Ricoh has been rated as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the world. This marks the 11th selection for Ricoh, which was selected for 10 consecutive years from 2005 to 2014.

The Global 100 is an annual ranking of the world's most sustainable corporations published by Canada-based Corporate Knights. The assessment is executed across key indicators, including environmental, social and governance performance, percent sustainable revenue, percent sustainable investment, climate-related lobbying activities and sustainability-linked pay. The assessment results are announced each year during the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The 19th annual ranking, the 2023 Global 100, assessed 6,720 publicly-traded companies with more than $1 billion in revenue.

"In 2020, we positioned ESG initiatives as future financial targets, one of the dual companywide management targets along with regular financial goals," said Jake Yamashita, president and CEO, Ricoh. "This ranking is a testament to Ricoh's continuous and accelerated commitment to sustainability, such as incorporating ESG indicators into our executive compensation and actively lobbying for climate change action by joining the conversation on renewable energy with the Japanese government."

Ricoh's approach to sustainability is to pursue a sustainable society through a Three Ps Balance — Prosperity (economic), People (society) and Planet (environment). To realize this desired society, Ricoh has identified seven material issues in two areas, "Resolving social issues through business" and "Robust management infrastructure," and set 17 ESG targets in linkage with the material to work toward solving these issues.

Ricoh will continue to contribute to solving social issues and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through its business activities.

In other news, Ricoh USA Inc. has unveiled a study that finds advanced applications, such as intelligent lockers and augmented reality (AR), present a promising, largely untapped opportunity for retailers to enhance convenience and ultimately increase customer satisfaction. Surveying more than 2,000 Americans online, The Harris Poll outlined consumer behaviors and preferences for online purchases, motivating factors for using intelligent lockers to retrieve and return packages, and attitudes about special online tools and apps that enable users to envision products in use before making purchasing decisions.

Survey results show that while only 12% of Americans retrieved a package from an intelligent locker over the last year, 77% would consider using one. This indicates a key opportunity for retailers to give shoppers more choices, including the option to retrieve "Buy Online, Pick-up In-Store" items at a secured location in a contactless setting. Investing in a secured intelligent locker solution for package pickup and return can also help retailers ease labor challenges and save on delivery and freight while reducing fuel emissions.

In addition, nearly three in four Americans (73%) say they would find special online tools or applications that help envision what a product would look like in the actual home or worn on the body helpful when making online purchasing decisions; and one in four Americans (25%) would find special online tools or apps very helpful.

"The future of retail is connected commerce and convenience," said Rory Fitzpatrick, vice president of vertical marketing, Ricoh USA Inc. "Retailers that streamline, optimize and automate processes for enhanced customer experiences will ultimately be more successful at building brand loyalty and driving business. It all comes back to using the most relevant, up-to-date information at their disposal to make informed business decisions that support customers' evolving requirements and expectations.

"Applications like Ricoh's Intelligent Locker Systems and Ricoh Marketing Services can help retailers deliver better customer and employee experiences using immersive AR to enhance shopper interactions, drive consumer loyalty, and onboard and train team members," Fitzpatrick continued. "The ways AR can benefit retailers is truly limitless."

A recent study shows 57% of customers are more likely to buy from a company that offers an immersive AR experience and 64% of consumers believe use of AR in their shopping experience increases their sense of brand loyalty.

Tremendous growth is also predicted in the global intelligent locker market, which is estimated to be worth $804 million in 2023 and forecast to reach $2.563 million by 2028, with a growth rate of 17.8% between 2023 and 2028.