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Retailers don't have to shelve their sustainability efforts 

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Retailers don't have to shelve their sustainability efforts 

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- Rethink fashion weeks
- Help fast fashion to slow
- Shift consumer mindsets
-Connect with nature
- Repurpose deadstock fabrics

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While 2019 was dubbed the 'Year of Sustainability', four months into the new decade and the impact of COVID-19 will define 2020. This doesn't mean retailers need to shelve their sustainability commitments. In fact, it's a time for the fashion industry to reflect on their processes, as well as the toll it takes on people and the planet.

We round up how the outbreak has spotlighted sustainability and the direction for a greener future post-pandemic.
Get in touch to see a demo on how EDITED data can transform your processes to help your category compete in the current state of the market.
1. Rethinking Fashion Weeks

Set to take place in June, Men's Fashion Week has been called off due to the current pandemic, with the Milan and Paris shows joining the Women's Fashion Week schedule in September. However, it still remains unpredictable as lockdown continues.

Fashion Week continuously came under fire pre-pandemic for its lack of eco-credentials as buyers and brands flew to four cities for two seasons a year.

A recent study from Zero to Market quantified the impact of travel, concluding that 241,000 tons of CO2 was produced during the 2018 shows - equivalent to the annual emissions of a small country. A combination of the above has forced the industry to reimagine what Fashion Week should look like.

Tokyo, Shanghai and Moscow have all made digital transitions, showcasing collections and shows online through live and pre-recorded media. With COVID-19 shedding light on climate change and sustainability, this could spark an overhaul of Fashion Week for the greener good.
Shanghai Fashion Week
* Took place over seven days with a mix of live shows and talks.

* Hosted by the online shopping platforms, Taobao and Tmall.

* Attracted 2.5 million users in the first three hours of streaming.

Shanghai Fashion Week

Moscow Fashion Week
* Extended due to the record-breaking views on the first day.

* Half a million users tuned in to the online streams and lectures.

* Mercedes-Benz partnered with TikTok for lectures.

Asomatav Spring 2020

What's next?
From virtual showrooms to digitally produced samples and campaigns, the shift to digital will extend to other processes across the supply chain to save buyers from traveling and reduce waste. Retailers should look to technology for sustainable solutions where possible, including becoming more creative on social platforms.
Got EDITED access? Log in to view the lookbooks and video presentations shown during the digital version of Tokyo Fashion Week.
2. Helping fast fashion slow down

According to the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, the apparel industry accounts for 8% to 10% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. As coronavirus took hold, clear skies started to appear above the regions impacted the highest as people were mandated to stay inside. As factories shuttered in China at the start of the year, emissions fell by nearly 25%.

New product arrivals took a hit as brands experienced disruption to their supply chains. As each region surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, deliveries started to plummet. Looking at the top mass market retailers across the US and UK, new arrivals since the start of 2020 are down 11% YoY and continue to drop as cases rise.

While consumption of fast fashion is experiencing a much-needed slowdown, the closing of brick-and-mortar stores has led to canceled orders, which is negatively impacting more than 50 million international garment workers.

This has resulted in an uprising of organizations drawing attention to the situation. On April 3rd, nonprofit Remake launched the #PayUp petition, calling out some of the largest fashion brands who owe more than $3 billion in future orders to garment factories across Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Cambodia. Companies such as Inditex, Marks & Spencer, Kiabi, PVH Corp. and Target have come forward and reportedly agreed to follow through their commitments to pay suppliers for orders already in production. Businesses need to maintain relationships with their suppliers and factory workers and support them during these challenging times.

Look to postpone orders and put a future action plan in place instead of canceling the deliveries of products already made. So factories won't be left holding onto goods they are unable to sell. With COVID-19 causing furloughs and layoffs across the industry, retailers that were transparent and took care of their workers across all aspects of their business will emerge the strongest.
What's next?
3. Shifting consumer mindsets

As consumers navigate this difficult period, it will lead to a change in mindsets and shopping behaviors. However, don't wait till after the fact to get on board. Now is the time to cultivate authentic relationships with your customers to build engagement and brand loyalty.

With physical stores closed and online deliveries delayed as retailers respond to COVID-19, consumers are adapting by living with less. Retailers should look to push capsule wardrobes, focusing on the concept of 'buy less, buy better.'

The demand for loungewear continues to rise as working from home becomes the new normal for many employees. Post-virus, consumers will seek out brands that they align with morally more than ever before, with an emphasis placed on conscious products. Eco-friendly loungewear is a fail-safe way to invest.

Wellbeing and self-care themes will take shape in the form of natural and organic products. From fresh produce to clothing, 'clean' and non-toxic materials and fibers will drive demand as health continues to be a top priority.
What's next?
4. Connect with nature

Customers who returned to nature-based activities was a key learning from the 2008 global recession. According to the Outdoor Industries Association, participation in backpacking, mountain biking and trail running showed double-digit increases in 2008. As people settle into self-isolation, consumers have a newfound appreciation for nature, highlighting the importance of outdoor apparel. Hopefully, this will place issues around the environment top of mind for customers and further propel retailers' sustainability efforts.

When quarantine lifts, retailers need to take this opportunity to promote holidaying locally to avoid added carbon emissions and overcrowding beaches.

Since summer getaways are pushed back till October, demand for swimwear will be building up. Sustainable swimwear has been an area of focus for some time and the content of your products will be of even greater importance when customers start traveling again. Use this time to rethink material alternatives to reduce microplastic waste, how to implement processes with a more positive environmental impact and ways to educate customers to best care for products.

Look to natural and biodegradable fabrics such as Natasha Tonic's hemp collection. For hitting the waves, take note of Ansea's wetsuits made from Yulex, a sustainably-grown plant-based alternative to neoprene, which requires 80% less CO2 emissions.

5. Repurposing deadstock fabrics
What's next?
Retailers worldwide have pivoted their manufacturing to focus on producing hospital gowns, as well as medical and non-medical face masks. This movement has led to businesses repurposing excess material and deadstock fabrics that would have otherwise ended up in landfill to create washable and reusable protective gear.

Sandro is making masks out of upcycled materials from previous collections. Since baseball season is canceled, Fanatics is using the pinstriped fabric typically used for the Yankees uniforms to make masks and gowns. We are seeing a 'buy one and give one' system operating where many retailers are donating masks to hospitals and essential workers with every purchase, alongside encouragement for customers to create and donate their own gowns and masks.

As businesses are in overdrive to produce masks, the idea of non-medical face masks have risen up as a permanent accessory has arisen. Already a mainstay item in Asian countries worn to protect others, face masks as a fashion statement is gaining momentum worldwide during the pandemic.

Businesses wanting to tap into this trend need to do so sustainably and sensitively without profiting off the current situation. Look to brands such as Armed Angles, which are creating fashionable masks made from 100% organic cotton and donating 2€ per sale to Médecins Sans Frontières to help fight the outbreak.
By Retail Analysts Ashley Graham & Kayla Marci

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5 ways coronavirus is drawing attention to sustainable fashion | EDITED | The Retail Data Platform

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We round up how the outbreak has spotlighted sustainability and the direction for a greener future post-pandemic. Get in touch to see a demo on how EDITED data can transform your processes to help your category compete in the current state of the market. 1.

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- Sustainability shift = increase of the circular economy & transparent supply chains
- Reinvention of retail = Growth of market places & new digital experiences.
- Authentic purpose = Conscious consumption & Inclusive business model

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AI is likely to have a significant impact on the retail industry in several ways.

1. Personalisation: AI can be used to personalise the shopping experience for individual customers. For example, it can be used to recommend products to customers based on their browsing and purchase history, as well as their social media activity.

2. Predictive Analytics: AI can be used to analyse data from various sources (such as customer data, sales data, and social media data) to make predictions about customer behaviour and trends in the market. This can help retailers to make more informed decisions about what products to stock, how to price them, and how to market them.

3. Inventory Management: AI can be used to optimise the management of inventory. For example, it can be used to predict demand for products, track inventory levels in real-time, and automate reordering processes.

4. Automation of repetitive tasks: AI can help in automating repetitive, mundane tasks like price checking, stock checking and much more.

5. Chatbots: AI can be used to create chatbots that can answer customer questions, provide recommendations, and even complete transactions without the need for human assistance.

6. Image recognition: AI can be used for automated image recognition for products in online retail, which allows for easier product search and category browsing.

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Although we are facing economic headwinds, multiple tailwinds including Artificial Intelligence (AI), retail media, the transition to renewable energy and the return of demand for physical stores are laying new foundations from which retailers can grow their businesses in the year ahead.

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-Life has become more informal, mental & physical comfort is key. The concept of formality will move away from ritual and authority, and towards politeness and empathy – a bit more ‘human’
- Consumers have the time and inclination to learn new skills- Upcycling- turning old into new at a fraction of the cost

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Navigating the chaos of COVID-19 with consumer trends

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Navigating the chaos of COVID-19 with consumer trends Read more.

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- Emotional attachment - fashion is a form of escapism & comfort
- Consumers will re-evaluate what is necessary including financial & ethical concerns and global consequences

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Britain has been in lockdown for eight weeks.

April experienced the worst like-for-like retail sales in history, falling by 19.1%, showed the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) and KPMG's monitor, which started in 1995.

Unable to visit stores, ecommerce is for now the only channel open to fashion shoppers until stores slowly start to reopen from 1 June, but even digital has taken a hit. While online retail sales as a whole reached a 10-year high in April, up 23.8% year on year in the latest IMRG Capgemini Retail Index, clothing sales plummeted by 23.8%. Footwear and menswear sales were particularly badly hit, slumping by 31.1% and 33.5% respectively.

People have learnt to live with the bare essentials and will realise they don't need clothes all the time

Chloe Collins, senior retail analyst at GlobalData

The population's spending power has been reduced by widespread job losses, mass furloughing and reductions to working hours.Covid-19 will cause the value of the UK clothing and footwear industry to contract 34% in 2020 to £35.5bn, predicts GlobalData, based on the reopening of stores from 1 June.

But there is hope. British knitwear brand WoolOvers unexpectedly doubled sales in April, which CEO Mike Lester attributes to communication with customers, and demonstrates shopper demand for both human contact and product. (Read WoolOvers Comment: "We invited customers to give us a call and have a chat ")

And in markets that opened in mid-May, eager consumers queued up to start spending. On 11 May - the day retail reopened in Belgium - there were queues of shoppers outside Brussels branches of Primark and Zara. Shoppers also lined up outside at Inditex owned-brand's shops in Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux. Luxury label Louis Vuitton attracted a queue at its Champs-Élysées store when it reopened in the French capital on the same day.

Emotional attachment

But there is hope. Fashion as a form of escapism and comfort will be a key factor of emotional recovery after the coronavirus, argues Isabelle Szmigin, professor of marketing at the University of Birmingham and deputy dean of Birmingham Business School.

People are quick to forget when trauma happens and want the same comforts they had before

Chana Baram, senior retail analyst at Mintel

"The majority of people will go back to normal, if they can afford to. They will want to forget what has been happening and shopping is a way to express this.

"Consumer culture is too ingrained for this crisis to make much of a difference - although, doubtless some people will become more mindful in their consumption."

Chana Baram, senior retail analyst at Mintel, agrees that fashion purchases may provide some comfort for consumers once the crisis subsides: "People are quick to forget when trauma happens and want the same comforts they had before.

"Consumers will get back to normal very quickly, but some changes will stick. Shoppers are questioning what the essentials are and therefore buying more basics or classic items rather than trend-led pieces, which may continue after coronavirus."

Glen Tooke, consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel, concurs: "The longer the lockdown lasts, the more consumers' need for new clothes increases. But there is also more potential for consumers to realise they can make do with what they have."

Top priorities

Drapers' own coronavirus survey asked participants how much of a priority fashion spending will be for consumers after lockdown. More than half (57%) said it will not be very important, while 11% said it will not be important at all.

The owner of one fashion retailer says: "There will be a huge re-evaluation of what is necessary, financial and ethical concerns, and global consequences."

Spending on experiences, rather than clothes, is likely to be consumers' priority once the lockdown is lifted, believes Chloe Collins, senior retail analyst at GlobalData: "Consumers will want to go out and won't want to spend time shopping. They will have realigned priorities, such as social events and holidays. Fashion won't be one of them.

There will be a huge re-evaluation of what is necessary, financial and ethical concerns, and global consequences

Fashion retailer owner

"People will want to make sure that they have savings behind them. They have learnt to live with the bare essentials and will realise they don't need clothes all the time. Consumers will want to go out [socially] and won't want to spend time shopping. Plus they will still be cautious of crowded areas such as high streets and shopping centres."

Emily Gordon-Smith, director of consumer product at trend forecasting agency Stylus, believes sustainable shopping habits will "gain momentum": "Who hasn't been excited reading about the lower levels of pollution and nature having some respite during the lockdown? It's potentially the only positive outcome [of coronavirus] and this will drive the sustainability agenda forward."

Mashu is a London-based handbag brand that uses sustainable materials such as Piñatex, which is made from pineapple plant leaves and hemp. Founder Ioanna Topouzoglou agrees that there will be less of a focus on consumption.

"Being isolated at home has made everyone, including myself, more appreciative of everything we once took for granted. Perhaps simpler times lie ahead, where we realise we don't need to consume as much as we did before, and that we can live with less. I am hopeful that we all become more mindful consumers after this."

Mark Dransfield, owner of independent department store Sandersons Boutique Store in Fox Valley, Sheffield, thinks consumer spending will be "more cautious", adding: "But the fashion industry is incredibly resilient and a huge part of the economy. Shoppers are already starting to look at more sustainable fashion and less of the throwaway brands, and at Sandersons that's something we're very keen to champion."

He adds that while consumers may be wary of venturing into physical shops at first, "essentially social animals and that human contact is incredibly important ... I think a return to 'normal' shopping patterns will most definitely be gradual and there will be measures in place for the foreseeable future that will affect how people shop and visit centres like ours."

Shoppers are already starting to look at more sustainable fashion and less of the throwaway brands

Mark Dransfield, owner of independent department store Sandersons Boutique Store

Gordon-Smith continues: "More consumers will have learnt how to appreciate what they have and cut back - people might have lost their jobs so people will buy less stuff. I think we will see the ongoing impact of people buying less, there will be less spend and less money around."

Careful spending is a theory echoed by Mintel's Baram, who thinks consumer confidence will be low as the pandemic would have been "financially devastating for many": "Shoppers will think twice about buying something they only wear once, but the younger demographic will still buy from fast fashion brands."

Szmigin agrees that shopping mindfully might not become prevalent among the younger, under-25 demographic: "Many of them will have been effectively locked up with no opportunity to physically be with their peers, so there may be a short period at least, of quite hedonistic shopping for those who can afford it."

She continues: "There may actually be a resurgence in the high street. People will want to be out, socialising and doing things they have not been able to such as browsing, looking, feeling the texture of things."

Shops with good customer experiences and service will "stand out", says Baram, adding that "people will miss going into the shop and having it [their purchase] the same day".

Businesses who are acting like nothing has changed may well see a change in consumer loyalty and brand perception

Mashu founder Ioanna Topouzoglou

Retailers that have joined the relief effort will be the benefactors of consumers' spending resurgence. Stylus's Gordon-Smith argues that "philanthropic enterprises from brands will resonate going forward".

This is already tangible.

In April and May so far, Mashu sales have grown 20%, which Topouzoglou attributes to the brand's support of charities, as well as consumers' desire to shop from small businesses.

Mashu is donating 15% from all sales of its products to two charities that are helping in the wake of the coronavirus. The beneficiaries are Help Them Help Us, which is assisting NHS staff by delivering meals and PPE equipment, and Bankuet, which helps stock food banks across the UK.

Milan-based vegan footwear brand Yatay announced on Instagram on 3 April that will donate a pair of shoes to the city's Humanitas Research Hospital for every pair sold. Founder Umberto de Marco says online sales rose by 70% in the four days following the announcement.

He tells Drapers: "Coronavirus had consequences on consumers shopping habits, but not all necessarily negative: I'm hoping that we're going to see an improved consumer sensibility in buying better and longer lasting products"

From 1 April, sustainable footwear brand Toms is giving one third of its net profit to its Covid-19 Global Giving Fund, which has partnered with multiple charities, including WaterAid.

Chief giving officer Amy Smith says: "We have seen how rapidly things are changing because of this global health crisis and have speculated what it means for the longer term. Because we are in the heart of the crisis, it is difficult to really know how individuals and businesses will need to adjust once we are on the other side of this.

"Our customers have always been part of the Toms mission of using business to improve lives."

Topouzoglou says: "Businesses who are acting like nothing has changed, and not acknowledging the current crisis, may well see a change in consumer loyalty and brand perception.

"Every business and service is supported by consumers in some way. In a time like this, consumers are looking to brands to return that support and help their communities in a way that matters most right now."

Baram predicts that consumers will turn their backs on flashy, expensive luxury goods, as they did in the 2008 recession: "It became distasteful for people to have big brands."

There will always be a need for clothing - consumers will still want to treat themselves

Gordon-Smith concurs that the luxury market willsee a "more reserved approach"that "feels more appropriate in a post-pandemic climate." She forecasts that there will be a shift away from logos in favour of a more modest, minimalist trend.

Sustainability will be key for the future of the fashion industry, but the supply of continuously new product will continue, thinks Szmigin, as there will be demand from manufacturers and consumers to "get back to the old normal." She also predicts a "big return" to advertising as it will be an even more competitive environment.

Recovery for retail

As for consumer spending habits, "there won't be one behaviour", states Tooke, "It very much is a case-by-case basis - a lot would depend on every household's personal financial situation."

But the frivolity and feel-good factor of fashion is a potential advantage for the industry.

"There will always be a need for clothing - consumers will still want to treat themselves," Tooke continues. "If eating out is one of the first sectors to open, consumers will still want to dress up to do so."

The road to recovery for retail will be long. GlobalData forecasts that the UK clothing and footwear market will rebound by 43.5% in 2021 to a spend of £50.9bn, but this will still be £2.9bn less than 2019 when the market was worth £53.8bn. Brands have to fight to win what could be a limited amount of consumer spend. Fashion retailers that have been considerate to the crisis will benefit from shoppers' trust, as will sustainable products.

On the other hand, bricks-and-mortar retailers may experience a rush when housebound shoppers are finally able to flex their legs - and wallets. Fashion will endure, thanks to the desire for consumers to comfort themselves with exciting new purchases.

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What will post-pandemic shopping patterns look like?

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Britain has been in lockdown for eight weeks. April experienced the worst like-for-like retail sales in history, falling by 19.1%, showed the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) and KPMG's monitor, which started in 1995. Unable to visit stores, ecommerce is for now the only channel open to fashion shoppers until stores slowly start to reopen from 1 June, but even digital has taken a hit.

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- Maintain an aura of newness
-Get your future assortment right
- Reconsider your future assortment
- Consumer engagement is essential
- Evolve marketing strategy

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The WHO recently declared COVID-19 a pandemic, where industries around the world are feeling the domino effects, including retailers announcing delays to arrivals and supply chain issues.

Previously, we delved into the impacts of coronavirus on the fashion industry. While it's still too early to measure the full effect of the pandemic on businesses, your 2020 assortment may not look like how you thought it would.

The earlier you plan your next move, the better primed you are to weather the storm. We outline the top five problems retail is facing with strategies to minimize risk.
Get in touch to see a demo on how EDITED data can transform your processes to compete in the current state of the market.

Maintain an aura of newness
The problem:
While sourcing stock and generating newness is becoming increasingly difficult as factory quarantines continue, consumer demand is not going to decrease nearly as dramatically.
The solution:
It's unlikely your customer has seen all you have to offer. How you promote product you're currently retailing still has the potential to create excitement. In our Fall 2020 runway trends report, we outlined the upcoming trends from the runway that you should already have in your assortment - from 70's nostalgia to volume sleeves and pastels.
Considerations:
* Be creative with style edits. Color stories and style-encompassing themes such as the nineties, seventies and basics can be pulled from your current assortment.

* If self-isolation becomes more widespread, work-from-home and loungewear will be of importance to consumers.

Get your future assortment right
The problem:
During a crisis, or an industry level scale disruption as we are seeing now, getting your assortment right is more important than ever. The wrong investment or deadstock can seriously impact a retailer or brand's ability to weather a storm, whether that be the coronavirus or a global recession.
The solution:
While the future performance of the market is in flux, retailers need to tighten their operations by canceling unnecessary orders to bring assortments to a minimum. Successful retailers are going to be the ones who can quickly downsize their orders and upshift when the markets recover.
Considerations:
* Spread the risk. Consider domestic or local suppliers if possible.

* Self care will be top of consumers' lists.

Reconsider your discounting strategy
The problem:
March routinely sees retailers heavily discount as we enter the mid-season sales period. In 2019, 40% of Topshop's assortment was discounted during March and 58% of River Island's. There's currently no end date for this pandemic, so retailers need to plan for the worst case scenarios. Uncertainty and delays to supplies means that you're less likely to want to clear stock as in the past.
The solution:
The concept of the mid-season sale can be confusing to consumers - many who are just starting to feel the end of winter. Couple this with the growing trend for 'instant gratification', consumers buying what they want to wear now, and you have an opportunity to align yourself closer to your customer's needs.
Considerations:
* Black Friday 2019 saw discounts of 20-30% have a higher rate of sell out than deeper denominations. Discounts don't have to be drastic to entice consumers.

* For goods too seasonal to hold on to, promote within a smaller sales edit or category-specific promotions.
What's happened so far?
Over the past two years the proportion of retailers' assortment on discount has been on an upward trend. Comparing February 2020 to the past two years and we see while discounts have still increased, the rate of year-on-year growth has slowed.

There's also been a shift in sales communications. Accessorize's mid-season 'up to 50% off online and in store now!' was announced on March 6th 2019, but has yet to be announced this year. While Pull&Bear's mid-season sale started on March 8th in 2019. This March there has simply been 'up to 20% off selected items'. House of Fraser's 'up to 50% off sale' has also yet to materialize. Instead they have pushed an extra 20% off of outlet - clearing older stock in its place.

Consumer engagement is essential
The problem:
Whether it's due to low stock or consumers spending less, during times of trouble it can be easy to disconnect with your customer. It may not feel like it right now, but the market will settle, new processes will be put in place and stock levels will return. During this challenging period, it's essential you keep your customer engaged.
The solution:
If the situation progresses and people in the US and UK have to self isolate, increased online activity will provide you with a more captive audience. For retailers that mainly rely on bricks and mortar interaction, now is the time to step-up your online efforts.
Considerations:
* Is it time to join TikTok? Create a challenge or have your brand take part in a challenge similar to what E-Girls and E-Boys do.

* With the expected increase in home delivery, promote shipping offers to stand out against the competition. It's critical to maintain communications with warehouses and distribution centers to ensure this is viable.

Missy Empire Email UK 29 Feb 2020

Evolve your marketing strategy
The problem:
Should customer service be impacted, retailers need to be transparent about the challenges they're facing to maintain goodwill and minimize long-term damage to brand loyalty.
The solution:
Retailers have been quoted in industry press on potential supply chain problems and luxury brands have made donations to fight the virus, yet few have communicated the situation to their customers. Nordstrom and Target sent letters to email subscribers outlining hygiene measures. The key message being that their stores are clean and safe to enter. Target also outlined limiting items per purchase to ' allow more guests to get what they need'.

Uniqlo's Hong Kong e-commerce homepage explains that they are experiencing delays in manufacturing and distribution and offer their 'sincere apologies'. They also explain that store opening hours may be adjusted, but that the 'online flagship' will operate as usual - and that 'you can shop easily anytime and anywhere'. David's Bridal sought to reassure consumers by stating, 'concerned about coronavirus-related delays? We've got you covered'.
Recommendations:
* Make customers aware of any delays to delivery ahead of purchase. If something happens out of your control, maintain clear communication and have extra customer services representatives on hand if needed.

* There's very few businesses or individuals that aren't involved in one way or another. So be honest about problems that arise - we're all in this together.

EDITED user? Log in to get a full scope of all our recommendations on how to combat the impacts of coronavirus.

Don't forget to sign up to our weekly Insider Briefing newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest industry news including more insights into coronavirus on the retail industry.

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The 5 strategies retailers should adopt to combat coronavirus - EDITED

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Previously, we delved into the impacts of coronavirus on the fashion industry. While it's still too early to measure the full effect of the pandemic on businesses, your 2020 assortment may not look like how you thought it would. The earlier you plan your next move, the better primed you are to weather the storm.

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The importance of a purpose for a business

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The importance of a purpose for a business

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“Any brand that is not living this purpose authentically through the ways it does business, culture and how it treats customers, [and instead] just uses it as a marketing tool will be found out and, once exposed, it will do immense damage.”

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And as shoppers of all ages become more aware of the impact of their spending, businesses that help consumers "feel good, rather than guilty, will see a surge of engagement", says former LK Bennett CEO Erica Vilkauls.

Your first step to focusing on this is deciding what purpose means for your brand, she advises: "It can mean that you demonstrate an understanding of the most ambitious role a brand can play in the lives of its customers. Purpose is not about corporate responsibility - it's about opportunity."

However, with this opportunity, brands must create an authentic purpose that does not simply hijack cultural or industry trends and movements for a quick buck.

"Recent Deloitte research has said that 46% of customers have already boycotted brands they don't feel share their values," Vilkauls tells Drapers. "Plus 76% of customers say they don't trust brands. Brand trust is becoming an utter requirement.

"Any brand that is not living this purpose authentically through the ways it does business, culture and how it treats customers, [and instead] just uses it as a marketing tool will be found out and, once exposed, it will do immense damage."

To avoid this, take a comprehensive and detailed approach to change as part of your business planning, rather than looking at purpose as a marketing platform.

"Purpose is one of the most misunderstood and misused buzzwords today," says Cynthia Bell, strategy consultant at consultancy Propaganda. "A purpose is the role that a business has in the changing world. It goes beyond making profit. It's how a business seeks to positively impact the environment, society and wider economy. But - and this is important - brand purpose isn't charity, it's not a new name for CSR. It's the 'why' of a business, its reason for existence.

"Trust across the UK has flat-lined, and people are more sceptical than ever before, demanding authenticity. Businesses with purpose grow faster, outpacing companies with no purpose by more than 100%. Purpose matters to employees, too. People want to find meaning in their work, so they're attracted to companies with purpose and are three times more likely to stay there.

"This is particularly important for the socially conscious Generation Z and millennials, but also applies to Generation X and Baby Boomers. Also - the holy grail - people are twice as productive when they are inspired by the company they work for.".

"Brands that have a sense of purpose are the ones moving in the right direction and building customers more quickly, in a retail climate that is very uncertain and changing," agrees N Brown interim chief product officer Shailina Parti.

For Parti, brand purpose is intrinsically linked with your understanding of your customer: "It's all really understanding the kinds of things that the customer wants going forward."

She references Karen Millen and Coast's failure to do so resulting in their demise, and the success of brands such as Rixo and Ganni for understanding a niche in the market, with a purpose to deliver designer level dresses without huge price tags.

If you are a brand in search of a purpose, Parti advises: "Take a step back and refocus on why your brand was built, and what made it special. As long as there is a brand identity that is properly relatable, I believe that there is always something you can bring to life about a business."

Our new advice portal for retailers and brands, Guide to Growth, aims to solve the problems and challenges fashion businesses encounter as they grow. Email your questions to associate editor graeme.moran@emap.com and we will get them answered.

Plus, read our Growth in a Changing Economy report here to learn how fast-growth brands and retailers are overcoming barriers to growth.
Drapers' Guide to Growth programme is produced in partnership with Clipper.
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Is it important for businesses to have a purpose?

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Is it important for businesses to have a purpose?

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And as shoppers of all ages become more aware of the impact of their spending, businesses that help consumers "feel good, rather than guilty, will see a surge of engagement", says former LK Bennett CEO Erica Vilkauls.

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- Wellbeing - physical & mental
- Experiences - seeking and discovering stimulation
- Identity - understanding & expressing yourself in society
-Rights - feeling respected, protected and supported

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The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a profound impact on the global economy and consumer markets. As a result, many of the predictions set forth in Mintel's 2030 Global Consumer Trends have been accelerated. Here, we examine the big shifts in behavior that have taken place thus far, the changes we expect will persist, and share our predictions for how this will impact the future consumer.
Wellbeing
Seeking physical and mental wellness.
Our predictions

Conscious movement and mindful exercise will become as important as physical fitness.

Increased focus on air quality and air filtration systems in the home.

A re-imagining of what a "clean and safe" home looks like.

Technology will create room to embrace fitness in smaller spaces.

What's shifted

Globally, we are experiencing a collective grief unlike anything before, and while much of what is felt today is temporary, there will be lasting impacts on individual wellbeing. As a result, our attitudes toward mental health are changing, with people more open to talking about their struggles, and Mintel predicts that support for mental health conditions will become an essential part of the healthcare system.

COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of having a healthy immune system, which also includes strong mental health. Products that offer immunity benefits will surge as people look for ways to protect themselves from a second wave or as a way to support their immune system for ongoing protection. Consumers are turning to stress-relieving, calming, and comforting products amid COVID-19 fears, and Mintel predicts a continued focus on ingredients and products that help consumers relax and cope with stress and anxiety.

What's next

Wellbeing takes on new meaning: Holistic health is no longer just about the whole human, or even the whole human community, but the whole human biosphere.

Wellbeing + technology: Connection through social media has been a lifeline for consumers both physically and mentally, and that reliance won't fade away once in-person engagement resumes. While consumers are more open to tech monitoring, there's still much to be done to ease consumer privacy concerns.

Mental health a priority: Consumers are showcasing a raw and personal side of their identity, and as life returns to normal, mental health priorities will be top of mind.

Experiences
Seeking and discovering stimulation.
Our predictions

Experiences will go from being exclusive to inclusive as technology enables anyone to view a live concert from their phones.

Education will become a social experience, especially as consumers embrace and learn new skills in the kitchen.

eSports will be adopted among mainstream consumers.

Being bored will take on new meaning as consumers seek to find ways to appreciate and accept what it means to have nothing to do.

Collective experiences will take on new meaning.

What's shifted

With people all across the world living in lockdown, they have been forced to appreciate this new state of slowness. Heading into 2020, convenience and 24/7 on-demand services reigned supreme. We predicted in 2030 a greater importance placed on 'shutting down' for pleasure and an emphasis on the benefits of the 'nothing experience.' COVID-19 has only accelerated those predictions to be realities of today and we've seen a notable shift from extroversion to introversion. While there's value in the experience of shutting down, the drive for experiences remains and Mintel predicts that consumers will seek new ways to find fulfillment, placing an even greater emphasis on experiences over things, and the value of the human connection.

As physical and social distancing become the norm, the demand for brands to provide support through collective experiences will grow. Further ahead, whether at home or not, consumers will be driven to try out new, exciting experiences and will seek out the brands that bring them an opportunity to try them. As a result, we will see a whole host of brands (even those outside the leisure industry) take advantage of the benefits of both online and offline channels to complement each other, which can offer consumers more options and richer experiences.

What's next

Shared experiences: The unofficial slogan of the crisis, "we're in this together," exemplifies the shared experience and common goal. Brands are responding with messages of "we're here to help" as well as details of how they are supporting employees and customers, which will have an enduring impact on consumer expectations of companies going forward.

Gaming a unifying force: Gaming is having a significant moment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Changing perceptions toward gaming as a constructive form of entertainment have helped legitimize gaming, and we will continue to see greater mainstream adoption of gaming in the future.

Finding comfort: With consumers increasingly looking for comfort and reassurance, brands have an opportunity to be a source of comfort. There's also a need to provide a bit of fun and playfulness in an effort to help people move beyond the effects of the pandemic and the looming economic impacts to follow.

Identity
Understanding and expressing oneself and place in society.
Our predictions

Social media, once a source of isolation, will become a vital resource for consumers who need support and connection, breaking down walls for who consumers can identify with.

Local and regional messages will help consumers find their identities within the broader global collective.

Elements of identity once hidden from public display will be more openly shared.

Concerns around loneliness as a global epidemic increase at alarming rates.

What's shifted

In times when social distancing has become the norm, brands need to be mindful that social distancing doesn't necessarily mean isolation. Social support networks are increasingly important during times of forced isolation, especially among the most vulnerable. Brands have a social responsibility to help fight back against the increasingly problematic loneliness epidemic.

Mintel predicts that consumers will emerge from social distancing having been forced to look at themselves and their priorities in a new way to determine what's worth returning to once things get back to "normal." We anticipate that consumers will be even more empowered to stand up for the brands and causes that most align with their values. This is evidenced by early indications in APAC that pillars of Community, Heritage, and Localism on the rise as people find comfort in their collective identity.

What's next

Power of shared connections: Social connections bring complex values to consumers' lives, from giving people a sense of belonging to a sense of identity. The importance of human connection will be stronger than ever, and we will continue to see a strengthening of community.

Empowered you: As the lines between our personal and private lives continue to blur, people will be more willing and open to having more personal conversations around identity. We've offered more intimate glimpses into each other's lives, offering insights into what will be the foundation for more meaningful connections long-term.

Social distancing ≠ social isolation: Social distancing measures have shifted focus from the individual to the collective, kicking off a renewed communal spirit that will persist long after the lockdown measures are lifted. Community will forever have new meaning, offering a unique opportunity for brands to connect with consumers in more meaningful ways.

Rights
Feeling respected, protected, and supported.
Our predictions

Public demand for action will peak as more global social movements develop.

Corporate ethics will no longer be a "nice to have," but a "must-have" that will serve as the guiding strategy for brand engagement internally and externally.

Activism will take on a new meaning, shifting from the individual to the collective.

Corporations will step up to provide resources typically reserved for the public sector. The lines between the private and public sectors will increasingly become blurred following this pandemic.

What's shifted

Just as we've seen people find new ways to stay connected during times of social distancing, there has also been a movement toward the shared experience of collective activism as people seek transformative social change. Mintel predicts that we will continue to see technology used to further enhance the effectiveness of and success in pushing for social change. This will be seen in providing access to information, funds, and support networks for consumers less well represented due to location, such as rural communities, or due to economic reasons.

Contact tracing apps have come into focus as a potential solution to help fight off COVID-19 and return to a more open society, but there's still much to overcome in the way of privacy and the practical implementation.

Internet access as a basic human right has come into focus as consumers across the world were suddenly faced with the transition of their work, school and personal lives online, seemingly overnight. Mintel further predicts that consumers will demand greater action by consumers toward the companies they support to ensure movement toward universal online access.

What's next

Close the digital divide: Consumers are mobilizing to shine a light on the inequalities in internet access made apparent during the pandemic, pushing corporations and federal regulators to treat internet connectivity as a public utility.

Public demand for action: Public demand for action will peak as more global social movements develop. This shift in consumers' expectations will drive brands to make ethical matters and goals part of their core philosophy and practices, leading to a rise of new ethically minded business models.

Evolution of data privacy conversations: Data privacy will evolve in light of contact tracing on smartphones, bringing the data privacy conversation to the forefront in a new way.

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Impact of COVID-19 on 2030 Global Consumer Trends

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The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a profound impact on the global economy and consumer markets. As a result, many of the predictions set forth in Mintel's 2030 Global Consumer Trends have been accelerated.

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"Brands should move away from promoting one-time use products, and instead nudge people to explore items that they’ll use again and again. Offering “fast fashion therapy” in the form of mending, sewing and repair tutorials will help customers to extend their clothing’s lifespan and associate your brand with care and ecological credentials."

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Fashion retail has been ravaged. But that doesn't mean that, as profits plummet, the idea of sustainability should be thrown in history's recycling bin.

Indeed, the pandemic is driving people to think about their lifestyles and livelihoods as well as their impact on society and its systems. This is driving radical behaviour changes.

For example, we're suddenly discovering the viability and desirability of low-carbon behaviours like ditching flights in favour of Google Meet calls; supporting the NHS through challenges such as activity app Strava's NHS Active initiative; cutting waste and overcoming feelings of isolation via new neighbourhood platforms like food-sharing app Olio; and delivering food via robots from tech company Starship to isolated residents and key workers without the need for a driver or traditional vehicle.

And as we stay at home and socialise at distance, fast fashion and conspicuous consumption are no longer the order of the day.

So, as politicians, businesses and urban planners seek to power a green recovery and #buildbackbetter, fashion brands should take sustainability seriously, as it represents an economic opportunity, not just an ecological one.

Some online fashion retailers are already well-placed to adapt to these changing attitudes and behaviours.

Outdoorwear brand Patagonia's website continues to encourage conscious consumption, stating that "As always, we encourage you to buy only what you need, buy local when possible, and repair what you already own."

Depop, the social shopping app that already has more than 15 million users in 147 countries, also encourages a culture of re-use rather than waste. As Sylvie Mackower, a Depop seller, says: "Not purchasing new items where possible and recycling things you get tired of leaves you with a pretty small consumption footprint."

This kind of advocacy is the result of an authentic commitment to sustainability - from business model up - and not seeing green marketing as a shiny veneer. Indeed, Depop, which generates revenue via transaction charges, helps its sellers make money and makes users feel better about shopping as they're supporting enterprising individuals, rather than mass producers of fast fashion destined for landfill.

In all of this, authenticity and transparency are key, as fashion brands are being challenged more and more over elephant-in-the-room issues such as producing too much, not doing enough to improve workers' low wages and sourcing materials ethically.

For example, US brand Everlane - whose mantra is "radical transparency" and which has a commitment to eradicate all virgin plastic from its supply chain by 2021 - was recently called out on Twitter by senator Bernie Sanders. He accused the company of "using this health and economic crisis to union bust" when the company sadly had to lay off a big chunk of its customer service team. So it's clear that even companies trying to do the right thing are not immune to criticism in this new era.

In practical terms, for online retailers, this means things like not just demanding more from your suppliers, but also educating your consumers in unexpected ways, as Levi's has done via the creation of its "Water<Less" jeans, which consume far less water as part of the cotton growing and denim finishing process.

Marketing should also be thoughtful and responsible - and wary of promoting luxury to a generation facing mass unemployment. For example, brands should move away from promoting one-time use products, and instead nudge people to explore items that they'll use again and again. Offering "fast fashion therapy" in the form of mending, sewing and repair tutorials will help customers to extend their clothing's lifespan and associate your brand with care and ecological credentials. Brands must also question their partnerships by, for example, examining whether they can achieve animal-free supply chains, source more material locally, work with clean energy suppliers and partner distribution networks that use zero-emission or electric vehicles.

All of this is crucial because the best brands don't just sell something - they mean something to people. Retailers that cotton onto this have a real opportunity to craft something more meaningful in the coming years.

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Comment: How can fashion sustain itself as green goes mainstream?

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Fashion retail has been ravaged. But that doesn't mean that, as profits plummet, the idea of sustainability should be thrown in history's recycling bin. Indeed, the pandemic is driving people to think about their lifestyles and livelihoods as well as their impact on society and its systems. This is driving radical behaviour changes.

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ASOS ranked 9th out of 250 businesses based on how much they disclose about their social and environmental policies and practices

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TAKE ACTION

Anyone, anywhere should be able to find out how, where, by whom and at what social and environmental costs their clothes are made. This requires greater transparency across fashion's global value chain.

So, our call to you is this - do not use this Index to inform your shopping choices but rather use these findings to inform your activism.

We urge readers to use these findings to speak up and challenge the big profitable brands and retailers on their claims, urging them to be more accountable and prove that they're making changes in reality and not just on paper.

For citizens, this means calling on:

European policymakers to legislate on living wages. Through the Good Clothes, Fair Pay campaign, we collected hundreds of thousands of signatures calling on the European Parliament to introduce living wage legislation for garment workers worldwide - stay tuned for future campaign updates!

Major brands and retailers to be more transparent on all the issues included in the Fashion Transparency Index - get in touch with brands and ask them #WhoMadeMyClothes?, #WhoMadeMyFabric? and #WhatsInMyClothes?

Policymakers, using our postcard template, to create legislation that holds big brands accountable for human rights and environmental impacts across the entire value chain.

Shareholders and investors to use their power to influence big brands to be more transparent and do better for the planet and the people who make our clothes, including making investment decisions on the basis of how transparent companies are or are not.

Civil society, such as trade unions and NGOs, to ensure that brands' policies and practices translate into positive outcomes in the places where clothes are made.

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FASHION TRANSPARENCY INDEX 2023 : Fashion Revolution

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We love fashion, but we don't want our clothes to come at the cost of people or our planet.

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"Asos is asking suppliers for a 3% discount on all invoices for stock received from 1 September onwards, to continue to “fuel joint growth” at the business."

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Editor picks of sustainable summer must haves

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Editor picks of sustainable summer must haves

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Have you heard of our Responsible edit? It's where you can find all your sustainable wardrobe essentials, from all your favourite brands (including ASOS DESIGN, ofc). Every piece has responsible details in common - like the materials used to create it, or the processes used to make it. It's a small step in the right direction, and we know there's still a long way to go - but it's a good place to start for a new summer look. Expect things like cute tees made from sustainably sourced cotton, and swimwear created from plastic bottles and textile waste - plus lots more. #WeAreOnIt

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Have you heard of our Responsible edit? It's where you can find all your sustainable wardrobe essentials, from all your favourite brands (including ASOS DESIGN, ofc). Every piece has responsible details in common ­- like the materials used to create it, or the processes used to make it.

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By doing online returns ASOS will avoid creating 312 tonnes of CO2 emissions and they will save 320,000 KG of paper which is equivalent to 8,450 trees

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Pro-tip: download the ASOS app to get real-time updates on when online returns are rolled out in your country.

And there's more to come. In 2019, we signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which brings together businesses and governments across the world to tackle plastic waste. We've made a ton of commitments to support that project, like promising to increase the amount of recycled material in our mailing bags up to 100% (from 65%), increase our use of 'post-consumer waste' (think recycling old ASOS bags into new ones), and half the amount of packaging we currently use - watch this space for updates, people.

Find out more info here.

Got more questions about our returns? Head here for more.

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Pro-tip: download the ASOS app to get real-time updates on when online returns are rolled out in your country. And there's more to come. In 2019, we signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which brings together businesses and governments across the world to tackle plastic waste.

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An explanation of the responsible edit - who benefits from it and what it means

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In June 2019, we launched our responsible edit on asos.com to surface more sustainable products to our customers. We've added a new responsible filter to the website to help customers discover and shop products that have a positive impact on people, animals and the planet.

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Ideas to become more sustainable in the way we shop- Vintage finds on ASOS market place & up-cycling

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By Steven Potter, 22 April 2020

Happy Earth Day! ICYDK, today is all about supporting environmental protection. And here at ASOS, we're on a journey towards becoming a more eco-friendly place to shop.

What have we done lately? Well, we recently made our returns process paperless - saving 320,000kg of paper! - and we're continuing to improve our plastic packaging. As well as being made from recycled materials, all our bags are recyclable - just pop them all in with your next ASOS return and we'll reuse them, or turn them into new bags! We've also been doing all we can to use more eco-friendly manufacturing processes and sustainable materials for our in-house labels. We know there's a long way to go, but it's a start. #WeAreOnIt

If you want to start making small changes too, but you're not sure where to begin, below you'll find four ways to be a bit more sustainable - from vintage finds to upcycling old faves 😃

The Responsible edit

If you want to buy new threads, but would like to do it in a more responsible way, we've got the answer: our Responsible edit. It's full of jeans, tops, dresses, swim stuff, accessories - pretty much everything you'd want for a wardrobe refresh, from lots of your favourite brands. Some products are made using recycled materials, others are created with more eco-friendly manufacturing processes that use less water, and some are made from sustainably sourced fabrics. If you want to find out what makes your favourite styles in the edit so special, take a look at the fabric info in the product descriptions for the full low-down.

ASOS Marketplace

Giving clothes a second chance is another sustainable way of shopping, and there's no better place to find truly unique vintage pieces than ASOS Marketplace. Think Nike sweatshirts, Versace tops and Gucci bags, plus loads more - some of which are 20+ years old! That's true vintage, people. Not only are you giving these styles another life, but you'll also be supporting up-and-coming boutiques and small businesses with looks that no one else is gonna have. Perfect.

All the small things

Some of the little things you use every day can have a big impact on the environment. And small changes, like switching to reuseable cups and bottles instead of takeaway or plastic, or remembering to bring a reusable tote bag on your weekly shop, really can make a difference.

Give your old trainers a makeover

Got some old kicks you don't wear anymore but you're not quite ready to donate them? Get creative and customise them yourself. Our ASOS Insider Jono has created this amazing video explaining how to give your old trainers a crafty update. That's one less pair heading for the tip AND you can tell all your friends you're a low-key trainer designer... kind of. Check out @asos_jono for more upcycling videos, from tie-dye to DIY denim.

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By Steven Potter, 22 April 2020 Happy Earth Day! ICYDK, today is all about supporting environmental protection. And here at ASOS, we're on a journey towards becoming a more eco-friendly place to shop. What have we done lately? Well, we recently made our returns process paperless - saving 320,000kg of paper!

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Pricing strategy and marketing plan
- 4P's
- PESTLE
- Porter's 5 forces

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Introduction

Topshop is a private limited entity which operates within the UK retail and fashion industry. The firm was established in 1964 and its headquarters are situated at London, UK. In its operation the firm deals with provision of a variety of apparels such as footwear, makeup, shoes and accessories (Yahoo Finance 2012).

To attain an optimal market position, Topshop has incorporated a unique strategy which entails product differentiation. The firm has achieved this by integrating the concept of exclusivity and uniqueness. Topshop achieves this by engaging in innovative and creative designing.

As a result, Topshop is able to develop fashion products which are sufficiently differentiated. Its differentiation effectiveness has enabled Topshop to attain an optimal market position in the fashion industry despite the intense competition from firms such as ZARA and H&M. Additionally, commitment to innovation and creativity has enabled Topshop to align itself with changes in the fashion industry (Yahoo Finance 2012).

In an effort to understand the external and internal environment with regard to Topshop, this paper details a comprehensive market audit of the firm. The audit is undertaken by incorporating macro and micro environment analysis models such as the PESTLE analysis, the Porters' five forces and the SWOT analysis. An internal analysis of the firm is also conducted by evaluating the marketing mix strategies adopted by the firm.

Marketing mix

The success of a firm in marketing its products and services is dependent on the effectiveness with which it has incorporated its marketing strategies (Kotter & Schlesinger 2008).The marketing strategies have to take into account a number of variables such as the product, promotion, price and distribution.

Product strategy

Topshop has incorporated product diversification as its product strategy. The firm deals in product lines which are composed of a wide range of apparels and accessories in accordance with the customers' needs. In its operation, Topshop is focused at ensuring that its products are of high quality, style and convenience. Some of the firm's main product lines include mainline, boutique, and unique (Topshop 2012).

One of the main challenges in the apparels industry emanates from its dynamic nature. The rate of change in the industry is very high. To cope with this issue, Topshop is focused at attaining a high level of creativity and innovation. This has significantly contributed towards the firm's capability in introducing new products to the market.

To ensure that the value of its products is not diluted by over-introduction of new products, Topship ensures that only a few pieces of a particular product line are introduced. For example, the firm may only introduce only 300 pieces of a new product which are stocked in specific flagship stores. This strategy is unique in that it contributes towards positioning its products being exclusive, prestigious and scarce (Topshop 2012).

Pricing strategy

In their purchasing process, consumers are very conscious of product prices. Firms use pricing strategy to communicate the value of their product. In its marketing process, Topshop has adopted premium pricing strategy. The strategy is aimed at communicating the high quality of the firm's apparels and accessories.

Over the years, customers have associated Topshop's products with value. This has played an important role in the firm's effort to incorporate premium pricing. Topshop's premium pricing strategy has succeeded as a result of the unique nature and high quality of its products.

Promotion strategy

Creating sufficient market awareness is one of Topshop's goal marketing objectives. To achieve this, Topshop has adopted Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategy. The strategy is constituted of various marketing communication techniques such as advertising, sales promotion and public relations.

In its advertising strategy, Topshop uses both emerging and traditional marketing communication mediums such as print media. For example, when introducing new products to the market, the firm advertises through mediums such as the local dailies in the UK.

Additionally, Topshop also engages in outdoor advertising for example by decorating its vans with its products and unique messages aimed at creating market awareness. Below is an example of some of the firms that the firm utilizes.

Source: (Topshop 2012). Web.

To create a strong brand relationship, Topshop contracts renowned celebrities to endorse its products. When opening its stores in New York, Topshop contracted Kate Moss, a renowned British model, Jennifer Lopez and Jay Z [renowned music artists] to attend the grand opening (Topshop 2012). Their attendance presented an opportunity for the firm to create market awareness. This is due to the fact that the media would sufficiently publicize the event hence creating brand awareness.

Topshop's management team appreciates the role of information communication technologies in creating market awareness. Consequently, the firm has designed an official website through which it posts its products. Additionally, Topshop also promotes its products through emerging social communication networks such as Facebook. By using social networking sites, Topshop has successfully created a sufficient online community.

Distribution strategy

Upon developing products and services, it is paramount for firms to ensure that customers easily access them. Firms achieve this achieve this by incorporating both direct and indirect distribution methods. Topshop has established a number of outlets in the UK to enhance product accessibility.

The outlets are effectively positioned to improve customer accessibility. Topshop has also adopted online marketing. Customers can be able to purchase Topshop's products online. Online distribution has been effective in ensuring that Topshop markets its products to a wide number of potential customers.

Market Environment Analysis

Macro-environment analysis

Firms do not operate in a vacuum but are affected by changes occurring in the macro-environment. Some of the macro-environment factors affecting firm's operation include political, economic, technological, social, and legal factors

PESTLE analysis of the UK Apparels and accessories industry

Political environment

Over the past decades, the UK government has ensured a high level of political stability. This has played a critical role in promoting investment within the country. Most investors are increasingly considering investing in the UK.

The country's political stability has enabled the UK to be a member of different trading blocs such as the European Union, the G-20 and the Organizational for Economic Co-operation Development. By being a member of such trading blocs, the UK government has been able to provide investors with an opportunity to market their products to a large number of customers. For example, firms such as Topshop can be able to export their products into the member states more cost effectively.

This is well illustrated by the fact that the UK has entered into free-trade agreements with other countries such as Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The economic integration between the UK and other countries presents an opportunity for Topshop to access raw materials member countries cost effectively.

Economic environment

The 2007/2008 global economic recession adversely affected most world economies as a result of the high rate of globalization that is currently being experienced (Gilligan and Hird 2008).

The UK was not shielded from the effects of the recession. Consequently, most economic sectors such as the apparels and accessories were adversely affected.

The UK has not fully recovered from the 2008 economic recession. The recession made most consumers to adjust their consumption behavior as a result of decline in their purchasing power. Decline in consumers' purchasing power emanated from increment in the in the level of unemployment. Approximately 580,000 jobs were lost between 2008 and 2010 in the UK (Bell and Blanchflower 2010).

The recession has made consumers to increasingly focus on consumption of necessities rather than luxuries. During this period, a significant proportion of UK consumers considered fashion products such as apparels and other accessories as luxuries than necessities.

Currently, the firm's operations will also be affected by the prevailing euro zone sovereign debt crisis. As a result of the crisis, the UK has experienced an increment in the rate of unemployment to 11.2% in 2012 (Cha 2012). It is estimated that the non-food retail sector in the UK will experience the lowest growth as a result of the recession. During 2012, the sector will decline with a margin of 0.5% (Verdict 2012).

The recession and the sovereign debt crisis have made consumers unable to purchase highly prices products such as fashion products (Verdict 2012). Therefore, there is a high probability of Topshop experiencing a decline in its sale revenue due to reduction in the consumer's purchasing power. The economic recession has led to an increment in the degree of uncertainty amongst consumers. This is depicted by the rapid rate at which the consumers' have reduced the rate of consumption (This Money 2012).

Social environment

Firms operations are affected by the prevailing social trends. Currently consumers have increasingly become conscious of fashion. This presents an opportunity for Topshop to exploit by designing high quality, unique and valuable fashion products. To align itself with the prevailing social trends with regard to fashion, Topshop undertakes extensive innovation and designing.

Technological environment

Topshop can benefit from the numerous innovations with regard to social networking technology. For example, the firm can exploit the social tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Tout and You Tube to interact with its customers. Through these social networking sites, the firm will be able to derive a sufficient volume of market information. Such information can be an important source of market intelligence for the firm.

Legal environment

Firstly, the government has eliminated all taxes on firms that venture in such zones. Additionally, the government issues a 5-year tax holiday to firms that invest in such zones. Incorporation of tax holidays has played a critical role in improving the attractiveness of the zones to investors. By investing in such economic zones, Topshop can be able to attain high profitability (Delloite 2011).

Competitive analysis: Porter's five forces

Threat of entry

The UK high end retail market is characterized by a high threat of entry emanating from entry of large retail chains such as supermarkets. Supermarkets are increasingly diversifying their product range by including diverse apparels and accessories. This presents a major challenge for the firm (Key Note 2001).

The high rate of technological innovation especially the internet has made it possible for new entrants to venture the UK high end retail market. New entrants are using the internet to venture in the UK market by undertaking online marketing. To survive in an industry characterized by such a threat, it has become vital for Topshop to incorporate online marketing.

Threat of substitute

The large number of competitors in the UK fashion industry presents consumers with an opportunity to select from a wide range of products. During periods f economic recession consumers can easily access fashion products from supermarkets and other retail outlets.

Supplier bargaining power

The suppliers bargaining power is relatively low. Topshop mainly deals with its own branded apparels and accessories. Consequently, the firm is not mainly dependent on suppliers for its finished products. However, the firm outsources raw materials from different sources. For example, the firm accesses its supplies from different countries by importing. As a result of its global reputation, Topshop is able to negotiate for significant discounts.

Buyer bargaining power

The large number of industry players coupled with the fact that supermarkets are stocking diverse apparels has significantly increased the consumer's bargaining power (Gilligan and Hird 2008). This arises from the fact that consumers can switch to other apparels and accessories product at a relatively low switching cost.

The high consumer bargaining power means that Topshop has to develop customer trust in order to sustain its sales growth. Additional, the firm has t ensure that it stocks high quality products. This will aid in developing the eve f customer loyalty. The figure below illustrates a summary the industry's characteristic.

Degree of rivalry - The lucrative nature of the industry coupled with the large number of industry players has significantly increased the degree of rivalry in the UK fashion industry.

Micro-environment analysis: SWOT analysis of Topshop

The chart below illustrates Topshop's, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Conclusion

From the above analysis, it is evident that Topshop has been very effective in its operation. Its success has arisen from adherence to quality, innovation, creativity and maintenance of product value. As a result, the firm has been able to attain a high level of customer satisfaction. Topshop has been successful in marketing its apparels and accessories products through formulation and implementation of effective marketing strategies.

As a result, the firm has been effective in positioning itself in the market. Despite this, the firm faces numerous challenges emanating from the external environment. To effectively position itself in the market, it is paramount for the firm to continuously conduct a comprehensive market audit. The audit will aid in formulation of effective marketing strategies thus enhancing its competitiveness.

Reference List

Bell, D. & Blanchflower, D. 2010, UK unemployment in the great recession. Web.

Cha, A. 2012, European financial crisis has ripple effect on US businesses. Web.

Delloitte: Taxation and investment in United Kingdom 2011. Web.

Grundy, T. 2006, 'Rethinking and re-inventing Michael Porter's five forces model', Strategic Change, vol. 15, pp. 213-229.

Gilligan, C. & Hird, M. 2008, International marketing: strategy and management, Taylor and Francis, New York.

Key Note: UK clothing & footwear 2001 market review, 2001. Web.

Kotter, J. & Schlesinger, L. 2008, 'Choosing strategies for change', Harvard Business Review, vol. 2, pp. 130-150.

This Money: Moody's could downgrade UK's 'AAA' credit rating in early 2013 if the economy fails to shape up . Web.

Verdict: UK retail 2012 & beyond 2012. Web.

Yahoo Finance: Topshop company profile 2012. Web.

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Topshop Pricing Strategy and Marketing Plan - Report Example

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Topshop is a private limited entity which operates within the UK retail and fashion industry. The firm was established in 1964 and its headquarters are situated at London, UK. In its operation the firm deals with provision of a variety of apparels such as footwear, makeup, shoes and accessories (Yahoo Finance 2012).

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Insight on how the industry is reacting to C-19

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Coronavirus tracker: how the industry is reacting

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Keep up to date with industry updates amid the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak.

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Transparency allows the brands to be open to public scrutiny if they don''t deliver on their commitments. Ultimately it is good for the consumer to be aware and it is good for the brand as it can help to protect its reputation

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Make better business decisions

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Fashion Revolution's Fashion Transparency Index is a tool to hold brands to account as the pandemic tests their commitments to environmental and social practices.

Fashion Revolution, in analysing 250 brands for its Fashion Transparency Index 2020, found that brands are increasingly disclosing their policies and commitments on environmental and social issues, but progress needs to be made in clearly communicating their implementation.

The Index measures fashion brands with annual revenue above $400 million across a total of 55,000 individual data points. Brands receive points, from 0 to a maximum of 250, for how granular their disclosure is of their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts, including supplier disclosure, living wages and waste and recycling, which are then translated to percentage points. This year, the average score across all brands was 23 per cent, an increase of two percentage points over last year, but still a considerably low score.

Fast fashion chains and sportswear brands dominated the top 10, with H&M leading at 73 per cent, followed by Belgian retail chain C&A, Adidas (including Reebok), Esprit and, in a joint position, UK supermarket brand Marks and Spencer and US outerwear brand Patagonia. Fast fashion and sportswear have traditionally performed better in the Index as these sectors have been under harsh public scrutiny since at least the 1990s, forcing them to make their business practices more transparent.

Luxury, on the other hand, is lagging. Aside from Gucci, the highest-scoring at 48 per cent, Kering-owned Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta, as well as Hugo Boss, scored below 40 per cent. The sector has traditionally been secretive and protective about its sourcing and manufacturing, on the grounds of guarding such information as a trade secret.

According to Carry Somers, founder of Fashion Revolution, they can't use that excuse anymore.

The annual Index, which ranks the 250 global brands and retailers according to the level of publicly available information on their approach to social and environmental issues and practices, has an added value this year. As financial difficulties and trade disruptions brought by the pandemic strain brands and retailers, transparency is key for consumers to scrutinise if companies will continue to honour their commitments, both on environmental and social issues. On the other hand, while brands that are reticent to publicly disclose their practices are less vulnerable to judgment, their reservations could read negatively for consumers.

"What people should really look at is the big swath for brands that are not disclosing any information," pointed out global policy director Sarah Ditty during the press briefing, adding that that could indicate that they are lagging in prioritising social and environmental issues in their businesses. This year, a total of 10 brands, or 4 per cent, scored 0 in the Index, including Tom Ford, Max Mara and Bally.

Spotlighting supply chain relationships

The damage of the Covid-19 pandemic could amount to more than $20 billion worth of orders cancelled in countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam, according to labour rights monitoring organisation Worker Rights Consortium. Brands and retailers around the world have invoked force majeure to withdraw their obligations to their suppliers, but Somers thinks the choice is not always motivated by necessity.

"There is no doubt that they have both the resources and the abilities, notwithstanding the moral imperative, to fulfil obligations to suppliers. It's a question of priority, the shareholders or the workers," Somers told journalists during a press conference to announce the release of the Index on Monday.

"A lot of luxury is compiled in Italy, but many components are made in other countries, it might be South East Asia or Eastern Europe. It's not easy to make these disclosures," Somers says. A lot more also needs to be done further down the supply chain. According to the Index, 40 per cent of the brands analysed are disclosing their list of first-tier suppliers, up from 35 per cent last year. But only 24 per cent and 7 per cent are transparent about processing facilities and raw material suppliers, respectively. Companies are also reticent in disclosing the numbers of supply chain employees receiving a living wage and measurable roadmaps of how living wage payments across the supply chain are going to be achieved.

Similarly, brands are increasingly transparent about the carbon emission produced by their owned and operated facilities, like head offices and retail stores, but still, only 16 per cent of brands do the same for emissions produced in their supply chain, which is the highest polluting stage in the lifecycle of a garment.

A post-pandemic fashion industry

The current health and economic crisis is exacerbating issues that were already present in the fashion industry, including overproduction and how to dispose of excess inventory as consumer discretionary spending decreases, normal trade conditions are disrupted, and retail stores remain closed. Ditty and Somers are hoping that the need to revisit business models to survive the economic downturn will also drive positive change in the long-term, such as curbing overproduction.

Similarly, more public scrutiny on the relationship between brands and suppliers can push brands to act more responsibly. Reports of retailers cancelling orders and delaying payments to suppliers in the wake of Covid-19 has brought how brands manage their relationships with supply chain partners into the spotlight, pushing many companies, from H&M to Primark, to announce they are going to honour their commitments, but details remain unclear.

"We know that transparency is good for business; we know that it helps to protect the brand reputation ultimately," says Somers.

While the Index doesn't rank how sustainable or ethical brands are, only measuring how transparent they are in communicating their policies and approaches to sustainability and social issues, Ditty says there is a link between higher transparency and commitment.

"Brands that are leading the way on transparency are taking significant steps on social and environmental issues," she says while agreeing that there is still much to do. "They are taking steps to open themselves up to stakeholders for scrutiny, stand up and agree to be held to account for some of the claims that they are making about how they are managing and what their impact is on people's life and the environment."

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More from this author: In London, young designers pave the path to sustainability The fur industry is fighting back
Prada is first in industry to sign sustainability-linked loan

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Covid-19 has emphasised the importance of brand transparency

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Sign up to our newsletter for a truly global perspective on the fashion industry Fashion Revolution's Fashion Transparency Index is a tool to hold brands to account as the pandemic tests their commitments to environmental and social practices.

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Brands who have adopted sustainability initiatives at their core will be secure however brands who have used sustainability as a marketing tool will see a halt

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As Fashion Revolution Week kicks off with the publishing of their fifth Fashion Transparency Index, part 3 in this industry insiders series examines how brands, manufacturers and thought-leaders are analysing current metrics and adapting sustainability and climate change initiatives in the face of COVID-19.

"The closer (sustainability and investment) are to the core and the more integrated, the harder they are to cut off. For some businesses, it will be a question of survival, so it is quite difficult to predict what will happen."

Francois Suchet, Lead, Make Fashion Circular

Souchet cautioned that one of the key threats to sustainability progress is that in times of insecurity and uncertainty the impetus may be to revert to proven (and less sustainable) approaches.

In Western Europe, the well-performing companies have secured their finances and can now bring sustainability back onto the agenda in two ways, he said. The first is with the clear expectation that consumers will accelerate the demand for sustainable clothing. The second is that communicating clearly the brand purpose and commitment to the safety of customers, staff and those involved in the industry must continue. This has been escalated, Magnus says, by the positive impact of the shutdown on global ecology (reduced air pollution above major cities, for example) which has tangibly shown what businesses can do to address climate change through the lockdown. More directly, Magnus says that "consumers have seen how vulnerable the entire world is, and the whole crisis has raised awareness for social and environmental sustainability, even among those that were not previously onto the topic."

For this reason, he believes that a return to pre-crisis consumption behaviors is unlikely. There was a gradual shift towards a preference for goods branded sustainable before this crisis, and he expects that to be accelerated, based on data McKinsey collected from 6000 consumers across the UK, Germany, France, and Spain. The results showed that an additional 16% would now seek products with sustainable credentials once shops reopen, 20% intend to reduce their overall spending for the rest of the year and 45% would look favorably upon companies that communicate with concern and purpose rather than prices and products.

On the subject of social and supply chain sustainability, Magnus reported that their research indicates over two thirds of Chief Purchasing Officers across the industry are now focusing heavily on supporting their suppliers to ensure they avoid bankruptcy. He expects COVID-19 to accelerate close partnerships between brands and suppliers across all market segments, from value products to luxury.

Eva Kruse, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, which founded the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, declared: "Now we are in de-growth," before asking the question: "What is the perfect size of the industry in volume, considering planetary boundaries?" In a conversation with Kruse, she explained to me that the industry can maintain profitability and a high volume of transactions (and therefore earnings) without "just producing new products." She points to rental and resale business models that are driving economic growth without the need for new products.

Echoing Karl-Hendrick Magnus, Kruse believes that brands need to "invest in building closer relationships with their suppliers across the value chain for better insights and impacts, and for (the supply chain) to become more agile and resilient."

"If there is a green lining, it may be that we jointly have an opportunity to reset the (fashion) business. We have to rethink and rebuild the business and not try to go back to business-as-usual. If we fail to utilize this opportunity for change, we are going to see a crisis much bigger than coronavirus."

Eva Kruse, CEO, Global Fashion Agenda

Social Sustainability and Climate Change

"Everything. From the fast-paced fashion calendar to the overproduction of goods that encourage (and depend on) overconsumption to sustain its broken economic model; to the exploitation of land, labor, and exotic animals, to the way it capitalizes on movements such as Earth Day and all efforts around that day/month focussing on profit-driven initiatives. Everything."

Céline Semaan, Slow Factory

Leaving no doubt over who is paying the highest price during the COVID-19 crisis, Semann explained that "Communities living in war zones, in refugee camps, in occupied territory, or on reservations" have little access to necessities and can't self-isolate due to proximity and makeshift conditions. Bringing into focus the irrefutable link between poverty and climate change, with fashion being the industry second only to technology that perpetuates modern slavery throughout its global supply chain, Semaan advocates for sustainability and climate change action during and post-COVID-19 to address humanitarian issues as a priority, and calls for brands to "redirect its marketing budgets into impact funds to support and fund food banks, give out grants to the creative community it has long taken inspiration from, and support more grassroots nonprofits working in climate and human rights impact."

Overstock as Consumer Demand Plummets

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, "we lost one third of our sales overnight" said Nicolaj Reffstrup, Co-owner of womenswear brand GANNI. The brand recently published their Responsibility Report and 2023 Gameplan for sustainable transformation, but Reffstrup concedes that: "In light of COVID-19 we will change our priorities. We will accelerate the digital strategy, reduce samples, implement a virtual showroom and break with the traditional fashion calendar." He went on to say that: "3D prototyping and sampling will be a priority and we are reducing the size of our collections."

"Addressing excess stock and restructuring merchandising, supply chain transparency and social responsibility are areas we feel we're behind, but (they) will be prioritized higher because this whole corona pandemic made it even more evident how broken the supply chain of this industry is."

Nicolaj Reffstrup, Co-owner, GANNI

On the subject of the industry's global sustainability issues, he says "the market economy is broken to the extent that it doesn't manage to internalize the right cost of things." For so many companies it's too easy to push a product onto the market as break-even is low with the low-cost product-because the price is simply wrong. It promotes a non-demand driven model, he says, and fuels overstock.

D igitalization of Manufacturing

Hui shared the views of other industry experts, commenting on the steady growth in awareness of environmental sustainability before COVID-19 but says the crisis has now "cast a spotlight shown on other aspects like social sustainability."

"The sudden stop in retail and subsequent supply chain disruptions are forcing brands to rethink their sourcing strategies and the impact that it creates."

Hilmond Hui, Vice President BOMBYX

Regarding digital sustainability solutions in light of the current crisis, he urges all manufacturers to "look at all available technologies that can be applied to their processes," paying particular note to technologies that help harness the power of renewable energy, as well as energy reduction. BOMBYX is currently exploring automation to reduce energy consumption per unit and increase output for each worker, in addition to new technologies for recycling and achieving carbon neutrality. It is fair to say that such transformation requires significant investment, and for many manufacturers, this would require the kind of close partnerships Karl-Hendrick Magnus suggested will emerge following COVID-19, as brands look to secure their supply chains with strategic commitments to manufacturers who are pivotal to their production and, therefore, business success.

Concerning so-called "greenwashing" Hui believes that: "both brands and consumers will begin to be more scrutinizing when it comes to where, how, and why things are made. First, it may be for health safety, but very quickly sustainability will be a priority again and a new light will be shown on the social aspect."

B-Corp certified manufacturer SAITEX has been referred to as the "most sustainable jean factory in the world." Founded in 2001 in Vietnam, they began closed-loop manufacturing in 2010 and currently produce 18,000 jeans per day. They uses less than 1 liter per jean during the laundering process, compared to the 80 liters used by traditional jean laundries, having spent $2 million on their water recycling system.

CEO and Founder, Sanjeev Bahl, said that they are using the time during lockdown to "reset our infrastructure and business model in ways that would allow us to participate effectively in the 'new normal' times ahead of us." Will their sustainability strategy change? He confirmed that their long term projects including a mill they are building in Vietnam and the factory in LA have not paused. "We continue to invest in long term value creation," he said.

"Sustainability is a journey, not an event that can be postponed. It's a way of life. So some things don't change."

Sanjeev Bahl, CEO, and Founder, SAITEX

He went on to say: "Our industry has been fractured for quite a while now. All it needed was an event like the current pandemic to snap the fragile business models that have been staying afloat on rising costs, debt and tight cash flows." He predicts a return to some level of normalcy in 18-24 months from now.

Digitalization came to the fore again, with Bahl stating: "A new model is emerging with opportunities in the digitized space and industry 4.0 manufacturing models." As SAITEX enters into "the new normal in manufacturing," Bahl said automation and digitalization are offering new advantages beyond minimizing error and waste, to address social distancing (a component of our foreseeable future, he says) and artificial intelligence to help inventory predictability. Addressing automation's threat to workers, he said: "To be frank, this has been a catch-22 for factories who want to protect the jobs of their workers, but given the added health precautions we need to enact, moving towards deeper implementation of these technologies is becoming the need of the hour."

Demonstrating the advanced data collection, insight and dynamism that may be expected of a pioneering factory," Bahl said: "As supply chains have been majorly disrupted, the need for clear and timely information on individual factory pivots in distribution and production needs to be highlighted. He added that his company "is built on transparency and we are poised to unleash technology that can be used to automate manufacturing models through a digital medium that will track supply chains and get instant information on products with carbon footprinting at the forefront," he said. It's this readiness, long-term thinking, and implementation that appear to have placed SAITEX, who produce for brands including Everlane, J.Crew and Calvin Klein, in a position to prepare and plan, rather than simply react-a position that has placed so many manufacturers at the brink of collapse.

On consumer sentiment, Bahl is concerned that in the wake of COVID-19 consumers may quickly move to address their safety and comfort and sustainability may be "tossed by the side." He hopes that COVID-19 continues to unearth the shortcomings of our supply chain and shines a light on places we need to dramatically improve so that transparency earns its "rightful place as a requirement rather than a premium."

Demonstrating the precarious position of manufacturers at this time, he explained that the "pricing matrix is going to be a battlefield in the coming months." Pragmatically, he said there is no way to avoid the shift in behaviors, thinking, and buying of consumers globally and consequently, that will have an impact on the value of certain brands in the minds of consumers. He predicts that an overabundance of inventory will cause issues, such as discounting and consequently slashed margins. His advice? "It's the right time to get to a manageable size and be in a position to say no to business that will gradually be a cancer that you will not be able to shake off."

Part 4 in this series will address the effects of COVID-19 on fashion education, incubators, and accelerators nurturing the next generation of talent and solutions for the fashion industry. To read the previous articles, click these links to Design and Manufacturing and Branding and Retail. To take part in the current industry discourse, join the Fashinnovation Worldwide Talks today.

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Social Sustainability, Overstock And 'Greenwashing': How COVID-19 Is Changing The Fashion Industry

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As Fashion Revolution Week kicks off with the publishing of their fifth Fashion Transparency Index, part 3 in this industry insiders series examines how brands, manufacturers and thought-leaders are analysing current metrics and adapting sustainability and climate change initiatives in the face of COVID-19.

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"We must use this time to rethink how this industry can be redesigned with respect for the planet and the health of the people who work in it."

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The shutting down of society as we know it is giving a lot of time for reflection, not least in fashion circles. In an interview in the design magazine Dezeen, the influential trend forecaster Li Edelkoort has called it a "quarantine on consumption" that is having a devastating impact on our economy and culture, but ultimately offers "a blank page to a new beginning".

While sections of the fashion industry already knew they could not continue on their current trajectory, it was inconceivable that brands could be forced to slow down, let alone stop production altogether. But that is what has happened as famous names from Prada to Zara have turned their production lines to making medical gowns and masks, and luxury houses have changed from making perfume to sanitisers. It's an unprecedented interruption of an industry that has relied on speeding from one season's sales to the next. And it is bringing with it a new sense of connectedness, responsibility and empathy.

Until factories started to feel the effects of Covid-19, the global fashion business was producing 150bn items of clothing each year, far in excess of the needs of a global population of 7.9 billion. Clothing consumption globally was in 2017 projected to rise still more, by 63% by 2030, according to the Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group. Who knows if those projections will be dented now that bricks-and-mortar shops are closed, orders have halted and supply chains have been stopped in their tracks?

As factory orders dry up, the lowly paid, overworked garment workers without sick pay or any financial cushion are the ones who are paying the biggest price. The question is how, when the self-isolation and fear abates, we can use this temporary moratorium on production to correct the course of a carbon-guzzling and exploitative industry. We cannot continue down this path of unchecked overproduction, waste and human misery.

On Saturday, people around the world will be reflecting on the temporary decrease in CO ₂ as they turn off their lights at 8.30pm (local time wherever they are), to take part in Earth Hour. This annual environmental campaign by WWF will remind us that, according to the UN, we have only 10 years to keep global warming to 1.5C. This is something the academics Kate Fletcher and Mathilda Tham are acutely aware of. In their new report, Earth Logic Fashion Action Research Plan, they write: "The time frame of 10 years is the same as a child's time at school. One eighth of most people's lifetime, or 10 annual reports for a business. Consider what you, your family, community, workplace will do in the coming 10 years. Every moment will count."

Their argument pivots around the idea that the only way to ensure we cut carbon emissions and end the cycles of overproduction and waste is to imagine a whole new system that places the Earth's needs before those of industrial growth. In a post-Covid-19 world, that's beginning to look slightly more feasible. "We propose planet before industry as a radical idea in which the health and survival of our planet Earth is given precedence over business interests," they write.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought into stark focus the fact that business as usual can be stopped in its tracks. Anything, it seems, is now possible. According to the environmental journalist and broadcaster Lucy Siegle, who wrote the foreword to the Earth Logic report, this break is a "lifeline" to the industry and a "chance to reboot our efforts and change our course based on evidence and fact".

"Once we realise that the current system is always going to be self-limiting as there are finite resources, putting Earth first is the only option," says Fletcher, of the London College of Fashion's Centre for Sustainable Fashion. This is not about tinkering around the edges of the existing way of working, creating "sustainable" collections or clothing recycling schemes: Earth Logic attacks the very root of the problem: the existing economic model itself. This means a shift from production to the maintenance, use and care of existing clothes. It means reducing the volume of clothes we produce, and in turn, the amount of resources we are using. It means moving from globalised, tangled and unsafe supply chains to small production centres based around the needs and desires of local communities. "We need to find a role for industry scattered across communities," says Fletcher, with multiple local hubs for people to be educated, to make and repair their clothes.

Patriarchy and growth logic are inextricably intertwined, says Tham. The same sorts of people are making the same sorts of decisions. According to Earth Logic, there would be respect for "fashion in non-western geographies. We can train the focus of fashion on supporting race and gender equality. Each perspective offers new models and practices for relating with fashion as well as broadening and diversifying the base of fashion expertise."

These are all points the next generation coming into the industry is demanding, too. "The questions students are asking are very different now," says Tham, who teaches fashion and economics students at the Linnaeus University, Sweden. How we design clothes must connect with the needs of society and the environment and work with them, not against them. We are seeing this happening with designers looking for ways to help make protective equipment and gowns for medical teams. These new positive role models must be allowed to lead the way forward.

We have uncertain and painful times ahead. But Fletcher says: "It's about trying not to look away when the going gets hard." We are seeing that in times of real emergency, people's behaviour has to change. Even pressing pause on fashion's relentless cycle for a season (possibly two) will have a profound effect. Already, so much has changed. The cycle of fashion for fashion's sake has been broken. We must use this time to rethink how this industry can be redesigned with respect for the planet and the health of the people who work in it.

"It's like turning a kaleidoscope and seeing new patterns emerge," says Tham. "There are so many possible patterns. Things can change very quickly when we have a new perspective. It is not impossible."

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'Put Earth first': can a greener, fairer fashion industry emerge from crisis?

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The shutting down of society as we know it is giving a lot of time for reflection, not least in fashion circles. In an interview in the design magazine Dezeen, the influential trend forecaster Li Edelkoort has called it a "quarantine on consumption" that is having a devastating impact on our economy and culture, but ultimately offers "a blank page to a new beginning".

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An understanding of how the fashion industry consumes/ pollutes water and how we can help our clothes to last

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Research & data helping to break down the most effective strategies to help reduce our carbon footprint

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Fashion accounts for around 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, but there are ways to reduce the impact your wardrobe has on the climate.

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Will retailers be focused more on survival than sustainability in the short-term? This could lead to a shift in consumer mindsets

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Before the coronavirus crisis set fashion spinning, sustainability was the industry's biggest buzzword. Be it big-name brand pledges, collaborative innovation, the rise of new business models or calls for government intervention - the hot topic of conversation was the damaging environmental side-effects of fashion retail.

That conversation has now drastically changed, as retailers focus on the battle for survival. Could sustainability be in danger of falling off the agenda? Or will a post-coronavirus shake-up trigger a renewed business and consumer focus on the topic, as we settle into new habits of working, living and shopping?

Research agency GlobalData says that, in the short term, the cash crisis retailers face after coronavirus could reduce investment into sustainable innovation.

Analyst Emily Salter explains: "Making changes to materials, logistics and production processes to improve the sustainability of products and operations will slow, as sustainability is no longer top of retailers' and consumers' agendas. Long-term adjustments are costly. Many non-food retailers will be financially unstable as they emerge from this crisis after a significant period of low or no sales."

The issue of single-use plastics, which was an early focus for sustainability concerns, also looks set to fall out of focus. Rigorous health and safety standards demand the use of a higher number of single-use items, such as plastic garment bags to prevent the spread of infection, as well as protective plastic gloves for warehouse workers.

"Sustainability and single-use plastic will be less important to many consumers in the short term where hygiene and cleanliness is more of a priority to prevent the spread of the virus," says Salter.

Burberry aw19

The build-up of unsold stock, and how retailers choose to dispose of this, could also pose a sustainability challenge. As demand for new product drops and retailers are forced to close stores for weeks, piles of clothing will lie unsold. Retailers will need to decide how best to dispose of these items, and doing this is an environmentally friendly manner will certainly be a challenge. The backlash Burberry faced when it burned unsold stock indicates that retailers will have to think carefully about their decisions.

As of yet, no retailers have rowed back of initiatives combatting these issues, but looking ahead, they may be less of a focus for future investment as balancing the books and preserving core functions becomes a priority.

Elsewhere, there are also concerns about the human impact of the crisis. In the UK and around the globe, hundreds of thousands of people have already lost their jobs because of the crisis. The sudden cancellation of orders from retailers including Arcadia, New Look, Urban Outfitters and JD WIlliams has hit workers in clothing manufacturing hard.

For example, as Drapers reported earlier this week, more than 1,100 factories in Bangladesh are currently closed, and around $3.08bn (£2.4bn) of orders have been cancelled or suspended, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association reports. The human cost for those now unable to earn a wage is vast.

"There are millions of people being laid off in fashion, both in the consumer facing side and in supply chains. It's tragic the circumstances that people find themselves in," says Tamsin Lejeune, CEO of sustainable fashion network Common Objective. "In recent years, the focus on sustainability has ramped up, but the discussion has mainly been around the environment. The social issues have been less relevant. The two are entwined but we've overlooked the human side. We can't do that now."

She continues: "Our fashion system has supported millions of people, and the two sides of the coin need to be looked at. We need to look at the environmental impact and how the industry is structured - how you build a business model that protects everyone involved."

While big business sustainability efforts draw headlines, small businesses are equally as instrumental in conversations around sustainability. Many have built business models, products and concepts with sustainable principals at their heart.

Annick Ireland, founder of sustainable multi-brand ecommerce site Immaculate Vegan, works with more than 100 small brands and notes that these labels brands are facing significant challenges to keep up operations: "A lot of the conversation around sustainability is led by a large number of small brands, and small businesses face a real challenge in the short term. We are still selling, but there is less demand and so there is no cashflow for us or for the brands we sell."

Ireland explains that, although all small companies are vulnerable, sustainable brands may face even greater pressures: "Sustainable businesses in particular already have tiny margins, because so much money goes into to creating a sustainable product, innovating in the business and into things such as ensuring the fair payment of staff. Running a sustainable business is expensive - we don't have huge cash reserves, and when the cashflow stops, then that is a huge challenge."

While these hurdles are significant, Ireland believes they are "short term", and hopes that, in the longer term, the conversations prompted by the crisis - regarding approaches to consumerism and the importance of making considered purchases - could lead to wider change in future

Common Objective's Lejeune agrees, and adds that the economic fallout from the crisis has already highlighted the instability of current business models - with fast fashion businesses stumbling as sales drop, unsold clothing piles up and suppliers bear the brunt of cancelled orders when clothing turnover falls.

"People are recognising that the origin of this crisis [in terms of the impact on business] results from our current business models and set up," she says. "It makes the conflict between our economy and the environment clear and demonstrates that there is something very wrong with the system."

Lejeune is hopeful, however, that the dramatic global impact of the crisis could lead to drastic rethinks of current set-ups, leading towards more sustainable operations in the future: "There is an opportunity for this to reset how we do business. The trend up until now has been that fashion is taking on board that things need to change: people want to make a difference. So far, the majority of this has been done by looking at the quality of processes within current business models - but that only touches the tip of the iceberg. Really, it is about how you build a business model that protects everyone involved."

While the scale of job losses and furloughing in fashion has been vast, Lejeune sees a silver lining in the situation, and notes that new enquiries to Common Objective have been high, with many new businesses seeking advice on creating sustainable businesses.

"Many people who have left work or are in furlough are now pursuing new ambitions," she says. "The majority of new businesses we see starting up are building sustainability into the core of their models. So, looking ahead, we will see a groundswell of sustainable businesses emerging after this crisis."

The crisis also looks set to shift consumer perceptions on sustainability. Cora Hilts, founder of sustainable ecommerce site Rêve en Vert, believes that as consumers are forced to slow down by the lockdown, they will have the time to consider issues of the industry.

"Before, consumers heard about sustainability, but they were so busy that they didn't have the time to contemplate what it really meant," she says. "People now have the time to engage and feel angry and upset."

Although she is concerned that sustainability may be placed on the back burner as businesses seek to recoup losses after the crisis, she is hopeful that changing and forceful consumer demands will hold businesses accountable for their decisions when normal life resumes.

"On one hand it makes me very angry, but I wonder how consumer attitudes to brands will change," she says. "If people stopped shopping at certain places, then the businesses would have to change - it will be led by the consumers, and I will be interested to see how different companies respond to consumer pressure."

As with so many aspects of the coronavirus crisis, the long-term impact is impossible to divine. In the short term, small brands and retailers with sustainability at their core will take a hit, and bigger brands may choose to delay their focus on the issue to preserve their businesses. However, the changes to consumer mindsets, and the huge economic upheaval could irrevocably alter attitudes to business and fashion on all fronts - paving the way for a more sustainable industry in years to come.

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Coronavirus and sustainability: how will fashion respond?

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Before the coronavirus crisis set fashion spinning, sustainability was the industry's biggest buzzword. Be it big-name brand pledges, collaborative innovation, the rise of new business models or calls for government intervention - the hot topic of conversation was the damaging environmental side-effects of fashion retail.

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- Levi's - 5:01 Live
- John Lewis - Styling sessions

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"This is really the opportune moment to take stock of how things have been going and where things can go from here. We can’t afford to go back to business as usual. It wasn’t resilient, and that’s why the industry has been so paralysed, and why even so many big brands who are making a lot of annual revenue are struggling to survive, after just a few weeks of lockdown."

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Anti-consumption and Governance in the Global Fashion Industry: Transparency is Key

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Anti-consumption and Governance in the Global Fashion Industry: Transparency is Key

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The industry needs to change to alleviate the negative impacts of fast fashion

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The fashion industry needs to fundamentally change in order to mitigate the environmental impact of fast fashion, experts have said.

Clothes rental, better recycling processes, pollution control technology and the innovative use of offcuts are among measures that could help, they said.

The researchers produced a report - pubished in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment - into the environmental cost of the industry, and how it needs to change to deal with some of the many associated problems.

While the figures are debated, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has calculated the fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year, while it is estimated to use around 1.5 trillion litres of water annually. Meanwhile concerns have been rising about pollution, from chemical waste to microplastics.

Among the developments deemed to be exacerbating the problems, is fast fashion - cheap clothes bought and cast aside in rapid succession as trends change - such as the £1 bikini sold by Missguided last year.

The £1 Missguided bikini highlighted the issue of fast fashion last year. Photograph: Missguided

"It is really a global problem," said Dr Patsy Perry, a co-author of the research from Manchester University.

Perry and an international group of colleagues point out that the global nature of the fashion industry means clothes may have travelled around the world several times during manufacture, while it is estimated that if 3% of garment transportation shifted from ship to air cargo - a burgeoning trend in the industry - it could result in over 100% more carbon emissions than if all garment transportation was by ship.

The team also points to the industry's water consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, textile waste, and use of chemicals - substances they say not only pose environmental risks, but health risks for those involved in the industry. "In one example, a single European textile-finishing company uses over 466g of chemicals per kilogram of textile," they write.

And while many garments are designed in the US or EU, they are often produced in developing countries. The team says that not only increases fabric waste through poor communication of requirements, but regulations around pollution are often less strict in the countries of manufacture. "The waste water is going out into freshwater streams and polluting the rivers that people are fishing from [and] living from," said Perry.

A garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The production of clothes for foreign designers is one of the issues highlighted in the report. Photograph: NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The report stresses limited natural resources mean the fashion industry must change, and sets out a number of ways it could become greener, including embracing renewable energy and developing new methods for recycling, as well as reducing the use of polyester - a non-biodegradable fibre, produced from petrochemicals, that dominates the fashion industry.

They also argue the industry should focus on producing better quality, long-lived items, while innovations like clothes rental and new approaches to resale should be scaled up.

But they add: "Consumers must understand fashion as more of a functional product rather than entertainment, and be ready to pay higher prices that account for the environmental impact of fashion."

It is not the first time solutions to fast fashion have been mooted. Last year, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) proposed a number of measures, including a 1p charge on each new item of clothing to fund better recycling and collection. All were rejected by the government.

Extinction Rebellion protests outside London Fashion Week in February targeted fast fashion. Photograph: Ollie Millington/Getty Images

Libby Peake of the Green Alliance said the UK had a particular problem when it came to fast fashion.

"We buy more clothing per head than any other country in Europe, including nearly twice as much as Italians, who are better known for their fashion sense," she said.

As well as emphasising the need for improved quality and clothing rental schemes, she said, the report highlighted the importance of buying clothing second hand. Industry-led initiatives to reduce environmental costs had been ineffective while consumption continued to rise.

"Slow fashion is the only sustainable future for the industry and the planet," she said.

Carry Somers, the co-founder of the campaign Fashion Revolution, also stressed the use of chemicals in the fashion industry, as flagged by the new report, is of particular concern, especially in clothes made outside the EU where it is difficult to know what substances have been used.

Prof Steve Evans, an expert in industrial sustainability at Cambridge University, also welcomed the report. But he said it was unclear what proportion of the industry's environmental impact was down to fast fashion per se. A key challenge for the "closed loop" industry was that different sectors, from production to retailing and recycling, must begin to work together.

But Evans said a future where the rate of fibre production and disposal was lowered need not mean a dearth of new outfits, if garments were rented or re-sold. "It might be fast fashion from the perspective of the fashionista," he said, "but it is slow from the perspective of the planet."

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Fast fashion speeding toward environmental disaster, report warns

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Study highlights industry failures and calls for shift in consumer attitudes

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Key statistics highlighting the flaws of the industry 

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Key statistics highlighting the flaws of the industry 

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Some parts of modern life are, at this point, widely known to cause environmental harm - flying overseas, using disposable plastic items, and even driving to and from work, for example. But when it comes to our clothes, the impacts are less obvious.

As consumers worldwide buy more clothes, the growing market for cheap items and new styles is taking a toll on the environment. On average, people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than they did in 2000. Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity's carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams.

What's more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year. And washing some types of clothes sends thousands of bits of plastic into the ocean.

Here are the most significant impacts fast fashion has on the planet.

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The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Here are the biggest ways it impacts the planet.

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Some parts of modern life are, at this point, widely known to cause environmental harm - flying overseas, using disposable plastic items, and even driving to and from work, for example. But when it comes to our clothes, the impacts are less obvious.

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Includes history of dying fabrics and the fact that this process has just been made global due to overconsumption.
Suggests ways to help overcome pollution e.g. design products to be more durable and offer customisation

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The natural world is a constant source of inspiration for textile and fashion designers. The results can be joyous, colourful and highly desirable, yet their instant appeal makes it all too easy to forget the damage the fashion industry inflicts on nature. Today the industry's processes and practices often harm environments, ecosystems and human communities around the globe.

The modern linear system of manufacturing and the promotion of fast, disposable fashion puts pressure on non-renewable and threatened resources, especially water, and produces huge quantities of waste, most of which goes to landfill or for incineration. The industry's methods and materials can also be highly polluting. Its use of fossil fuels generates carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Many dyeing and finishing processes rely on toxic chemicals that affect the health of workers and leach out into rivers and ground water systems degrading the land, compromising drinking water and killing fish. Synthetic fibres in the clothes we wear every day affect our oceans, rivers and marine life. When these clothes are washed tiny plastic microfibers too small to be trapped in filters enter not only the water system but also the food chain.

The textile and fashion industry has always caused pollution but it increased dramatically in countries like Britain as the industry grew in scale during the 19th century. During this period, manufacturers utilised new technologies and faster manufacturing methods, particularly steam power, and retailers developed more sophisticated marketing and sales techniques. At the same time, the audience for fashion grew as the population increased, the middle class expanded, disposable incomes grew and prices fell. As the volume of manufacturing and consumption rose, so did air and water pollution.

Newspaper reports from the 19th century describe the foul conditions we now see in some developing countries. In 1833 the Manchester Times vividly evoked the stench and danger of the 'Black Ditch' at Pendleton which overflowed to flood the adjacent footpath with over a metre of mud contaminated with "waste dye stuff and filth" making it impassable and a public nuisance. The British government introduced legislation to control pollution from the 1860s but it was often flawed. Although government and industry recognised the link between poor health, environmental damage and pollution, these risks tended to be accepted as a necessary price of industrial development and manufacturers were reluctant to spend more than strictly necessary on pollution controls.

Manufacturing methods and the widespread use of toxic chemicals can also be hazardous. The new aniline dyes, developed in the second half of the 19th century, created bright, low cost colours but caused skin problems and, in some cases, an increased risk of cancer for those who worked with them. Some wearers suffered from sickness, swelling and rashes. The felt hatting industry was dangerous because most workshops used mercuric nitrate to speed up the felting process. Mercury can be absorbed through the lungs, skin and stomach and it stays in the body. Mercury poisoning affects the neuro-motor system, causing long-term tremors, anxiety and irritation. Our collection of hats that have been created using mercury are stored in labelled, sealed bags to contain any remaining toxic contaminants.

The environmental damage and occupational health hazards that were once common in Britain have now shifted elsewhere. The modern textile and fashion industry is global and most mass-manufacturing is outsourced to countries with low labour costs which often have weak labour and environmental laws.

The use of toxic chemicals remains a serious issue. In 2011 the environmental charity Greenpeace called the industry to account. Its Detox campaign challenges big clothing brands to take responsibility for the environmental impact of their supply chains and to commit to achieving zero discharges of hazardous chemicals by 2020. Only 80 companies signed up and progress has been made but they represent just 15% of the global industry.

What can we do to change this?

Today designers, scientists, business, government and campaigners are coming together to develop a range of high and low-tech solutions, tested and experimental, which together have the potential to create a cleaner, greener, less wasteful industry. Instead of the take, make, dispose model of the linear system of manufacturing, research is focussing on circular systems, which take, make and re-make.

Other approaches include reducing waste by designing products to be more durable and offering consumers the option of customisation; using sustainable materials like linen grown in Western Europe more widely; investing in the development of commercially viable methods of recycling blended materials, and converting waste from non-textiles sources like food into materials suitable for clothing and accessories; reducing carbon emissions by employing energy sources other than fossil fuels, using local centres of production and utilizing more energy efficient methods; reducing water consumption and the use of toxins in dyeing and finishing processes by developing new technologies;anddeveloping bio-fabricated materials and alternative processes based in synthetic biology as an alternative to synthetic materials made in the petro-chemical industry.

As wearers, we can also make a difference by choosing and looking after our clothes more carefully, wearing them longer, having smaller wardrobes, re-cycling the clothes we no longer want and thinking about alternatives to buying such as swapping or renting outfits.

Find out more about the Fashioned From Nature exhibition.

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V&A · Pollution: the dark side of fashion

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The natural world is a constant source of inspiration for textile and fashion designers. The results can be joyous, colourful and highly desirable, yet their instant appeal makes it all too easy to forget the damage the fashion industry inflicts on nature. Today the industry's processes and practices often harm environments, ecosystems and human communities around the globe.

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The report, A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future, identifies the fashion industry's current take-make-dispose model as the root cause of its environmental problems and economic value loss. Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned. An estimated USD 500 billion value is lost every year due to clothing being barely worn and rarely recycled. If nothing changes, by 2050 the fashion industry will use up a quarter of the world's carbon budget. Washing clothes releases half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres into the ocean every year, equivalent to more than 50 billion plastic bottles.

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The report, A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future, identifies the fashion industry's current take-make-dispose model as the root cause of its environmental problems and economic value loss. Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned.

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Sustainable fashion designers and advocates on the changes they'd like to see in the industry

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ver the past few years, sustainable fashion has been inching towards the mainstream. Now, given the pandemic crisis, discussion of how to create a more ethical and less environmentally damaging model for an industry that is responsible for 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year is more relevant than ever.

With much of the usual churn on pause because of coronavirus and many of the cracks of the industry coming to the fore - not least in Bangladesh, where garment workers are facing destitution as big-name brands cancel their orders - some people in the industry are taking this hiatus as an opportunity to reassess fashion's direction of travel.

From a change in consumer attitudes to a slowing down of the seasonal model or an uptick in respect for the garment workers that power it, we asked some of the most respected names in the world of sustainable fashion what they hope the industry of the future will look like.

Coronavirus is exposing the cracks in our system. As business is screeching to a halt, garment workers where I'm based in Los Angeles are facing unique circumstances. ⁣⁣Many earn an average of $6 an hour and face food insecurity, as well as inability to pay their rent, utilities and other bills due to loss of income.⁣⁣ Yet the continued demand for PPE orders means that many factories remain open.

Many workers are navigating the sweatshop conditions they would face on any other day - except now, the risks of poor ventilation, dirty conditions and no social-distancing practices are exacerbating the risk of disease.

Elsewhere in the world, we are seeing major brands pull out of orders using the contractual terms of force majeure. But if you look at who some of these brands are - H&M, Target, Zara, C&A - they have huge bottom lines.

My hope for a post-coronavirus future is one that values those in the supply chain. Garment workers are the heart of the fashion industry but are treated the worst and often come from the most marginalised communities.

Am I hopeful? On the one hand, many of us have been saying the same thing for years. But there is a shifting tide. It is a unique moment because consumers are paying attention and reorienting our relationship with consumption. Governments and corporations are being called out and garment workers are continuing to resist, as they always have.

Now is the time to reimagine new systems. I am challenging myself and others - beyond these systems that we are critiquing, let's propose alternatives. There is a meaningful transnational solidarity that can be done right now, from Los Angeles, from Bangladesh.

My hope for the future is that fashion brands can put together better, more transparent supply chains. Many brands have long put forth that the reason they contract to factories in places such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia is to lift workers out of poverty and bring jobs to those regions. Yet the majority of these brands have cancelled their orders and threatened to withhold payments even for finished clothing, even though they have the money. They are thus throwing these countries into economic meltdown.

With the factory closed and workers furloughed, now is the time to be replacing old machines with new, state-of-the-art, cleaner and safer systems. I hope brands will streamline and I hope there will be some near-shoring and re-shoring and right-shoring, because we are going to keep having crises like this and supply chains are such delicately balanced systems; like dominoes, if one goes down, it all goes down.

Brands need to not be so vulnerable by becoming more independent and, in a sense, more truly global. You have one third of your manufacturing in one part of the world, one third in another, another third in another; some of it's far, some of it's close. Bring some manufacturing home instead - there is such great advantage to localising. But more than that, companies should take on the responsibility of looking after workers and making sure everything is sourced cleanly and leftovers are disposed of correctly.

Before coronavirus we were already discussing the need to stop and reevaluate. But nobody was voluntarily going to stop, because it's business. This has forced us to stop and even big conglomerates like LVMH are thinking: "What does fashion actually mean now?" This is going to make designers look introspectively and think: "How much am I going to make?"

I am hopeful that it is going to allow us to redefine the fashion schedule. I was talking to Patrick McDowell, Bethany Williams and other young designers in London about getting tired of all the stuff we had to produce. Two collections a year is enough, without all the pre-collections. The BFC could put out a statement, setting out all the reasons why it makes sense - but it would need to be an international effort.

I hope that because of this young and emerging designers might have more of a voice in the room when big decisions are being made about the industry. Coronavirus is pushing everything online and online platforms are giving people who potentially wouldn't have had much of a say before, a massive say. Nobody is going to fashion week but Ahluwalia Studio just dropped the Matches collection through Instagram - it's so much more powerful because it's coming straight from the brand.

Celine Semaan, designer, advocate, writer and founder of Slow Factory and The Library Study Hall: 'The systems that are thriving are those that were built around community'

Unfortunately it took a shock like this for companies to open their eyes and see that the systems they have built around profit and growth can crumble easily; there isn't any resilience and retail is being hit really hard. It feels like everything is opening up so it can be scrutinised and redesigned. We need to put the health of our ecosystems at the heart of our business systems. That means designing systems from a human, community-centred perspective rather than one that is profit-centred, like we have now with capitalism.

Everyone can learn a lot from adopting a more resilient business model; for example, businesses already built around a slow fashion mentality and sustainable growth, such as Eileen Fisher, are not being affected tremendously by this storm. The systems that are thriving are those that were built around community, planet, kindness, and ecosystems.

We need to design a production model that doesn't overproduce and over-manufacture because a system that yields over-consumption cannot last. I don't think the public or the employees will allow a return to business as usual. There are a lot of unions being formed, such as at Everlane, and there is growing solidarity among employees across companies. Right now we are seeing that collective action is not actually that difficult. There is only one way from here: up.

Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution: 'It's a good opportunity to break the hegemony'

The fashion industry is facing a massive crisis, but after a period of restriction we tend to fall back into excess. I anticipate that there will be a return to business as usual - and younger, emerging designers will need our support. But I also hope that we pause and realise we don't necessarily need 12 pairs of jeans and God knows how many sweatpants.

I hope it makes us value the concept of buying less, buying better and perhaps buying a little bit less cheap; finding ways to be able to afford things that are locally made and from brands that are so small as to have innovation and sustainability embedded from the start. It's a good opportunity to break the hegemony of the big guys, so that we won't need to double check that Zara and H&M really are doing what they say they are doing. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the high street didn't return to the same-old same-old, but instead had mending services, smaller designers, tailors, rental places and swapping places.

When we come out of this, it will be about capturing that joy of nothingness - the joy of having had less, of having been limited. I want people to focus on the positives in order to grow from it. Almost everybody has become an expert on coronavirus, so why not become an expert on sustainable fashion?

Aja Barber, sustainable fashion writer: 'I want to return to a post-fast fashion world'

The post Covid-19 future I want to live in is one where we take our time with our purchases and make more considered decisions about our spending; carefully deciding whether we truly need the item and if the maker reflects our values. I essentially want to return to a post-fast fashion world.

The companies that have used unethical labour and unsustainable practices need to either correct their issues fully or go away. The economy is delicate but I believe that supporting small businesses with ethics at their core will be the way to get ourselves out of this mess and rebuild a fashion industry we can all believe in. The lockdown has been a gigantic wakeup call for the industry. What we do next is equally as important.

Stephanie Shepherd, sustainable fashion advocate and co-founder of Future Earth: 'What I'm hoping for is already happening'

I believe this pandemic has made us realise that rather than seeking material things, we have found value in human connection more than ever. It took a pandemic for many of us to see the broken system behind our "stuff": a system that says essential workers should keep us safe and fed, but without personal protective equipment, insurance or decent salaries; a system that allows big corporation bailouts at the expense of our planet, clean air and our health. The list goes on.

Yet, in the midst of the chaos and injustice, we are seeing individuals and small businesses fill the gaps - from making or securing PPE, ventilators, and tests, to online movements like #payupfashion. The world we are after is unfolding right in front of us. What I'm hoping for is already happening: transparency, interconnectedness and human flourishing, which are all integral to building a circular economy.

Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of Copenhagen fashion week: 'Support the brands that are authentic, inclusive, transparent and purpose-driven'

My hope is that we will be seeing a shift in values and consumer behaviour. We so often talk about the power of the consumer to change the fashion industry for the better and now is really the chance. While having been quarantined and experiencing a global crisis with devastating economic and social costs, I hope we have all had a wakeup call in terms of what really matters.

With regards to fashion, I hope this means having a much bigger appreciation for fashion that is value-driven; supporting the brands that are authentic, inclusive and transparent. Fashion that - a bit of a cliche perhaps - cares for the planet and people, and not only profit.

During the five-week quarantine in Denmark, I bought a pair of (comfortable!) trousers. This purchase was a special one, because more than ever I reflected not on the usual things like fit, fabric, quality, colour - but rather: "Where should I put my money? Which brand to support?" I hope this will become the new normal, supporting the businesses that do it better. Let's shift the focus away from ourselves and our self-centred needs, and think twice about our actions. Can purchasing a garment from a particular brand actually make a difference?

Ayesha Barenblat, founder of Remake: 'I want people to be treated as assets rather than cost centres'

My hope for fashion in a post Covid-19 world would be for the people who power supply chains - from retail, warehouse, to the factory floor - to be treated as assets rather than cost centres. I would hope to see sustainable brands that work in close partnership with worker-owned factories and unionised warehouses so that there are safety nets and protection for the people working across the fashion supply chain.

With the pandemic, as fashion sales have contracted and retail stores have closed, brands have cancelled orders already in production, with suppliers fronting both material and labour cost. This liquidity crunch has resulted in millions of garment maker layoffs without severance, savings or access to healthcare. The women who have kept this industry profitable for decades have been left food-insecure and without safety nets. This is why at Remake we have been working tirelessly to engage brands with our #PayUp campaign.

Mara Hoffman, sustainable fashion designer: 'We are going to have to get off the schedule'

The pandemic has brought all of the broken systems to the surface. Looking at that through a positive lens, in all of this chaos there is an opportunity for us to redefine them. We know we are going to be going through breakdowns for the foreseeable future - either pandemic or environmental issues - so to try to get back to to the status quo would be crazy. People are going to have to put the planet before their idea of profits.

For individuals and businesses it's about how to build the strongest boat to weather all storms. We are brainstorming around this right now. We are going to have to get off the schedule. It's a precarious dance, because we still need money coming in, but is September going to mean us showing spring collections because we know that is where money could come in? Or are we willing to take those chances, not show up and forge our own way?

One way of building a stronger vessel is through owning more of our business. We are focusing on the most solidified, transparent aspects of our existing one and leaning into those parts. The same applies with the fibres we use - where is that being grown, woven and cut? Some bigger companies will rather go back to a broken system than be in the discomfort of pioneering. But it's going to take everyone being willing to risk new ways of doing things. Maybe that's going to mean less money and that's OK.

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'Lockdown has been a wakeup call for the industry': what next for fashion?

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ver the past few years, sustainable fashion has been inching towards the mainstream. Now, given the pandemic crisis, discussion of how to create a more ethical and less environmentally damaging model for an industry that is responsible for 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year is more relevant than ever.

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This letter was the first big call to action, essentially declaring intent to amend and align the seasonal shopping and fashion calendars.

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Recently a group of us from across the global fashion industry, from CEOs to buyers and creative directors, came together in a series of conversations with a shared vision; to discuss ways in which our business needs to transform.

We agreed that the current environment although challenging, presents an opportunity for a fundamental and welcome change that will simplify our businesses, making them more environmentally and socially sustainable and ultimately align them more closely with customers' needs.

We hope to achieve this by adjusting the seasonality and flow of both womenswear and menswear goods, starting with the Autumn/Winter 2020 season:

Put the Autumn/Winter season back in winter (August/January) and Spring/Summer season back in summer (February/July)
Create a more balanced flow of deliveries through the season to provide newness but also time for products to create desire

Discount at the end of the season in order to allow for more full-price selling - January for Autumn/Winter and July for Spring/Summer

We will also work to increase sustainability throughout the supply chain and sales calendar through:

Less unnecessary product
Less waste in fabrics and inventory

Less travel
Make use of digital showrooms in addition to personal creative interactions

Review and adapt fashion shows

Working together, we hope these steps will allow our industry to become more responsible for our impact on our customers, on the planet and on the fashion community, and bring back the magic and creativity that has made fashion such an important part of our world.

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Recently a group of us from across the global fashion industry, from CEOs to buyers and creative directors, came together in a series of conversations with a shared vision; to discuss ways in which our business needs to transform. We agreed that the current environment although challenging, presents an opportunity for a fundamental and welcome...

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This is a proposal for the global fashion industry, the product of ongoing conversations between a growing group of independent designers, CEOs and retail executives from around the world who have come together in this challenging time to rethink how the fashion industry could — and should — work.

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This is aproposal for the global fashion industry, the product of ongoing conversations between a growing group of independent designers, CEOs and retail executives from around the world who have come together in this challenging time to rethink how the fashion industry could - and should - work.

Facilitated by The Business of Fashion

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This is aproposal for the global fashion industry, the product of ongoing conversations between a growing group of independent designers, CEOs and retail executives from around the world who have come together in this challenging time to rethink how the fashion industry could - and should - work.

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British Fashion Council - reset the industry 

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British Fashion Council - reset the industry 

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Two of fashion's biggest trade groups released a joint manifesto, urging designers and businesses to 'reset and rethink' their current business models.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the fashion industry from every angle and severely impacting all of the global fashion capitals, and while there is no immediate end in sight, there is an opportunity to rethink and reset the way in which we all work and show our collections.

From the onset of this crisis, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and British Fashion Council have been in close communication, sharing feedback from their members and stakeholders.

The BFC and CFDA can share the common perspectives of their members and the organisations.

We are united in our steadfast belief that the fashion system must change, and it must happen at every level. We are listening to many conversations taking place. These changes have been overdue for a while, and the fallout from coronavirus has forced us all to prioritise the process of rethinking how our industry should function.

We encourage our brands, designers and retailers, who are used to fashion's fast, unforgiving pace, to slow down. For a long time, there have been too many deliveries and too much merchandise generated. With existing inventory stacking up, designers and retailers must also look at the collections cycle and be very strategic about their products and how and when they intend to sell them.

There is a clear disconnect from when things arrive in-store to when the customer actually needs them. The delivery cadence should shift closer to the season for which it is intended.

Together, we strongly recommend designers focus on no more than two main collections a year. We firmly believe this can provide our talents with the time they need to reconnect to the creativity and craft that makes our field so unique in the first place. A slower pace also offers an opportunity to reduce the stress levels of designers and their teams, which in turn will have a positive effect on the overall wellbeing of the industry.

We understand the commercial need for pre-collections and the need to fulfil the delivery windows of the current pre-collections. However, we recommend that these return to their original intended purpose, which was to offer the consumer beautiful clothes that carry the ethos of the individual brands but are not necessarily sufficiently fashion forward to warrant a show. When we are able to hold in-person events and showings, we would recommend that these presentations return to the showrooms.

Once this crisis is over and non-virtual events can resume, we also recommend that brands attempt to show during the regular fashion calendar and in one of the global fashion capitals in order to avoid the strain on buyers and journalists travelling constantly. This too has placed tremendous stress on the industry and significantly increased each individual's carbon footprint.

Sustainability is an important conversation in every industry. Through the creation of less product, with higher levels of creativity and quality, products will be valued and their shelf life will increase. The focus on creativity and quality of products, reduction in travel and focus on sustainability (something we encourage of the entire industry) will increase the consumer's respect and ultimately their greater enjoyment in the products that we create.

While physical in-person presentations are likely impossible, the fashion councils will nevertheless focus on creating fashion calendars and other formats that will highlight and help to organise the virtual presentations for the Spring Summer collections.

The need to align as a global industry during these times has become more apparent. We will continue to work side-by-side, while each city will develop its own local initiatives. Fashion is a business of creativity and new ideas and difficult times are also ones for innovation. We will work to our industry's benefit as we reimagine and create, with our members and partners, a successful future.

We all understand the difficulties that all of you are going through in this devastating time and are here to help you and provide information in any way that we can.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the fashion industry from every angle and severely impacting all of the global fashion capitals, and while there is no immediate end in sight, there is an opportunity to rethink and reset the way in which we all work and show our collections.

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Pretty Little Thing at Paris Fashion Week - pop- up and launch party

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Pretty Little Thing are making masks to make a fashion statement- all profits are donated- they are not to be used as PPE

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An idea of how fashion pollutes water and what we can be doing to help combat this pollution

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Humans can survive without food for weeks, sometimes months, but only 3 to 4 days without water. We are water: 60% of our body is made of this transparent liquid of which we are helplessly dependent. Although it is number one in our hierarchy of basic human needs, we rarely go thinking about water beyond our morning shower or our recommended 8 glasses per day. As a fashion creator and a citizen of the internet, seeing the subject of fashion sustainability popping up more and more often in my news feed, I started thinking about water in its relationship to fashion. What is really happening?

The facts

The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world after the Petroleum industry. Cotton, one of the two most popular fibers found in our clothes today (the other one being polyester), although amounts to only 2.4% of the world's cropland, consumes 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides. These chemicals entering the soil contaminate fresh water and destabilize ecosystems.

More than a half trillion gallons of fresh water are used in the dyeing process of textiles each year, amounting to 20% of global industrial water pollution. It takes around 7,000 liters of water to produce one single pair of jeans - equivalent to the amount of water one individual drinks in 5-6 years. In India and Bangladesh, dye wastewater is discharged, often untreated, into nearby rivers eventually spreading into the sea. Reports show a dramatic rise of diseases in these regions due to the use of highly toxic chrome. In China, the world's largest clothes exporter, the State's Environmental Protection Administration declared that nearly one third of the countries' rivers are classified as "too polluted for any direct human contact".

A 2017 study discovered microfibers coming from plastic and polyester in 83% of all tap water samples around the world. In Germany, microfibers were found in 24 mass-market beer brands, in honey and sugar. Fish and shellfish in markets around the world were found to contain microfibers. A 2016 study from University of California found that an average of 1,174 milligrams of microfibers are released from our washing machines after washing a single synthetic jacket. But microfibers are not only found in fleece. They are inside half of the world's clothes, in polyester, nylon or acrylic fabrics and the numbers show synthetic fibers will be more and more popular in the future.

The situation looks bad. But isn't there enough clean water on Earth? 70% of the world's surface is covered in oceans.

97.5% of the water available on Earth is found in oceans as saltwater. In order to turn it into fresh, drinkable and usable water, saltwater needs to go through a process of desalinization. Although there are countries (United Emirates, Israel) who are already using desalinization due to lack of access to fresh water sources, the costs for such operations are double than the ones for processing fresh water. Thus, the solution is not viable at the moment for many of the poor countries already exposed to water scarcity. What scientists are hoping for is that renewable energies evolve in such a way that desalinization becomes affordable. But we don't know yet if and when will this happen.

What about the other 2.5 percent fresh water left?

2.5% of the water on Earth is fresh, drinkable water. Of this 2.5% two thirds is frozen as snow and ice (and it better stay that way) and more than one third is found as groundwater. That leaves us with 0.3% fresh water available in rivers and lakes. This water is used in households, in agriculture and in industry. Although 0.3% is a large amount compared to the Earth's scale, research shows that we are consuming the available resources at 1.6 times the planet's capacity.

How much are we consuming?

Clothing production has doubled since 2000, yet 40% of the clothes we buy are rarely or never worn. In North America only, 10.5 million tons of clothing are sent to landfills every year. From the average of 118 clothes found in a German closet, every 5th garment is never worn. If it is a jacket, coat or dress, it will stick around for around 3 years. If it is a T-shirt, pair of trousers or shoes, it will be thrown away after less than a year. Trend are changing faster than ever: based on the number of new items reaching its stores weekly, Zara was registered to have in 2014 a number of 52 micro-seasons.

How did we get here?

Before the 19 th century, dressmaking was far more complicated than it is today: in order to have a blouse, a middle class person would have to raise sheep, collect the wool, spin the yarn, weave their own cloth, then sew their piece by hand. People of higher status would go to a couturier which made their clothes to order. The Industrial Revolution introduced the sewing machine and changed the fashion industry into something closer to what we have today: clothes made in bulk, in universal sizes, in big factories. But it wasn't before the World War II, which imposed restrictions in fabrics and more functional clothing, that people changed their mentality towards fashion and started to fully accept standardization.

Once clothes became cheaper to make, and thus, accessible to masses, it became tempting for fashion to become a business of quantity, rather than of quality. The formula was simple: the faster you produced, the more you sold, the more you earned. It is not clear which was the first brand to adopt the fast fashion philosophy. Looking from a longevity perspective, H&M opened its first store in Sweden in 1947, while Zara launched in northern Spain only in 1975. But when Zara reached the U.S. at the beginning of the 90's, The New York Times used the term "fast fashion" to describe the incredible speed at which the retailer was able to transform a design into a final product: 15 days.

But how can you sell new clothes to someone who has already bought new clothes two weeks ago? By inventing a new trend. This all comes hand in hand with the needs and tendencies of the human psyche. Being "in tren d" fulfills our need for certainty, consistency and belonging. But once we have all these needs fulfilled, the need for variety comes in. New trends are able to miraculously make us feel we have variety and certainty in the same time. And once trends start moving faster and faster, this wheel of needing and fulfilling our needs spins, reaching the speed of today's 52 micro-seasons per year. It's no wonder that around 40 percent of consumers qualify a s excessive shoppers, going shopping compulsively more than once a week, as a worldwide study by Greenpeace reveals.

What can we do about all this?

Despite the responsibility of governments to regulate companies' practices and protect the environment, in a world ruled by supply and demand, customers can play a crucial role. It can be discouraging for an individual to look at the immensity of our global issues and think one's choices can really help to bring change. But something is certain: no matter how big or small our actions are, they will either contribute to the problem or to the solution. There are many things that we can do. Here is a small selection of them:

We can buy less. We can start borrowing clothes between friends or we can participate in clothes swaps. We can also practice our creativity by upcycling our existing clothes to create new designs.

We can buy better. We can start looking at clothes as long-term partners and dare to pay more for a piece that will last longer. We can search for sustainable fabrics and quality brands, which take care of the environment.

We can buy second-hand, contributing to a lower demand for new clothes and thus, to less production.

We can take better care of our clothes. We can refresh clothes that aren't stained, instead of washing them just because someone smoked next to us. And when we wash polyester garments, in order to reduce the microfibers released in the water, we can keep the temperature at 30 degrees. Also, washing a bigger load is better because it gives less room to microfibers to detach from clothing.

We can search for our own style, regardless of trends. A good starting point is to analyze the items that we wear most often and ask ourselves why. This way, the next time we will go shopping, we will be able to choose only the things that we know we will wear.

Written by Cristina Tatar @cristinacristina
References:

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/water-scarcity-fashion-industryhttps://freshwaterwatch.thewaterhub.org/content/water-limited-resourcehttps://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-6https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-state-of-fashionhttps://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/is-desalination-the-answer-to-water-shortages/https://brenmicroplastics.weebly.com/project-findings.htmlhttps://qz.com/383562/these-chinese-textile-mills-are-going-green-and-saving-millions/https://qz.com/414223/if-your-clothes-arent-already-made-out-of-plastic-they-will-be/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-revealshttp://www.businessinsider.de/how-many-days-can-you-survive-without-water-2014-5?r=US&IR=Thttps://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/news/features/adverse-impacts-of-ge-bt-cotto/https://fashionista.com/2016/06/what-is-fast-fashionhttps://www.greenpeace.de/sites/www.greenpeace.de/files/publications/20151123_greenpeace_modekonsum_flyer.pdfhttps://www.fashionrevolution.org/resources/fanzine2/

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Fashion pollutes water. Should we really care? - future fashion forward

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Humans can survive without food for weeks, sometimes months, but only 3 to 4 days without water. We are water: 60% of our body is made of this transparent liquid of which we are helplessly dependent. Although it is number one in our hierarchy of basic human needs, we rarely go thinking about water beyond [...]

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Retailers desperate to shift spring/summer 20 stock are resorting to discounting, and delaying deliveries of autumn/winter 20 product.

Looking forward to the lifting of lockdown, Drapers latest survey of UK and Ireland fashion retailers found that most are unprepared to reopen without further government guidance and assistance.

One source of guidance is The Drapers Interviewee, British Retail Consortium chief Helen Dickinson, who has been fighting the sector's corner at the highest level of government.

The pandemic has changed consumer habits - maybe forever. How can retailers and brands adapt to the new normal?

Drapers investigates how the litany of British retail administrations and company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) has wrought havoc on Irish high streets, where Arcadia Group, Cath Kidston, Coast, House of Fraser and Debenhams are among those that have shut up shop.

Meanwhile, US fashion retail is in crisis as unemployment rises above 36 million, with repercussions for J Crew, JC Penney, Victoria's Secret, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, among others.

Plus: the retail jobs threat, helping employees work from home, occasionwear in a pandemic, wholesale athleisure brands to know and optimising your online operations.
https://digitalissues.drapersonline.com/2020/May/220520/index.html

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Retailers desperate to shift spring/summer 20 stock are resorting to discounting, and delaying deliveries of autumn/winter 20 product. Looking forward to the lifting of lockdown, Drapers latest survey of UK and Ireland fashion retailers found that most are unprepared to reopen without further government guidance and assistance.

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A short presentation on what I have learnt  by carrying out this project  and how I am going to continue in the industry after my time at the FRA

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"As consumption habits and demand have changed, our approach to fashion has evolved. Moving forward, designs will be re-evaluated to create lasting, timeless pieces that go beyond the traditional seasons."

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An interactive map of the supply chain at ASOS telling the reader how many factories and workers are in a certain country and their factory list.

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Online fashion has increased the pace of fashion production and encouraged a throw away attitude.

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ASOS are in a better position than other competitors 

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ASOS are in a better position than other competitors 

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-Broad product offering across casualwear, lougewear and athleisure
- Doesn't have store costs which will protect profitability
- Digital expertise will help to keep consumers engaged

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Following today's release of ASOS H1 figures for FY2019/20, Sofie Willmott, Lead Retail Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, comments:
''ASOS' carefully planned strategy for the peak trading period of 2019 clearly worked, with the online pureplay reporting impressive figures up against a troublesome 2018. However, it will not be able to build on this momentum to drive similar growth for the full year, with H2 set to be significantly disrupted by COVID-19.

''Sales over the past three weeks - since lockdown and isolation measures have been implemented across many of its key markets - have declined 20-25%, as customers struggle to justify making new purchases. However, ASOS' broad product offer across casualwear, loungewear and athleisure puts it in a better position than some of its competitors that rely heavily on occasion and partywear ranges, such as boohoo and Quiz.

''Although we forecast UK clothing & footwear sales will decline 23.5% in 2020, the online channel will fare better with expenditure expected to fall 10.8%, giving online retailers the opportunity to steal market share - particularly from Primark, TK Maxx and Next. While it will be a challenge for ASOS to manage newness coming through without its usual photography and styling operations functioning as normal and with demand much lower, it benefits from having an open sales channel, alleviating it from some of the excess inventory issues that other players will face when their stores and websites reopen. Additionally, it does not have the challenges of store costs and so should be able to better protect profitability while its digital expertise in terms of editorial and social media content will enable it to continue to keep shoppers engaged."

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ASOS is better positioned than many to face impact of COVID-19 - GlobalData

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Following today's release of ASOS H1 figures for FY2019/20, Sofie Willmott, Lead Retail Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, comments: ''ASOS' carefully planned strategy for the peak trading period of 2019 clearly worked, with the online pureplay reporting impressive figures up against a troublesome 2018.

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ASOS staff at a UK factory were too scared to go to work as they felt they weren't being sufficiently protected

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Asos has been criticised by staff who say they are scared to come to work at its distribution centre because they are not being sufficiently protected during the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 98% of more than 460 workers who took part in a survey carried out by the GMB union said they felt unsafe at the group's warehouse in Grimethorpe, Barnsley, even after new safety measures were introduced last week. About 4,000 people are employed at the warehouse with an average 500 working each shift.

Many workers at the online fashion retailer said it was not possible to fully meet government guidelines on maintaining two-metre distancing at the Barnsley site run by the logistics firm XPO for Asos, because of narrow aisles and shared facilities including a canteen, bus service and toilets used by hundreds of people on each shift.

They said the company had not provided sufficient supplies of protective gear such as gloves and hand sanitiser, while they fear colleagues would come into work while ill because they could claim only statutory sick pay, of just £94.25 a week, which was not enough to pay their bills.

Tim Roache, the GMB general secretary, said: " Conditions at Asos are scarcely believable - workers we've spoken to describe it as a 'cradle of disease'. It's absolutely horrifying, a real catalogue of shame."

"Here you've got people packed on to public transport, a lack of social distancing, thousands of workers going into one warehouse then back to their families."

One staff member who took part in the survey said: "The rule of two-metre distance is simply impossible to follow if you want to move or do any work in there. This warehouse was absolutely not designed for it and it's a fiction in practice."

Staff sitting side by side in the Asos canteen

Another worker spoken to by the Guardian said he and his partner had both continued to work even though they had health conditions which made them vulnerable to the virus.

"They told us last week that they don't have enough money to pay holiday for us so if we don't feel safe we can go home unpaid," he said. "My partner asked about sanitiser and gloves and she was told 'why not bring your own?'"

The worker said there was not enough soap in bathrooms and the canteen, and locker rooms were crowded. "The business we are working in is not essential. There is a pandemic so it is hard times. I don't think somebody needs a bikini," he said.

Who is most at risk from coronavirus and why? - video explainer

Community, the union which represents more than 2,000 workers at the Asos site, said it had been working with the company for weeks to improve operations including introducing protective gear and a new cleaning regime:

"We have been on site all day today listening to our members' concerns and instructing the company to take further action to improve safety, particularly around shift changes. If these changes cannot be implemented effectively and rapidly, then they should cease operating.

"There are clearly issues across the sector, and the government needs a sector-wide approach. It's the unions' role to ensure employers make workplaces safe and if they're not, they shouldn't be continuing operations."

Criticism of Asos's operation comes after Next, Moss Bros and Net a Porter closed their websites after concerns about their ability to protect staff in their distribution centres.

Asos said social distancing protocols were in place across the Barnsley site, and in particular in locker rooms, the canteen and smoking area.

It said staff were required to sit at least two metres apart during meal breaks with a dedicated member of staff to enforce social distancing at break times and at the start and end of shifts.

Asos added that it had worked with Stagecoach to organise additional buses and staff should wait for another one if vehicles were busy.

Nick Beighton, the chief executive of the fashion chain, said: "We totally refute these allegations. They are false and do nothing more than serve to create panic and hysteria in an already uncertain time.

"In line with government guidance, and with support from the Community union and Barnsley borough council, we are striking the right balance between keeping our warehouse operational, for the good of our employees and the wider economy, and maintaining the health and safety of staff, which is always our number one priority."

Steve Houghton, the leader of Barnsley council, said its regulatory team had visited the warehouse on Friday and had not seen any problems with compliance with government distancing guidelines.

"We are following government guidance that businesses who can operate safely should remain open. XPO Logistics are the largest private employer in the borough, making an important contribution to our local economy and we will continue to support them and all other Barnsley businesses to remain open during this period," he said.

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'Cradle of disease': Asos warehouse staff reveal coronavirus fears

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Online fashion chain hits back at staff claims of safety issues at Barnsley warehouse

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Due to the lack of professional photoshoots, companies are using pictures taken by the models from their own homes

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As if trying to sell clothing amid a global pandemic and strict social distancing measures were not hard enough, fashion retailers are having to invent new ways to photograph and market their products.

Models, photographers, stylists, make-up artists and hairdressers are now unable to travel to studios to create the glossy product imagery and catwalk videos that fashion retailers have traditionally relied on.

This poses a serious challenge. Having the right kind of imagery, which can show product to its best advantage, is crucial for encouraging consumers to convert from browsing to buying. Unable to touch and feel fashion online, consumers rely on photography and imagery to guide their purchasing decisions.

Not seeing a product modelled on another person and from multiple angles, as shoppers have come to expect, is likely to be off-putting. It could also send retailer's returns rates skyrocketing, as shoppers will often buy multiple sizes to be sure of getting the right fit, at a time when businesses need every possible sale.

Thankfully, fashion is a famously creative industry, and brands are already finding innovative solutions to these new challenges. Asos, for example, has asked staff, models and its "Asos Insiders" brand ambassadors to photograph themselves wearing new product inside their own homes - Olivia Smith, pictured top, is one example.

Fast fashion giant Boohoo has taken a similar approach with its latest campaign, #boohoointhehouse, which also features content from staff and models photographed in their bedrooms and living rooms.

Zara, meanwhile, has sent its newest products directly to models' homes to be styled and shot, showing models reclining on their own sofas and even making tea.

The results are impressive. Although - naturally - less polished than a professional photoshoot, the content remains aspirational and appealing. Seeing product worn in bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens feels both more intimate and more relevant to consumers stuck at home.

It remains creative and is definitely more likely to spark purchases than simple shots of product on a hanger against a white background. Seeing it worn by staff - who might look more like customers than professional models - could also help shoppers better imagine what the clothing might look like on them. By allowing staff and models to put their own stamp on the styling and imagery, retailers are able to inject a fresh sense of personality into their photography, which could resonate with shoppers.

Product photography taken at home, without professional hair and make-up, also ties into a pre-existing move towards more relatable imagery in fashion. Both Asos and Boohoo have previously won praise from consumers for not retouching out models' stretchmarks in photoshoots.

Of course, asking staff and models to create product photography is not as easy as simply handing them a camera. Retailers and brands looking to take a similar approach will need to provide clear guidelines on the type and quality of imagery expected.

Quality and professionalism are absolutely vital. Social media-savvy staff, who, thanks to Instagram, know how to take a good picture, are an advantage for retailers and brands seeking to create content outside of a professional studio.

Whether this kind of photography encourages sales and outlasts the coronavirus crisis is still yet to be seen. But it is certainly a creative solution for an industry in a pinch.

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Bringing fashion home: photography in a pandemic

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As if trying to sell clothing amid a global pandemic and strict social distancing measures were not hard enough, fashion retailers are having to invent new ways to photograph and market their products. Models, photographers, stylists, make-up artists and hairdressers are now unable to travel to studios to create the glossy product imagery and catwalk videos that fashion retailers have traditionally relied on.

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Should we clean returned items to prevent the spread of corona virus? 

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Should we clean returned items to prevent the spread of corona virus? 

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ASOS ended almost all employees on fixed term contracts due to corona