Case study: Urban Deli’s digital tool use and sustainability vision

The report examines the intersection of digitalization and sustainability at Urban Deli, a Swedish food retailer. Despite a strong organizational sustainability vision, the study finds that digital tools are currently used primarily for operational efficiency and cost reduction rather than for sustainability decision-making. Key barriers include a lack of standardized environmental data, supplier reluctance to share detailed information, and internal challenges regarding the capability to interpret and act on sustainability data. The findings suggest that increased information alone is insufficient without organizational prioritization and a supportive regulatory framework.

• Digital tools at Urban Deli are currently unconnected to the delivery of the company's sustainability vision, remaining in a nascent stage for supporting environmental sustainability decision-making.
• Urban Deli faces significant internal challenges in translating its sustainability vision into action, specifically regarding the prioritization of efforts and the ability to implement and maintain initiatives over time.
• While access to general environmental information is perceived as an opportunity, the retailer lacks the in-house knowledge and competence to understand, interpret, and act upon this complex data.
• The retailer's current use of 10 different digital tools focuses on quantity, price, and sales data; no information is systematically collected or used through these tools for sustainability purposes.
• Digital service providers are attempting to integrate sustainability data, such as carbon footprint calculators, but are hindered by a lack of standardized calculation methods and the reluctance of food suppliers to share detailed environmental data.
• There is a tendency among actors in the food system—including retailers and digital service providers—to push the responsibility for sustainability to others despite the availability of information.
• The study concludes that sustainable consumption cannot rely solely on private initiatives from consumers and companies, suggesting a need for a regulatory framework and political support to accelerate change.

APA

Lewis, A. N., Sendlhofer, T., Dawkins, E., Engström, E., Moberg, Å., & Vanhuyse, F. (2023). Case study: Urban Deli’s digital tool use and sustainability vision. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/case-study-urban-deli-sei2023.006.pdf

Chicago

Lewis, Astrid Nilsson, Tina Sendlhofer, Elena Dawkins, Ebba Engström, Åsa Moberg, and Fedra Vanhuyse. Case study: Urban Deli’s digital tool use and sustainability vision. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/case-study-urban-deli-sei2023.006.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lewis |first1=Astrid Nilsson |last2=Sendlhofer |first2=Tina |last3=Dawkins |first3=Elena |last4=Engström |first4=Ebba |last5=Moberg |first5=Åsa |last6=Vanhuyse |first6=Fedra |title=Case study: Urban Deli’s digital tool use and sustainability vision |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=February 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/case-study-urban-deli-sei2023.006.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lewis2023case, author = {Lewis, Astrid Nilsson and Sendlhofer, Tina and Dawkins, Elena and Engström, Ebba and Moberg, Åsa and Vanhuyse, Fedra}, title = {{Case study: Urban Deli’s digital tool use and sustainability vision}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/case-study-urban-deli-sei2023.006.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }