Sustainable apparel retail

The aim of this chapter is to explore the notion of sustainability from a retail perspective and to gain a better understanding of what the statement sustainable apparel retail actually means for an industry that has global impacts social, environmental, and ethical. In this chapter, the terms retail and retailers will be used to refer to both clothing retailers and clothing brands. 

But what does sustainable mean for the apparel retail industry Sustainability is a word that elicits a multitude of definitions and explanations depending on your point of view and even your geographic location. The broad range of definitions for sustainability is a reflection of the fact that sustainability is incredibly complex, where interdependencies can often be hidden or misunderstood, and where just measuring sustainability can be difficult and confusing, particularly when considering ethical and social issues. 

To identify the hot spots of environmental and social impacts within the supply chain implicitly requires extensive knowledge about the chain, a chain that in most cases extends across many national borders and involves a multitude of actors and connections between those actors. One of the common characteristics of a modem apparel supply chain is the lack transparency between each stage these supply chains are opaque systems where the ability to trace materials from one end of the chain to the other is complex and difficult to achieve. 

Important as the supply chain and retailer relationship is in the dialog about sustainability, one of the most important perspectives that must be considered is consumer perception of sustainability. The interaction between retailers and consumers is considered by some as the most important relationship in any discussions about retail sustainability the impact of consumers attitudes to sustainability and how these attitudes manifest themselves in consumer behavior has played a significant role in determining retailers direction and strategies for sustainability. 

To begin the exploration of the complexities of retail sustainability for apparel we will first consider the sourcing models commonly used by retailers. 

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Sustainable apparel retail would be easy to consider if all retailers had the same business model and if they aU operated as simple intermediaries in a supply chain... 

However, when considering the sustainabUity of apparel retail, the most important aspect of the business model to consider is associated with how the retailer sources products. This activity has the most direct impact on the ability of the retailer to be sustainable. The retailer s products and supply chain are the most significant source of the environmental and social impacts. Up to two-thirds of a retailer s carbon footprint and up to 90% of its water footprint is created by its products and supply chain (WRAP, 2011). And as a retailer s supply chain may have more than 20 times more workers in it than in its retail operation, and often in countries where social issues may be significant, the supply chain is a major source of social and ethical challenges for the retailer. Therefore, the sourcing model for products and suppliers is a critical consideration in the development of a sustainability strategy. 

The interpretation of what sustainability means is very much determined by personal views of the intrinsic value of nature and by current social norms, by the culture and structure of organizations, and in the instrumental values that business applies to natural resources, to mention just a few influencing factors. Furthermore, for the retail industry, like many other industries, the interpretation and definition of apparel retail... 

In early 2012, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, an association of over 60 apparel and footwear brands, retailers and suppliers, and non-profit organizations, released the Higg Index 1.0 for Sustainable Apparel. 

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition is an industry wide group of over 80 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, suppliers, nonprofits, and NGOs working to reduce the envirorunental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products around the world. 

It is important to note that retailers operate in different sectors of the apparel market (general clothing, footwear, outdoor, sportswear) where they are targeting different consumer segments (value, mid-range, luxury) and operate in different international locations therefore, the emphasis and priority they give to individual stakeholders will vary. It is not the intention of this chapter to interpret and rank the most important views from these stakeholders or indeed to propose an overarching definition of sustainability that applies to all aspects of the retail sector. But it is possible to reflect on these stakeholder views and identify the macro-trends for sustainability within the... 

Individual retailers have attempted to resolve many of the sustainability challenges facing the industry, and some have made great strides toward a more sustainable model. However, all are faced with the same fundamental issues intrinsic to the traditional apparel business model, a model based on a fragmented, globalized supply network, where there is a lack of transparency and traceability. 

As individual brands these fundamental issues may seem insurmountable however, in spite of the highly competitive nature of the retail apparel market, a growing group of responsible retailers are tackling these issues together. These retailers have recognized the interdependencies of their businesses within the supply chain and how the development of a more sustainable model is beneficial to individual organizations as well as the industry as a whole. 

Miller, D., 2013. Towards Sustainable Labour Costing in the Global Apparel Industry Some Evidence from UK Fashion Retail. 

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