Revitalizing retail through sustainable retail practices: a systematic literature review

Purpose Sustainable retail practices play a pivotal role in helping retailers align their strategies with the broader goals of sustainable development. In this context, the present review systematically analyses prior research on sustainable retailing (SR) and offers a comprehensive overview of globally adopted sustainable retail practices to advance both the science and practice of sustainability in the retail sector. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a domain-based hybrid review approach, combining bibliometric analysis with a structured literature review within the framework of a systematic literature review. It examines research published in Scopus-indexed journals over the past two decades. Future research directions are outlined using the theory-context-constructs-methodology (TCCM) framework. Findings The field of sustainable retailing has shown an impressive annual growth rate of 18.34% in publications, with food and clothing retail being the most frequently studied contexts. A total of 53 sustainable retail practices were identified and classified into 11 broad categories, including sustainable product portfolios, eco-labelling and signage, sustainability-oriented marketing, technological adoption, sustainable packaging and managerial commitment. The findings underscore the applicability of these practices across diverse retail segments and formats. Originality/value This review offers a distinctive synthesis of generalizable sustainable retail practices that address global sustainability challenges. The insights derived can inform the development of sustainable marketing strategies/policies for the retail industry, contributing to long-term societal and environmental well-being.