Fashion & Sustainability - UK - August 2019

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Products covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
The Rana Plaza disaster caused widespread concern around fast fashion
Figure 1: The number of brands and retailers disclosing information about their suppliers, 2017-19
Concern for plastic pollution has swept the nation
Figure 2: Top environmental concerns, April 2018
More is being done to reduce CO2 emissions
Figure 3: UK total greenhouse gas emissions headline results, 1990-2017
Companies and brands
Marks & Spencer seen as the most ethical fashion retailer
Figure 4: Agreement with “ethical” and “unethical” for M&S, August 2014-April 2019
The consumer
Nine in 10 made a fashion purchase
Figure 5: Fashion items purchased, June 2019
Consumers demand greater transparency
Figure 6: Attitudes towards sustainable and ethical fashion, June 2019
Sustainable fashion ranges prove popular
Figure 7: Most important sustainable factors when buying fashion, June 2019
Plastic pollution is a top concern for fashion customers
Figure 8: Issues taken into consideration when shopping for fashion, June 2019
Repairing fashion has mass appeal
Figure 9: Sustainable behaviours towards fashion, June 2019
People learn about sustainability from their peers
Figure 10: Sources trusted by fashion shoppers when learning about sustainable fashion, June 2019
People find sustainable fashion confusing
Figure 11: Behaviours towards sustainable and ethical fashion, June 2019
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Is there a correlation between price and sustainability?
The facts
The implications
The dangers of getting hung up on plastics
The facts
The implications
How will shopping more sustainably impact the fashion market’s bottom line?
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Rana Plaza disaster caused widespread concern around fast fashion
David Attenborough inspires a plastic revolution
Trends towards minimalism are discouraging excess shopping
The rise of the sharing economy
More is being done to reduce CO2 emissions
Government urged to do more to address sustainable fashion
MARKET DRIVERS
The rise of social media has resulted in higher levels of awareness
Figure 12: Motivations to use social and media networks, March 2019
Rana Plaza collapse has led to an increased interest in provenance
‘Who Made My Clothes?’
Figure 13: The number of brands and retailers disclosing information about their suppliers, 2017-19
Concern for plastic pollution has swept the nation
Figure 14: Top environmental concerns, April 2018
The Marie Kondo effect
Figure 15: Social media posts about Marie Kondo’s cleaning method, 2019
The rise of the rental economy
Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions
Figure 16: UK total greenhouse gas emissions headline results, 1990-2017
Vegan nation
Figure 17: The number of vegans in Britain, 2014-18
Government urged to do more to address sustainable fashion
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Brands have been working on ways to close the loop
The second-hand market goes high end
Transparency is high on the agenda
The uptake of veganism has led to more animal-friendly policies
M&S seen as the most ethical fashion retailer
Primark tries to change brand perceptions
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
Working together for sustainability
Google and Stella McCartney team up to tackle fashion’s eco problem
Fashion retailers partner with The London Waste and Recycling Board
Closing the loop
Allbirds debuts sugar flip-flops
Figure 18: Allbirds Zeffer flip-flops made from sugar, 2018
George at Asda to sell products made from recycled materials
ASICS making Olympic uniforms out of used clothing
Boohoo launches recycled fashion collection
Veja launches biodegradable shoes
Figure 19: Veja’s biodegradable Campo trainer, 2019
Remade, Reduced, Recycled: transforming old tents into bags
Figure 20: Remade, Reduced, Recycled collection by RÆBURN x The North Face, 2019
mimycri turns boats into bags
Figure 21: A bag made from boats by mimycri, 2019
Swedish Stockings produces tights from recycled materials
Figure 22: Sustainable tights by Swedish Stockings, 2019
Sustainable collections
& Other Stories releases sustainable capsule collection
Everlane launches carbon-neutral trainers
Figure 23: Everlane’s sustainable Tread trainers, 2019
Fashion rentals
Urban Outfitters to rent out clothing
Little Mistress to launch rental service
Sustainable filters
Fashion brands team up with Xarista
Net-a-Porter adds filter to curate ethical products
Figure 24: Net-a-Porter’s new sustainable platform, Net Sustain, 2019
ASOS launches sustainable product category
Figure 25: ASOS’ ‘Responsible Edit’ showing clothing that is more sustainably made, 2019
Second-hand market
H&M sells vintage clothing
Harrods hosts pop-up charity shop
Figure 26: The second instalment of the Fashion Re-Told pop-up shop, 2019
Farfetch pilots handbag resale service
Galeries Lafayette’s second-hand platform
Who made my clothes?
H&M to reveal list of suppliers
Primark publishes supplier map
Veja unveils new website that traces the source of its shoes
Use of blockchain technology
Figure 27: The smart label produced for Martine Jarlgaard using blockchain technology, 2017
Animal-friendly
ASOS no longer selling mohair, cashmere and silk
Luxury retailers ban exotic skins
More brands stop using fur
Topshop unveils vegan shoe collection
Figure 28: Topshop’s vegan shoe collection, 2019
Collaborations
Mother of Pearl teams up with BBC Earth
Figure 29: BBC Earth x Mother of Pearl sustainable collection, 2019
Lacoste raises awareness for Save Our Species
Figure 30: Lacoste’s first campaign with IUCN, 2018
Allbirds and the National Audubon Society work together for Earth Day shoe
Figure 31: Allbirds Earth Day collaboration with the National Audubon Society, 2019
Plastic not so fantastic
Prada announces Re-Nylon collection
Figure 32: Prada’s Re-Nylon collection modelled by actor Bonnie Wright, 2019
adidas pledges to go plastic-free
Burberry aims to go plastic-free by 2025
Membership schemes
Knickey encourages customers to send in old underwear
For Days swaps any item for cash
BRAND RESEARCH
M&S seen as the most ethical fashion retailer
Figure 33: Agreement with “ethical” and “unethical” for M&S, August 2014-April 2019
Affordable brands viewed in a positive light
Figure 34: Top ranking of fashion brands, by agreement with “ethical”, April 2018-June 2019
Primark’s reputation as an unethical retailer persists
Figure 35: Agreement with “ethical” and “unethical” for Primark, July 2012-August 2018
START-UPS AND DISRUPTORS CASE STUDY: SAVE YOUR WARDROBE
Company overview
What is it?
Founded:
Founders’ story:
Sources of funding and support
Mintel analyst view
Mintel Trends
Why it could succeed
Why it could fail
The verdict
Media profile
Social media metrics
Figure 36: Social media metrics for Save Your Wardrobe, July 2019
START-UPS AND DISRUPTORS CASE STUDY: THE ADORNED
Company overview
What is it?
Founded:
Company mission statement:
Founders’ story:
Sources of funding and support
Mintel analyst view
Mintel Trends
Why it could succeed
Why it could fail
The verdict
Media Profile
Social media metrics
Figure 37: Social media metrics for The Adorned, July 2019
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Consumers demand greater transparency
Sustainable fashion ranges are popular
Plastic pollution is a top concern for fashion customers
Many like the idea of preserving worn-out fashion items via repairs
People learn about sustainability from their peers
People find sustainable fashion confusing
FASHION ITEMS BOUGHT
Nine in 10 made a fashion purchase
Figure 38: Fashion items purchased, June 2019
Childrenswear shoppers want to know how products are made…
Figure 39: Fashion items bought, by factors that would encourage people to purchase, June 2019
Figure 40: WWF and H&M childrenswear collaboration, 2018
…while treatment of workers and animal welfare are most important to accessories shoppers
Figure 41: Fashion items bought, by most important ethical and sustainability issues, June 2019
ATTITUDES TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FASHION
Transparency is key
Figure 42: Attitudes towards sustainable and ethical fashion, June 2019
Patagonia’s plastic packaging trial
Younger consumers more likely to agree that there is a correlation between price and sustainability
Figure 43: Attitudes towards the correlation between price and ethical fashion, by age, June 2019
Men more likely to care about style than sustainability
Figure 44: Attitudes towards style over sustainability, by gender, June 2019
SUSTAINABLE PRIORITIES FOR FASHION
Alternatives for animal products and plastic encourage purchasing
Figure 45: Most important sustainable factors when buying fashion, June 2019
Women are more likely to be drawn towards retailers that don’t sell animal-based products
Figure 46: People most likely to buy from a retailer that promises to stop using animal products, by age and gender, June 2019
Retailers are introducing sustainable ranges
Figure 47: H&M’s Conscious Exclusive spring collection, 2019
The younger generations want retailers to be more vocal
Figure 48: People most likely to buy from a retailer that raises awareness about environmental issues, by generation, June 2019
SUSTAINABLE FASHION CONCERNS 
Awareness around plastic pollution makes it a top concern
Figure 49: Issues taken into consideration when shopping for fashion, June 2019
Figure 50: Tennis player Garbiñe Muguruza in Stella McCartney for adidas biodegradable tennis whites, 2019
City dwellers are more likely to be worried about carbon emissions
Figure 51: Amount of people who take carbon emissions into account when shopping for fashion, by location, June 2019
Treatment of workers is more important than plastics for Millennials
Figure 52: The top three issues taken into consideration when shopping for fashion, by generation, June 2019
Made in Britain
Parents of young children are more concerned about the use of chemicals
Figure 53: Concern over the use of chemicals in fashion, by age of children in household, June 2019
SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOPPING HABITS
Three quarters have donated to a charity shop
Figure 54: Sustainable behaviours towards fashion, June 2019
Repairing fashion items is a popular option
Rented fashion has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream…
Figure 55: How fashion shoppers feel about renting fashion items, by age, June 2019
…whereas pre-loved fashion is currently a more popular option
Figure 56: Shopping behaviour towards second-hand fashion items, by financial situation, June 2019
Figure 57: Boutique by Shelter’s Hampstead charity shop
More publicity is needed around brands that swap old items for rewards
Figure 58: How fashion shoppers feel about donating old fashion items for a reward, by age, June 2019
TRUSTED SOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE FASHION
In a ‘fake news’ era trust is hard to win…
Figure 59: Sources trusted by fashion shoppers when learning about sustainable fashion, June 2019
…leading brands to become reliant on friends and family
Figure 60: Sources trusted by fashion shoppers when learning about sustainable fashion, by age, June 2019
Young men are more likely to trust magazines, while young women trust influencers
Figure 61: Sources of influence when finding out about sustainable fashion, by gender and age, June 2019
BEHAVIOURS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FASHION
Fashion retailers must cut through the noise
Figure 62: Behaviours towards sustainable and ethical fashion, June 2019
Men more likely to educate themselves about sustainability
Figure 63: Researching ethical fashion, by gender, June 2019
Urbanites show more awareness towards sustainable fashion
Figure 64: Behaviours towards sustainable and ethical fashion, by location, June 2019
Figure 65: H&M’s repair stations at its Hammersmith location, 2018
CHAID ANALYSIS: PAYING MORE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Those concerned about the treatment of workers will pay more
Figure 66: Fashion and Sustainability – CHAID – Tree output, June 2019
Methodology
Figure 67: Fashion and Sustainability – CHAID – Table output, June 2019
Figure 68: Fashion and Sustainability – CHAID – Table output, June 2019
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology