Holt Renfrew is a long-standing Canadian retailer on a mission to ignite positive change. As a leader in fashion and lifestyle, they have set some seriously ambitious and admirable sustainability goals.
Addressing climate change has been a priority for Holts and they’ve made significant progress: from setting approved science-based targets, and growing their sustainable product offering through their Holts Sustainable Edit program to exiting animal fur and exotic skins in January 2022.
However, reducing their transportation carbon emissions was a challenge.
TL;DR
As part of the company’s decarbonization plan, Holt Renfrew set an ambitious science-based target to reduce their Scope 3 emissions by 28% by 2030
To achieve this goal they have partnered with GoBolt Parcel and in just the first nine months of the partnership they have:
Completed 23,000 EV deliveries with GoBolt Parcel
Avoided nearly 20 tonnes of CO2e
Let’s dive in to see how they made this happen.
The Problem
Holt Renfrew faced a considerable challenge: reducing its Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which form the bulk of its carbon footprint. One of the primary contributors to these emissions was their downstream transportation. Holt Renfrew needed to rethink and revamp its final mile delivery operations to tackle this portion of their emissions. They set out to find a partner equally committed to sustainability so they could zero in on and reduce their last-mile emissions.
The Solution
In October 2023, Holt Renfrew announced their partnership with GoBolt Parcel to handle next-day last mile deliveries in key Canadian markets – Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal. GoBolt’s deep commitment to sustainability aligned perfectly with their decarbonization plan and overall sustainability goals.
GoBolt’s sustainable last mile solution for Holts includes a large fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) and innovative technology like route optimization, both of which help Holts avoid significant amounts of carbon emissions.
The Results
The collaboration between Holt Renfrew and GoBolt has yielded impressive results already:
- In the first two months of launching, November and December 2023, Holt Renfrew completed nearly 3,000 electric deliveries with GoBolt Parcel.
- In 2024, that number skyrocketed to 20,000 deliveries, achieving a 90% month-over-month increase compared to the launch in 2023.
This significant rise in sustainable deliveries underscores the success of this partnership.
Next Steps & Ongoing Efforts
Holt Renfrew’s commitment to sustainability is unwavering. The company continues to:
- Champion low-impact materials and circular business models like resale, repair, rental, and refill through the Holts Sustainable Edit program.
- Engage suppliers to set science-based targets, aiming for 67% of suppliers by 2025.
- Collaborate with transportation carriers and invest in low-impact vehicles and infrastructure to support a cleaner economy.
- And naturally, GoBolt and Holt Renfrew will continue to expand their electric last mile delivery efforts.
The partnership with GoBolt is a testament to Holt Renfrew’s dedication to sustainability, showcasing how strategic collaborations can lead to significant environmental benefits and operational efficiencies. This ongoing effort is key to Holt Renfrew’s strategy to achieve its ambitious Scope 3 emissions reduction target by 2030.
