustainability initiatives at the centre, like our green roof project, which includes planting, carbon neutralising roofing and beehives.

We’re also highlighting what our retailers are doing to support sustainability, so others can learn from and be inspired by their efforts. Ultimately, the core purpose of implementing the Stickerbook platform is to educate and inspire, in order to improve engagement and participation around sustainability.

FNW: So what’s the impact on your tenants and the overall benefit for the centre?

CMK: For our tenants, it’s provided access to sustainability training at a local level. The content is easy to understand, engaging, and offers practical tips that staff can apply in-store. 

But the benefits go beyond just training. Stickerbook has helped foster a greater sense of community within the centre. It complements the work we’re already doing through our retailer app and the engagement roles within our team, and it’s free for tenants and staff. Everyone can take part, from centre management and support teams to front-line retail staff.

Most importantly, it plays a key role in raising awareness, both around sustainability in general and the specific efforts we’re making. It’s a way of bringing our ESG strategy to life in a hands-on, accessible way.

We’ve also created some healthy competition among stores by awarding quarterly prizes to the stores that collect the most stickers.

FNW: How have tenants responded?

CMK: The response has been fantastic. In just the first two weeks, more than 900 stickers were collected, which exceeded our expectations. By the end of the first month, there have been over 60 active users from across our stores and the centre team.

The team invited all 147 of our stores, including their staff, along with over 120 of our centre staff, to take part. That’s potentially a few thousand people, and to have already seen around a 25% uptake during a soft launch is both encouraging and exciting. It shows there’s a real appetite for this kind of platform. 

Our team is measuring engagement over time, which allows us to introduce a reward and recognition element. For example, highlighting the stores that have completed the most stickers or had the highest staff participation. It creates a friendly sense of competition and pride and sets us apart as a centre committed to supporting and celebrating sustainable action.

Stickerbook, especially a truly bespoke platform like ours, adds a new layer of value for tenants, something unique that hasn’t been done elsewhere in retail. It gives retailers and their teams a fresh, easy-to-use way to engage with sustainability on their terms. There’s no pressure. Activities can take two minutes, five minutes, 10… and they can be completed over time.

FNW: And how does all this fit into your broader ESG strategy?

CMK: It plays a direct role in supporting our environmental and social governance goals. As part of our broader approach to managing Scope 3 emissions, which includes tenant emissions, we’re focused on helping our retailers operate more sustainably. The more tools and resources we can provide to support that, the greater the overall impact on the performance of the centre as an asset.

It also raises awareness among staff at every level. Often, store teams assume sustainability decisions come solely from head office, but Stickerbook helps them understand the role they can play on the shop floor.

Additionally, it gives visibility to existing good practice. For example, H Beauty already offers bottle recycling and John Lewis and M&S take pre-loved clothing to be sold or recycled, but Stickerbook helps amplify and share that initiative more broadly so others in the centre can follow suit.

FNW: Will the shoppers who visit be impacted directly or indirectly?

CMK: The initiative forms part of our ‘Little Things’ campaign, which seeks to inform, inspire and engage our 22 million footfall in environmental and social value initiatives. While Stickerbook is primarily aimed at our retailers and centre staff, the benefits will ripple out to our guests too. As teams become more knowledgeable and engaged with sustainability, that awareness and enthusiasm naturally transfer into the customer experience, from conversations at the till to the way services and products are presented.

The centre hosts a permanent exhibition in the centre showcasing the full range of centre initiatives which is continually updated, and we’re creating a dedicated sticker around those. So, while the platform is internal for now, the impact will be very visible to the public over time. Ultimately, it helps reinforce our sustainability story and deepen our connection with visitors who value responsible retail.

FNW: As the first mall to apply this, do you want to keep it to yourself or is it important to get such an initiative out to other shopping centres?

CMK: It’s very important [to do that]. Centres are huge employers and if we all followed this simple and easy process we could make a big impact very quickly. We recognise that the conversation around sustainability may be a little overwhelming. By breaking opportunities down into bite size chunks you can go at your own pace and overtime make inroads on key sustainability issues.