Together with CHEP, the drugstore chain dm is focussing on a sustainable reusable system for product presentations in stores. The Q+ Reusable Displays are made of recycled plastic, reduce single-use packaging and are now being used in numerous European countries.
Following a successful test run in 2023, dm is now launching a large-scale POS campaign with the reusable Q+ display together with CHEP. The displays consist of over 80 per cent post-consumer plastic waste and have been specially designed for multiple use in retail. The aim of the initiative is to conserve resources and at the same time make operational processes in retail more efficient.
More than 2,100 dm stores in Germany and other shops in Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia are taking part in the promotion. For the current SUNDANCE promotion, CHEP is supplying around 46,000 display shelves, which will be co-packed into a total of 9,200 ready-to-sell displays.
Cycle model for the point of sale
The CHEP Q+ display is not disposed of after use, but cleaned, tested and put back into circulation. According to the company, a life cycle analysis confirms this: Compared to a conventional 6 kg cardboard display, up to 3.6 kg of cardboard waste and around 5.4 kg of CO₂ can be saved per unit. This corresponds to a reduction of 57 per cent in disposable materials and 34 per cent in emissions.
Dagmar Glatz, head of the environmental sustainability team at dm, emphasises the strategic importance of the measure: „Conserving resources is firmly anchored in our corporate strategy. With CHEP's reusable system, we can reduce cardboard consumption and thus conserve resources and avoid CO₂ emissions - and not just throughout Germany, but at a European level.“
Positive feedback from the trade
The decision to implement the system across Europe was based on the experience gained in the previous year. In an initial pilot project, dm tested the Q+ Reusable Display in selected stores. According to the company, both the stability of the displays and their easy handling in daily use were convincing.
„With this promotion within Europe, we are demonstrating that our sustainable display solutions are already ready for the market today,“ explains Stephan Horstmann, Director Retail at CHEP. „Together with dm, we are rolling out the Q+ Reusable Display across the board, making an active contribution to conserving resources and reducing CO₂ emissions in the retail sector.“
According to CHEP, it operates one of the continent's largest pooling systems with around 150 million standardised load carriers in 29 European countries. The Q+ display is part of a comprehensive sustainability strategy that aims to establish circular solutions at the point of sale.
