Purpose-This paper aims to investigate consumers' perspectives on sustainable clothing consumption and to examine ways in which this information could influence retailers' policies. Design/methodology/approach-Qualitative research was conducted using focus groups, home tasks and workshops with 99 participants. The sample represented different groups of consumers in relation to their sustainability behaviour. Findings-Focus group participants had a limited awareness of the sustainability impacts of clothing. Where participants displayed pro-environmental behaviour, this was not necessarily intentional, but was largely a response to other influences. The respondents' maintenance and disposal of clothes were found to be influenced mainly by existing habits and routines, which usually take precedence over awareness of sustainable practice. The research indicated that consumers could be persuaded to change their behaviour in relation to sustainability by being encouraged and enabled to reflect more on their behaviour. Research limitations/implications-This study uses qualitative research and is limited to UK consumers. Future research in this field could incorporate quantitative methods or in-depth interviews. Academics could conduct further research and generate theories which apply to the sustainable consumption of clothing. Social implications-The findings have implications for retailers, academics and society. Retailers can develop and implement more sustainable policies and practices in relation to clothing production and consumption. There are wider implications for society and the environment in that retailers' practices can impact greatly on the sustainability of the planet's resources. Originality/value-This paper's originality lies in its assessment of the implications for retailers of consumers' views on the sustainable consumption of clothing.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to assess the issues currently involved in social and environmental sustainability in the clothing industry.Design/methodology/approach -The paper adopts a case study approach to investigate a business that operates successfully in this challenging market.Findings -As a consequence of increasing demand for ethical clothing, it has become standard practice for UK clothing retailers to develop CSR policies which impact upon their methods of garment sourcing and partnerships with suppliers. There is also a significant trend for retailers to offer ethical clothing ranges made from organic cotton or produced by Fair Trade manufacturers. The paper includes a case study on People Tree, which sells Fair Trade clothing sourced from developing countries. People Tree is rare amongst clothing companies in that it provides customers with a transparent view of its production sources via the internet. The company provides an example of how socially responsible and environmentally sustainable global sourcing can be applied in practice.Research limitations/implications -The study focuses on aspects of sustainability in an individual retailer. This could be extended to other ethical retailers in different countries, and a longitudinal study of such companies could be conducted.Originality/value -Literature on ethical fashion companies and their use of socially responsible strategies is sparse, and there is a lack of research that covers both social and environmental sustainability in this market. This paper fills some of the gaps.
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