RD ECOLOGICAL MERCHANDISING

For Marketing and HR managers in the Dominican Republic, Eco-Friendly Merchandising is a strategic vehicle for strengthening brand, culture, and employee experience. In this guide, Lemon Creativo offers clear criteria for planning, executing, and measuring sustainable merchandising initiatives with a tangible impact.

We'll cover material selection, relationships with local suppliers, cost control, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance, and success metrics (KPIs, Key Performance Indicators) that connect with marketing and people objectives. The goal: to transform sustainable corporate gifts into measurable results.

Key recommendation: Formalize an annual sustainable merchandising policy aligned with brand and talent objectives.

A few months ago, a CFO questioned a marketing manager about spending on gifts: "Nice, but what's changed?" After redesigning the line with recycled materials, precise messaging, and measurement, the department reported 18% more usage and 12% less shrink in three months. This is where the key lies: turning perceptions into evidence.

Key recommendation: Always link the initiative to a business case with prior metrics.

Problem and impact

Without a unified strategy, sustainable merchandising becomes fragmented by rush purchases, cost overruns, and low adoption. In mid-sized organizations, it's common to see between 12% and 20% cost overruns due to decentralized purchasing and up to 30%–50% of eco-branded items that aren't used regularly. Furthermore, each conventional item can contribute 0.5–1.2 kg of CO₂e, impacting ESG goals.

The impact goes beyond finances: inconsistent campaigns reduce brand awareness and fail to contribute to HR indicators like eNPS (Employee Net Customer Score). With standardization and successful design, companies typically achieve 10%–18% annual savings, 15%–25% increases in recurring usage, and improvements of 3–7 points in eNPS, according to regional benchmarks.

Key recommendation: Conduct an initial audit of your spending, usage, and CO₂ footprint within 30 days.

Practical solutions

Step 1: Policy and governance. How to do it: Define categories, campaign limits, and a Marketing-HR-Finance committee. What to measure: Policy compliance, percentage of centralized purchases, and ROI (Return on Investment) per campaign.
Step 2: Inventory and demand audit. How to do it: Sort by line, condition, and turnover; identify shrinkage. What to measure: Quarterly usage rate, shrinkage (% and cause), and opportunity cost.
Step 3: Certified materials. How to do it: Prioritize FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) for paper/wood, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) for textiles, and RPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) for polymers. What to measure: % of certified items and CO₂e avoided per substitution.
Step 4: Eco-friendly design and branding. How to do it: limit inks, use monochrome, concise messaging, and real utility. What to measure: recurring usage rate (30/60/90 days) and campaign recall.
Step 5: Local Dominican Suppliers and MOQs. How to do it: Consolidate with local Dominican suppliers and define the optimal MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) per batch. What to measure: average lead time, percentage of on-time deliveries, and logistics savings.
Step 6: Responsible logistics and packaging. How to do it: consolidate shipments, prefer recycled/compostable packaging, and apply simplified LCA (Life Cycle Assessment). What to measure: costs per unit delivered and percentage of recycled materials in packaging.
Step 7: Internal activation and kits. How to do it: Design purposeful onboarding kits and campaigns; communicate the benefits of use. What to measure: Employee satisfaction, eNPS, and adoption rate for each item.
Step 8: KPI Dashboard and Continuous Improvement. How to do it: Set quarterly KPIs (savings, usage, CO₂e) and review them semiannually with Lemon Creativo. What to measure: ROI per line, cost variance, and ESG progress.

Key recommendation: Implement the plan within 90 days with a dedicated team and KPI dashboard.

Mini-case

Service sector, Santo Domingo: After auditing 14 sustainable merchandising lines and consolidating with local suppliers, the company migrated to GOTS textiles and RPET thermoses, reducing design variability and waste. Welcome kits and a loyalty campaign were implemented.

Results in 4 months: 16.8% savings on purchases, +22% recurring usage, −29% shrink, −34% estimated CO₂e, and +5 eNPS points. 2.4x ROI compared to previous campaigns, validated by the KPI dashboard shared with Finance.

Key recommendation: Start with a 90-day pilot and scale up in waves.

FAQ

Q: What is a reasonable annual budget for sustainable merchandising in the Dominican Republic? A: Between 0.3% and 0.8% of the Marketing or People budget, depending on the number of campaigns and brand objectives.
Q: How do I verify certifications (FSC, GOTS, RPET)? A: Request current certificates, batch/order, and traceability information; validate on official websites and require material declaration on invoices.
Q: What are the MOQs and typical lead times in the DR? A: Typical MOQs: 100–250 units; 7–15 days for local stock; 20–35 days for customized orders, depending on the technique and season.

Key recommendation: Include documentary verification of certifications in the purchasing flow.

In short, a well-designed sustainable merchandising program reduces costs, strengthens eco-branding, and improves HR indicators. Lemon Creativo can assist you with design, sourcing, and end-to-end measurement.

Request your quote and samples within 48 hours.

Key recommendation: Schedule a 20-minute meeting to prioritize three quarterly actions.