As the retail industry rapidly evolves, sustainability and regulatory compliance are no longer peripheral concerns but critical strategic considerations. Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) exemplify this shift, moving beyond regulatory mandates to present opportunities for significant commercial growth, customer engagement, and operational excellence.
Leading retailers recognize that the impending implementation of DRS in the UK poses not only a major operational challenge but a potential commercial risk if unprepared. Delayed planning or underestimating the scope of required changes could result in compliance penalties, operational bottlenecks, and reputational damage. Yet, for those who act early and decisively, DRS presents an opportunity to move beyond compliance - unlocking significant gains in customer engagement, operational excellence, and long-term brand leadership.
Navigating DRS complexities requires deep expertise and specialised tools in regulatory transitions, retail strategy and operations. Partnering with experienced advisory specialists ensures robust planning, operational execution, and risk mitigation.
Strategy& has a long track record of helping retailers identify and capitalise on growth opportunities. We uniquely combine global strategic advisory experience with cutting-edge accelerators, proprietary assets, and proven intellectual property designed specifically for retail sector.
Our proprietary Location Intelligence platform provides comprehensive insights to plan and optimise the return infrastructure across store formats, helping retailers forecast footfall and basket size impacts, and optimize store layouts with unmatched precision. Our advanced trade terms playbook offers industry-leading negotiation frameworks, ensuring proactive management of supplier engagements and preserving your margins.
Leveraging globally validated best practices and insights from successful DRS implementations worldwide, we ensure your business remains commercially resilient and ready to seize competitive advantages.
We invite you to schedule a meeting with our strategy and advisory experts. Together, we’ll evaluate your commercial and operational readiness, anticipate strategic impacts, and co-develop tailored response plans that will position your company not just to manage DRS implementation - but to thrive through it.
Turn compliance into your competitive edge.
Connect with our team today.