What being Fit for the Future means?
5 key things progressive sustainable fashion brands are doing differently
It’s been 9 months since covid-19 rocked our worlds, disrupting almost every facet in our day-to-day lives, the fashion industry being no exception. The extent and duration of lockdowns has forced both consumers and businesses to do things differently, to adapt to the new normal and stand out in what is arguably the most competitive landscape than ever.
Radical shifts in consumer behaviour and heightened expectations for purpose-driven sustainable action has presented the fashion industry with a chance to reset and reshape the industry’s value chain completely.
Not everyone has seen the glass half full or been quick enough to respond to the rapid pace of change. Resulting in some long-standing fashion businesses closing their doors, while others are barely surviving as they remain in “wait and see” mode. Then there are the fashion brands and retailers who are doing incredibly well with increased sales, fewer returns and happy, loyal returning customers.
We identified 5 key things these fashion businesses have in common:
- Tapped into what is driving consumer beliefs and behaviours today
- Validated their true customers needs - how to be relevant
- Proactively responded to the new normal vs reacted
- Adopted technology and a data-driven approach
- Collaborated with industry experts and other brands
What’s driving consumer beliefs and behaviours today?
In ordinary times, consumers tend to stick to their habits and are reluctant to change from what they know because the risk of being disappointed outweighs the effort. With covid-19 consumers the world over have radically changed their behaviours.
Consumers are actively seeking out and supporting sustainable fashion brands
Accordingly to McKinsey, 73% of consumers have shifted their buying behaviours from brands they know to new brands that before covid-19 they would not have considered. One key driver being the wish to support purpose-driven sustainable fashion brands that align with their beliefs and values; fair fashion that’s kinder to people and our planet. Lyst recently reported that the search for sustainable/upcycled fashion has increased 79% since January 2020.
Consumers are actively seeking inclusive, frictionless shopping experiences
Consumers have swapped shopping in-store to shopping online, a behaviour that has stuck even since retail stores reopened. But their decision making process has changed, and to our delight so has their desire to be included in the whole solution not just the transaction.
97% of over 200+ one-on-one people we interviewed told us #1 reason for buying clothing online is convenience: see more in less time from anywhere, anytime. Although convenience remains a key motivator and consumers are still comparing 4 to 5 different web-shops before they spend their hard earned cash, their decision making process is far more considered.
Consumers want more than “a quality product at a fair price that fits, from a brand that reflects my values”. They want inclusive, frictionless online shopping experiences.
"A few patterns emerged from our recent validation clearly showing what inclusive, frictionless online shopping experiences means to consumers today."
- Want accurate information/tools that “help me buy the size for my best fit"
2. Want relevant product recommendations “based on my personal fit, style and values"
3. Want to be empowered “seeing how my decisions are positively impacting"
4. Want to participate “make me part of the journey not just a transaction”
?How customer validation is helping brands outsmart the competition?
Building on these behaviours, we’ve been working closely with a number of our sustainable fashion brand and retail partners, conducting customer validation on their behalf. The objective being to not only gather deeper insights into their true customers, but also help them really understand why their customers do what they do.
By using behavioural science as a foundation principle and a data-driven approach, these brands have been able to connect all the right dots. Removing existing barriers to provide their customers with more relevant, inclusive and frictionless digital experiences that enable them to build the most profitable and sustainable businesses. The result? Increased sales, fewer returns and happy, loyal returning customers.
What proactive responses and digital solutions successful fashion brands have taken to flourish in the new normal?
Akhil and Nav from Green Story help sustainable and eco-conscious fashion brands tell their green story through relatable impact metrics. The goal? To get every consumer on our planet to make greener choices by asking “What’s my impact?” Recently, they launched a new Carbon Offset initiative that enables fashion brands and retailers to highlight carbon neutrality throughout the shopping experience. Why? 83% of consumers want carbon offset products. Which means brands can now not only up their sustainability game but also achieve more sales by increasing the value their customers place on their products.
Dutch based sustainable fashion brands and retailers like Kuyichi, The Green Labels, J-Lab3l, Shop Like You Give A Damn, Good Krama and Ilja have partnered with Scircula to eliminate their fit problems. By helping their customers find their perfect fit, by garment, the first time they are not only providing more frictionless online shopping experiences that save time, money and our planet, but able to use the the real-time data insights collected by the fit app to design clothing for optimal fit and only produce what their customers need in accurate sizes, styles and quantities.
In neighbouring Germany, Silfir; a sustainable fashion brand that uses upcycled fabric has jumped on a new opportunity that has inspired a pivot. For a long time Silfir’s Co-Founder Hannah has expressed “the dilemma in our economy is that we greatly impact others with our buying decisions but are completely out of touch … with the need to have a relationship with those we buy from.” With pre-loved clothing forecast to grow 165% in the next 10 years it seems the perfect time for her to launch GIFTD; a platform that enables people to gift their pre-loved/pre-owned clothes to a friend, family or neighbour - the idea being to re-distribute easily to help build a more circular economy.
Although not a fashion brand but rather a sustainable denim manufacturer producing jeans for around 80% of the EU market, we are excited to include Soorty Enterprises in our shoutout. Deep consumer insights recently highlighted the growing need for jeans that are not only wearable, sustainable and fit beautifully but that are also size inclusive and offer more diversity. As such they recently launched a new innovation called: Re-sync.
These jeans provide the ultimate support to the wearer with a 360 stretch comfort enabling the garment to perform well 2 sizes up or down. What that means is that 1 size can fit 5 different body shapes and sizes! Not only is there a clear advantage for consumers, in particular women whose body shapes and sizes tend to fluctuation requiring multiple styles in different sizes, but for brands too. Now they are able to tap into a wider more diverse and inclusive customer group without the costs involved to extend size ranges but also produce products that are relevant.
“The current situation provides an opportunity to reevaluate practices and accelerate positive changes that have already been in motion.” Katrin Ley, MD, Fashion for Good
There is light at the end of the tunnel and it's not an oncoming train.
Navigating uncertainty is not easy, but you don’t need to do it alone.
If you found these insights helpful and you want to build a more profitable and sustainable fashion business that makes your brand easy to buy from and love, please reach out.
Penny Whitelaw, Co-Founder SCIRCULA, +31 (0)6 27 55 18 32, [email protected]