As concerns about climate change heighten and consumers look for brands that take a stand on issues they care about, fashion retailers are under pressure to show that they are becoming more sustainable.

• 57% of  fashion shoppers are trying to shop more sustainably in 2019 than they did a year ago.

• 21% of Young Millennials look out for brands that take a stand on issues they care about.

• Climate change has become the second most important environmental issue after plastic pollution for consumers.

Several retailers have responded to growing consumer demand for companies to be more sustainable by closing their stores as part of the Global Climate Strike on Friday 20th of September 2019.

Outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia shut its stores and offices globally to show support for the youth activists striking for climate action and calling on governments to address the environmental crisis.

Athleticwear brand Outdoor Voices not only closed its stores, but also organized sign-making workshops for those wanting to participate in the protest. Footwear retailer Allbirds chose to inform people of its choice to participate in the strike via social media and said it felt a duty to get involved due to the ethos of the brand.

The latest research shows that when choosing what clothing to buy, young people are increasingly looking out for brands that take a stand on issues they care about, with 20% of 16-24s agreeing, peaking among Younger Millennials. (See Clothing Retailing – UK – October 2019).

Figure 1: Most important factors when choosing clothing brands to buy, by generations, august 2019

Base: 1,848 internet users aged 16+ that have purchased clothing for themselves in the last 12 months

Source: Lightspeed/Mintel

This ties in with the Mintel trend Buydeology that highlights how consumers are affiliating themselves with companies that share their cultural and ideological values.

Concerns about climate change have heightened and it has become the second most important environmental issue after plastic pollution, according to Mintel’s Ethical Lifestyles – UK – June 2018 report.

This has led sustainability to become a growing issue in the fashion sector, with 48% of UK clothing consumers preferring to shop with retailers that are trying to reduce their impact on the environment, with this rising to 60% of Gen Z consumers, highlighting how this has become a priority for young people (see Fashion Sustainability – UK – August 2019).

Amazon is the latest retailer looking to showcase itself as caring about climate change. On 19 September 2019 it announced its commitment to meeting the Paris Agreement on climate 10 years early and to becoming net zero carbon by 2040. It has become the first company to sign the Climate Pledge and hopes to encourage other large business to do the same.

Amazon has also launched a new sustainability website to report on its performance, including information about its carbon footprint. It plans to make shipments 50% net zero carbon by 2030 and to continue reducing packaging waste with initiatives such as Ship in Own Container.

Sustainability is at the core of the Patagonia brand and the retailer is constantly launching new initiatives to help with the fight to save the planet. In September 2019 it unveiled a new community online platform called Action Works to help connect people with local, national and grassroots environmental organisations. It has opened a pop-up Patagonia Action Works Café in London’s Broadway Market to promote the scheme.

Figure 2: Patagonia's Action Works Cafe, London

Source: Patagonia

Mintel’s Brand Research found that Patagonia is seen as the third most ethical clothing and footwear brand in the survey for the Fashion & Sustainability report. While it still uses plastic bags when sending its products out, it carried out a case study on the challenges of single-use plastic in garment deliveries and publicizes the challenges surrounding this on its website.

Consumers are looking for retailers to be more transparent and 67% of people agree that fashion retailers should let customers know when items are not made sustainably.

As concerns about climate change heighten and consumers look for brands that take a stand on issues they care about, fashion retailers are under pressure to show that they are becoming more sustainable.

Young people are the ones leading calls for urgent action on climate change, as seen during the Global Climate Strike in September, meaning that youth fashion retailers also need to show that they are aligning themselves with the issues that their customers care about.

Amazon’s climate pledge shows other companies that they can commit to becoming net zero carbon whilst still growing their businesses.