The Mica co-operative of independent retailers (Mica) has unveiled plans several months in the making for its first ever eco advertising campaign, which will run during August and September this year.

Independent retailers are excellent champions for environmentally friendly products, as shopping local is usually much greener than shopping out of town or online, both requiring often many more miles of either personal or delivery mileage. Keeping local town centres strong also means keeping employment near to where people live which has its own environmental benefits.

Mica members market their businesses together under a shared brand and meet monthly to the select products to advertise. The interest in a green theme started earlier in the year, and so requests were made from suppliers across the DIY, home and garden sectors that weren’t just the usual special offers, but that would also meet the needs of the eco campaign. The criteria used were based upon the ideas of reusability, natural products, recycled materials and alternatives that are less damaging to the earth.

Suppliers have responded with a broad range of goods, allowing the advertising to contain its usual mix of hardware products with a green twist.

The brochure, available in print and digital version from

19 August, will contain items including additive free paints, recycled plastics, traditional wooden garden tools, natural pest controllers & household cleaners, eco-friendly versions of kitchen disposables and low power consumption electricals amongst others.

Mica CEO Michael Ball said: “Mica members are not afraid to try something new, and despite most businesses in our sector dipping their toes in the water with eco products from time to time, we can’t find any record of a DIY retailer/group going out to the general public with an advertising campaign was based fully around products with environmental credentials. I’m therefore very proud that our independent retailers are leading the way on this.

The response so far has been very positive from the wider membership, but the big test to anything new is customer reaction. We hope it will attract new footfall to participating stores, and if it does we plan to expand on the concept next year.”

The campaign is supported by multi size point of sale packs, including an extra A1 ‘eco’ poster to burnish their credentials, as well as Royal Mail delivered leafleting, e-commerce website listings and social media hero product support.