Green in-store operations and sustainability performance: the moderating role of organization size

Purpose - Businesses are increasingly striving to become sustainable in terms of economic, environmental and social aspects. However, in the fresh food retail supply chains (SCs), achieving environmental objectives can be challenging because of the unique characteristics of products such as perishability, bulkiness, short product lifecycle and the requirement for cold chain infrastructure. The retail industry is the face of a SC. Therefore, its role in achieving sustainable objectives is pivotal. This study examines the effect of green in-store operations on sustainability performance indicators of fresh food retail and examines the moderating role of organization size in this context. Design/methodology/approach - Data are collected through surveys using self-administered questionnaires from 70 retail stores with 188 completed responses. Data are analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings - Results show a positive relationship between green in-store operation with environmental social and economic performance. Furthermore, these relationships are moderated by the organization size such that the positive green in-store operation and performance relationships are stronger in the case of environmental and social performance only and for larger retail stores. No moderation is seen for economic performance. Originality/value - The study broadens the understanding of green SC management’s effect on sustainability performance in the retail industry. It shows how the positive implications of a green SC are contingent on organization size and have prominence for environmental and social performance.