Zappos Delivers Happiness and Eco Style

As Coco Chanel succinctly said, "Fashion passes, style remains." Apart from Luxury Retailers who have joined the eco-retail momentum (see Nordstrom Leads Luxury Retailers), a customer-driven online retailer has taken the lead with eco-friendly style by far: Zappos.com.

With over 1,000 choices of eco-friendly shoes and over 1,000 products ranging from clothing, bags, accessories and sporting goods, Zappos^TM leads the pack of eco-friendly apparel more than any other major retailer in the US. Their eco-friendly portfolio is nearly 50 times what a consumer can find in Walmart^TM apparel despite Walmart being the first retailer to define and embrace the Sustainability Movement.

Zappos actively searches for suppliers that make products with eco-friendly materials. Puma^TM, Saucony^TM, New Balance^TM and Timberland^TM use eco-friendly or patented eco materials to enhance their sneaker and footwear offerings. Other popular apparel brands utilize a wide variety of materials:

• Nike^TM apparel consists of 100% recycled polyester.
• Life is good^TM focuses on organic cotton.
• Patagonia^TM uses organic cotton or hemp.

Zappos also seeks manufacturers which use environmentally friendly processes like Birkenstock^TM. For example, 100% of the cork used in their sandals and shoes are renewable and harvested in an environmentally sustainable way. For the animal-loving customers, Zappos has chosen to be fur-friendly and has committed to stay that way.

Equally important to the eco-friendly offerings from Zappos is the leadership philosophy of their CEO, Tony Hsieh. In his book titled Delivering Happiness, Tony describes why customer happiness (and employee happiness) is the key to every business success (see YouTube video). Known as one of Fortune's Best Companies to Work For, Zappos strives to deliver the best customer service possible: they have nearly 6500 5-star ratings from customer reviews. Their tagline epitomizes their company: Powered by Service. With a winning philosophy toward their customers and the environment, Zappos will continue to make a difference for a Greener Planet with the largest EcoLeader portfolio among mainstream retailers. As the ancient Greek scholar Euripedes noted: "Know first who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly."