Consumers expect retailers to operate sustainably. They expect returns to be reused, circularity to be built in, and brands to be transparent about what happens behind the scenes.
But expectation does not equal trust.
Building on ReturnPro’s Consumer Trust Gap Report, The Sustainability Proof Gap Retail Can’t Ignore introduces the 2026 Sustainability Alignment Index, ReturnPro’s new benchmark for quantifying how sustainability expectations compare to retail reality.
By analyzing consumer and retailer perspectives side by side, the report reveals where assumptions break down, where execution falls short, and why proof is becoming a defining challenge for retail in 2026.
Download the full report to learn:
- How consumer expectations compare to retailer execution across six sustainability pillars
- Where the Sustainability Alignment Index reveals the largest gaps between expectation and delivery
- Why returns have become a critical moment for proving sustainability, not just managing it
- How retailers can improve transparency using existing data and infrastructure
- Where proof creates risk, and where it becomes competitive advantage
Consumers expect it. Can you prove it?
86% of shoppers want proof of sustainability. Only 22% have seen it, yet 75% of retailers have ESG reporting. ReturnPro’s latest report compares consumer and retailer perspectives side by side, revealing where expectations outpace retail reality, and how returns are a critical moment of proof.
The Sustainability Proof Gap Retail Can’t Ignore introduces the 2026 Sustainability Alignment Index, ReturnPro’s new benchmark for quantifying how consumer sustainability expectations compare to retail reality.
By analyzing perspectives side by side, the report reveals where assumptions break down, where execution falls short, and why that disconnect is becoming a defining challenge for retail.
