3 Ways Heritage Brands Drive Sustainability Leadership
By Melinda Whittington
Heritage brands are defined by the hallmarks of tradition: craftsmanship, products designed to stand the test of time, and premium customer care. Heritage companies spend decades – even hundreds – of years honing design, manufacturing, and production processes. Can these same companies evolve fast enough to meet the modern customer’s sustainability expectations? In my view, yes. Many companies from many industries can learn and benefit from three fundamental ways furniture heritage brands drive sustainability impact that, in turn, improves customer loyalty and boosts the bottom line.
- Focus on Durability
When a product is built to last, its environmental footprint looks very different from one designed to be replaced every few years. That distinction matters more than ever today. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 12 million tons of furniture and furnishings are discarded in U.S. landfills each year. For those of us in the home furnishings industry, that statistic is a powerful reminder that the decisions we make about materials, design and product lifespan have consequences that extend far beyond the home.
- Listen to Customers
Consumer expectations evolve constantly. Today’s Millennials and Gen Z are mindful of the products they bring into their homes. They want to understand how those products are sourced, the labor conditions behind them and what companies are doing to reduce their environmental impact. According to the 2023 Deloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, roughly two-thirds of Gen Z consumers say they consider a company’s environmental impact when making purchasing decisions.
For heritage companies, this shift is an opportunity.
- Stay Agile
Brands with long histories bring a valuable perspective to this moment. Experience designing, sourcing and manufacturing products gives companies a deep understanding of the full lifecycle of what they produce, from raw materials to the years those products spend in customers’ homes. That perspective makes it easier to identify meaningful improvements.
At La-Z-Boy, sustainability initiatives increasingly focus on tangible operational changes. Today, roughly 96% of our non-hazardous manufacturing waste is recycled, and renewable energy accounts for about 75% of the electricity used in our U.S. operations. We didn’t have to sacrifice our history or brand identity to do it. These kinds of operational improvements demonstrate how heritage manufacturers can translate sustainability goals into measurable progress.
Sustainability Sustains the Business
The broader lessons extend beyond any single company. Across industries, heritage brands have an opportunity to combine long-standing operational knowledge with evolving consumer expectations. We know how to build products with lasting value, and today we are applying that expertise to the sustainability challenges shaping our industry. That foundation allows companies to move from broad sustainability ambitions to practical, measurable action.
Staying relevant to younger generations means becoming more sustainable. Embracing short-term disruption while transitioning operations brings continued product relevance and company resilience. But in many ways, sustainability aligns with the values that have guided responsible manufacturers for decades: building products that last, improving efficiency and operating responsibly in the communities where we work.
What has changed is the level of transparency consumers expect. Today’s customers want to understand how products are made and how companies are evolving to reduce their environmental impact.
For heritage brands, meeting those expectations requires building on storied and trusted traditions. The next generation is asking companies to think differently about the products they create and the impact they have on the world. For industry leaders, that challenge is an opportunity to apply decades of knowledge to build better products, stronger businesses, and a more responsible corporation for the years ahead.
Strategy Note: For this thought leadership piece, I intentionally shaped the article to match the tone and messaging of a Forbes article. I structured Melinda Whittington as an industry leader on evolving heritage brands and her tips for others to follow. Based on her other articles, I kept it professional, strategic, and forward-thinking. I incorporated data and research insights to give her insights credibility. The article structure is organized so it’s easy to follow and each point is clearly laid out. I took her specific actions from La-Z-Boy and generalized them for other companies to follow. I also read that her favorite word is “agile”, so I made sure to include that.