Hive Heroes:
Can sustainability and commercial reality go hand in hand? The Retail Hive’s Ed Lawson catches up with Shayley Mann to hear how Mountain Warehouse is trying to do just that.
From launching a fashion repair service that might never turn a profit to embedding sustainability into strategic decisions, Shayley shares why it’s people—not just policies—that keep the mission on track.
Shayley Mann
Head of Supply Chain Transformation
Mountain Warehouse
If we want to attract talent, we need to walk the talk.”
Shayley, let’s start with the big question—what’s driving sustainability at Mountain Warehouse?
For us, it really comes from the top. Our owner and founder is hugely passionate about doing things more sustainably, and that mindset flows through the business. Our strapline is “helping everyone to enjoy the great outdoors,” and let’s face it—we can’t do that if we’re in the middle of a climate crisis.
That’s a bold connection. So, how do you act on it, practically?
Some of what we’re doing won’t give us an immediate return. Take our repair offering—fashion generates a lot of waste, and we want to create alternatives. Setting up a repair centre will be costly and we may not see an obvious ROI, but our customers want it and it is the right thing to do. Rival brands have shown that lifetime guarantees build loyalty, and we’re watching and learning.
What’s the challenge in balancing cost and sustainability?
That’s the daily tightrope. For our customers, it’s cost, then quality, then the environment. So, we need to find ways to reduce supply chain costs without compromising sustainability—like switching packaging where we can, without hitting margins. Strong internal voices make sure it’s not the last thing on the list, and younger people joining the business really expect us to lead here. If we want to attract talent, we need to walk the talk.
Starting small and making incremental changes can make a big difference.”
What about certifications like B Corp?
We’ve talked about it as an aspiration. We can provide the data around emissions and waste, but B Corp is also about investment in people, and that’s costly. With things like rising NI contributions, it’s hard to justify unless we really believe in the value. External validation would be great, but we need the business case to stack up.
Are there any quick wins that retailers could implement to make their Supply Chain more sustainable?
A simple, but effective change could be for apparel manufacture, looking at the current materials being used. Could these be switched out for more sustainable options at the same price? Starting small and making incremental changes can make a big difference.
