Sustainable Retail - New Product Relationships

Sustainable Business & StrategyRetail:New Product Care Label ProjectRelationshipsBrands are responding to a generationoversaturated with stuff with newconscious schemes which encourageconsumers to buy sensibly, care for theiritems better and hold onto them forlonger.

Analysis 66% of Millennials state they are willing to pay more for products and services that come from companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact, according to Nielsen. Savvy brands are tapping into the global growing desire for sustainable living with new retail concepts that promote conscious care, repair, recycling and circular commerce. Expanding on the emerging trend for aftercare and product preservation, new campaigns are encouraging customers to care for their clothes in more eco-friendly ways. These include washing less, at lower temperatures and only dry cleaning when essential, with the economic and environmental benefits of doing so outlined on garment labels. Brands are also encouraging a shift away from today's throwaway culture through informative workshop events on how to reduce waste, and setting up dedicated websites which only sell products with a lifetime guarantee or that offer free repairs. Mamas & Papas

Conscious care Alongside new aftercare services which aim AEG has teamed up with 14 emerging to enhance the post-purchase experience, designers across Europe to implement the Monki brands are beginning to educate scheme, adding a new \"Don’t Overwash\" consumers on how to prolong the lifespan care label to over 18,200 garments in an of their clothes and reduce the impact that effort to challenge outdated laundry habits. washing them has on the environment. According to AEG, 70% of consumers inherit Laundry accounts for a quarter of the their laundry habits from their parents, and carbon footprint of clothing, according to are unaware that both washing machine Stella McCartney’s Clevercare initiative, and material technology have changed. showing an increasing need to encourage AEG’s long-term vision for the project is to sustainable garment care among continue encouraging consumers to care consumers after purchase. for their clothes, and to drive innovation in washing and drying technology for Fashion platform Not Just A Label teamed environmental good. up with appliance manufacturer AEG on the Care Label Project, an awareness campaign Young fashion retailer Monki's new launched in April 2017 that aims to reduce sustainability campaign also highlights easy the environmental impact of washing tweaks and adjustments that consumers can clothes. The Project has three core pieces make to the everyday task of doing laundry of advice: wash less, wash at lower to save energy and protect the temperatures and only dry clean when environment. Part of the retailer's Monki essential. Consumers are given plenty of Cares campaign, the initiative uses a pointers on washing such as: \"Some Dry playful tone of voice and videos on its Clean Only items can be washed at home website and social media, suggesting a using a modern washing machine\", and range of tips from washing clothes at 30 \"Even delicate fabrics such as wool, silk rather than 60 degrees and freeze-cleaning and lace can be tumble dried\". certain garments.Care Label Project

Built to last Tired of throwaway culture, London-based sustainability advocate Tara Button launched the website Buy Me Once, encouraging people to buy things that are durable, sustainable and classic. With the tagline \"Love Things That Last\", the site offers a curated selection of goods that come with a lifetime guarantee or which offer free repair, with categories including everything from furniture and kitchenware to beauty products and clothes. Everything curated on the site is designed to be bought just once, with Button hoping to spur a shift from the “consume and replace” mentality to a more sustainable “keep or pass on” mode of operation. Recommended brands for those who prioritise quality over quantity include Le Creuset earthenware dishes that come with a lifetime guarantee, durable clothing and footwear from brands such as Dr Martens, LK Bennett and Patagonia, and Tweezerman tweezers, which come with free sharpening for life. Buy Me Once

Reconditioned retail Leapp UK retailer Mamas & Papas is tapping into the £131m market for secondhand baby Mamas & Papas products, which is growing at 18% a year, with the launch of its new Loved For Life concept. The initiative sees Mamas & Papas offering three grades of reconditioned and secondhand prams and pushchairs: New, Loved and Well Loved. Retailing at up to 50% of the original price, depending on the condition, the pushchairs also come with a Mamas & Papas manufacturing guarantee of up to two years. All products undergo a rigorous 25-step reconditioning process to make sure they’re as safe and clean as when they were first bought. Dutch company Leapp specialises in revamping used and discarded Apple products, while giving customers the same level of in-store service that they would expect at an Apple store, but at a fraction of the price. Originally launched online, it has since opened 24 stores across Europe which mimic Apple’s store design of all- white interiors and products displayed on plinths for customers to test before buying. Patagonia

Circular commerce Patagonia Worn Wear Outdoor wear retailer Patagonia Little Circle encourages customers to embrace a Little Circle circular model of repairing and reselling with its Worn Wear initiative. A key part of the retailer's \"anti-growth\" strategy, now its its second iteration, Worn Wear accepts Patagonia clothing that still functions well and is in good condition to be repaired and resold onto new customers. In return for bringing in used gear, customers are given credit that can be used in Patagonia retail stores, on Patagonia.com and also on WornWear.com, a dedicated platform for trading and reselling reconditioned goods. Circular clothing services resonate especially well with new parents, where there is a natural lifecycle for products as kids grow out of them. British company Little Circle specialises in high-end childrenswear, with items returned to the company once they are outgrown. Rather than being resold for a direct profit on sites such as eBay, users sell the clothing back to Little Circle in exchange for site credit, or have the option to donate the money to c ha r ity.

Zero waste workshops IKEA With a third of the world's food either lost or Gram wasted, workshops which educate consumers on how to live more sustainably and waste less are on the rise. IKEA is teaching customers simple life hacks to save energy and reduce waste by hosting workshops at London's Westfield Stratford City shopping centre. Based on the Swedish phrase “Lagom är bäst” (the right amount is best), which is the core foundation for the brand's sustainability efforts, the free events cover topics such as fermenting, composting and waste management, energy-efficient cooking and safe cycling. Attendees can also buy from a curated selection of lagom är bäst IKEA products, including food storage, water bottles and waste-management products, and eat zero- waste meals at an on-site pop-up restaurant. Malmö-based grocery store Gram, which sells only unpackaged foods that customers must decant into their own containers to buy, also offers zero waste cooking and gift wrapping classes, alongside DIY beauty and cleaning product workshops.

New rental initiatives Freitag In a world obsessed with speed and Freitag newness, and the fashion industry Wear The Walk encouraging overconsumption, consumers are on the cusp of reaching peak stuff. According to a 2016 study by Marks & Spencer, there are 3.6bn items left unworn in UK wardrobes, with an average of 16 only worn once, and 11 with the tags still on. As a result, new rental schemes are emerging as sustainably-minded brands bring the sharing economy to our wardrobes. Wear The Walk is a women’s online fashion platform founded in 2017 that offers ethically-sourced designers' collections for rental at an affordable price. Customers can hire sustainably-made items for ten days and purchase if they like them. The brand is hosting a pop up in East London over summer 2017 alongside workshops, yoga classes and private styling appointments. Sustainable accessories brand Freitag has launched a new initiative that enables customers who are going on holiday to borrow a backpack for free. In return, customers must share geolocated pictures of themselves with the bag on social media.

Action points Brands have a responsibility to consumers that goes beyond the sale, and should strive to educate them on how to extend the life of their clothes: shifting consumer attitudes towards clothing care will help to mitigate the long-term environmental impact of businesses in the future. Proper garment care and repair reduces the need to buy more over time, thereby avoiding the CO2 emissions, waste output and water usage required to build it, as well as having a positive impact on the volume of clothing going into landfill. As with other product preservation services, this type of information is not only useful, but also provides an ongoing consumer touch point that continues long after they leave the store. Zero waste workshops which inform customers on how to live more sustainably are another key strategy for continuing the conversation. In an industry that pushes mindless purchasing, brands should try to encourage shoppers to repair and recondition items to sell on, and rent or borrow rather than buy. Monki

Related reports Sustainable Packaging Innovations Cause MarketingBeyond the Sale: New Aftercare Strategies Buying Into Newstalgia Waste Not, Want Not: Tackling Food WastePowered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Environmental Good: Campaign Trends