Rethinking retail

Times are changing, and the smartest among us are changing along with them.

Take Nau, an active-wear retailer launched last year. The company has four “stores” — that aren't really stores at all. They are “Web fronts” — small destination locations that only offer a limited selection of products. Customers look at styles and try on limited selections for size, but they can't purchase anything to take home with them. Everything is sold online — either in-store from a kiosk or via the company's Web site.

The idea here is to be eco-friendly. Because the Web fronts are small, the company saves on energy and operating expenses.

But that's not where the story ends. This is a company that is serious about its social conscience. A visit to Nau.com reveals that it has strict policies regarding factory conditions, pay, discrimination and limits on hours worked — even in the various Asian countries of manufacture.

They also include a lot of information about their environmental policies — and they back it up with proof and explain what their certifications mean. The tone is very straightforward and directly addresses some of the inherent hypocrisies about running any sort of a “green operation,” especially one that sources from overseas. It's a refreshing, honest take on the issues that are confronting everyone working to be earth friendly.

And here's an idea I love: Nau donates 5% of every sale to an environmental, social or humanitarian charity. Not uncommon, you say, right? But Nau lets each purchaser select where their 5% goes — and there are lots of options to choose from. The choices include national and international entities, but also local and regional organizations in the communities with the Web fronts — currently Portland, Chicago, Boulder, Colo., and Bellevue, Wash. There are plans to add 10 more in 2008.

It's worth a few minutes of your time to take a look at the Web site … many of the core ideas there can translate to any sort of sales operation.

Social consciousness is here. Now.

What are you doing to make your customers feel good — really good — about doing business with you?