Nick has been with Navetas since October 2008 and is the company's Strategic Communications Director. Nick has worked for a number of years in the Public Affairs and Communications Industry, providing advice to names such British Airways, John Lewis Group, Prudential and Sainsbury's on a range of issues.

Blog > M&S reveals ‘incredible opportunities’ in energy sector

M&S reveals ‘incredible opportunities’ in energy sector

Monday 21st March 2011

Did you know that green products make up 10% of giant retail group Kingfisher’s annual turnover? This was just one interesting statistic I picked up from a recent article in The Telegraph, which pointed out, with plenty of proof points, how the market for greener, low-carbon products is growing.

 

According to the article, the smartest businesses are not only selling green products, but are also looking at new business models that can create competitive advantage and business revenues.

 

Take M&S as a case in point: the retailer has already established an energy services business with M&S Energy, but the article reveals it is also looking at ‘some incredible opportunities for M&S in terms of new income streams’.

 

And the source of these new revenue opportunities lies in the fact that ‘consumers are going to have to green their homes’. Can we expect the blue chip retailer to introduce energy monitoring and management services before too long?

 

Interestingly, as it moves into the energy market, M&S sees the main challenge is coming not from the existing energy utilities, but from ‘the likes of Waitrose and Sainsbury’s’ and ‘big beasts like Pepsico and Unilever’.

 

Even the most confident utilities should not be complacent when retailers are making inroads into their heartland.  As Mike Barry, M&S’s head of sustainable business, puts it: “There’s also a degree of market positioning going on in terms of new partnerships with innovative green providers. If we don’t team up with them, competitors will snap them up.”

 

Today, there is a real opportunity for retailers and other service providers to seize the market for energy management and monitoring in UK households. By empowering households to make better energy choices through intuitive technology and detailed information displays on consumption patterns, these companies can ensure households can better manage appliances devices, reduce utility costs and minimise environmental impact.

 

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