Many retail executives are pursuing sustainability goals that require deep collaboration with suppliers, distributors and channel partners. Yet relationships with these stakeholders often remain rooted in logistics basics. You need emissions data, sourcing transparency and waste reduction commitments from partners accustomed to discussing delivery schedules, order quantities or sales targets.
The disconnect isn’t surprising. Many suppliers, distributors and channel partners are fielding sustainability requests from multiple retailers, creating survey fatigue and duplicate work. Others lack the internal resources needed to track environmental metrics effectively, or they’re concerned transparency will expose vulnerabilities. Some simply don’t understand what’s in it for them beyond checking a compliance box.
These concerns are valid, given how sustainability conversations have historically been framed. Retailers breaking through this resistance understand that partnership, not pressure, unlocks the data and collaboration they need.
The shift from transactional demands to genuine partnerships might not happen overnight, but there are practical ways to begin building those relationships today.
Create a single source of truth
The most effective approach starts with reducing friction for all partners. Instead of asking them to navigate multiple portals and submit the same information repeatedly to different retailers, successful companies are streamlining these interactions through unified platforms.
Procurement teams often juggle multiple frameworks and inconsistent reporting formats. When one supplier uses a carbon calculator and another provides qualitative insights only, comparing sustainability performance becomes a time sink. Unified platforms like THESIS normalize inputs, standardize metrics and allow real-time benchmarking — enabling procurement to spend less time reconciling spreadsheets and more time optimizing partnerships.
When partners can submit sustainability data once and share it across the retail ecosystem, it eliminates duplicate work and maintains data integrity. This frees up their time for meaningful improvements rather than administrative tasks.
Beyond efficiency, unified platforms create a meeting point where genuine dialogue can happen. When partners aren’t overwhelmed by complex processes, they’re more open to strategic conversations about sustainability challenges and solutions.
Build momentum with willing partners
You don’t need to convert every supplier, distributor, and channel partner at the same time. Focus on your most collaborative stakeholders first — those who are already asking questions or showing genuine interest in environmental initiatives.
In reality, many procurement leaders face a dilemma: do you choose the supplier with the lowest cost, or the one most aligned with your ESG goals? The right decision isn’t always clear, especially under tight margins. But by starting with your most open partners, you create a playbook — demonstrating how aligning on both cost and sustainability goals is not only possible, but preferable.
Pick five to ten key partners who seem curious about sustainability and invest in deeper conversations with them. Share your challenges, timeline and goals openly. Ask about their priorities and constraints. These early partnerships create proof points that demonstrate the value of collaboration.
When other partners see their peers benefiting from sustainability partnerships — whether through improved efficiency, public reputation or business growth — they become more willing to engage. This builds momentum, creating a positive cycle that eventually draws in those who were initially reluctant.
Create community, not just compliance
Make sustainability a journey you take together. Instead of positioning yourself as the expert evaluating performance, acknowledge that you’re learning too. Share your own hurdles and the solutions you’re testing. Be transparent about your goals and timelines — not just the outcomes you expect.
This openness shifts the dynamic from “us versus them” to “we’re in this together.” Stakeholders become problem-solving partners, not subjects under evaluation. And when they understand your constraints, they’re more likely to offer creative ideas and be candid about challenges.
To reinforce this dynamic, make evaluation collaborative. Consider baking sustainability metrics into your supplier scorecards or contract renewals — but share those criteria upfront. Offer support to help suppliers close performance gaps. When they feel seen, not scrutinized, they’re more likely to bring forward innovations or ask for help.
Celebrate wins, big or small. Highlight specific examples of supplier success — whether it’s cutting emissions, improving packaging, or sharing data more consistently. These moments build momentum and make the value of partnership tangible.
Stronger partnerships, better results
The shift from transactional relationships to true partnerships isn’t instant, but retailers who invest in this approach see significant rewards. They’re able to have strategic conversations about shared challenges and creative solutions with suppliers, distributors and channel partners, leading to mutually beneficial outcomes.
This approach becomes especially powerful when supported by the right infrastructure. THESIS connects over 1,700 reporting brands with major retailers like Walmart, Kroger and Walgreens, showing how shared technology can reduce friction while nurturing the personal relationships that drive real change.
Retailers building sustainable supply chains know that technology enables relationships, not replaces them.
Ready to transform your relationships from transactions to partnerships?
