Sustainable on a Budget
In this article, I will be enlightening you on an emerging consumer profile that is making its debut in the late winter of 2022. This new consumer profile is made up of consumers that are searching
for sustainable fashion at affordable prices. According to Yieldify,
“There are signs emerging that suggest the interest in sustainable and ethical fashion is now a
steadily rising upward trend. Global Fashion Search Engine, Lyst, has seen searches including
sustainability-related keywords increase 75% year on year, recording an average of 27,000 searches
for sustainable fashion every month” (Yieldify, 2021). Being sustainable is back in style and many
people from lower-income backgrounds want to participate but the wage gap won’t allow it.
Many people from these lower-income backgrounds often find themselves in front of the fingers accusing them of being the main reason as to why fast fashion is polluting the planet. This often leads to them blocking out the accusations, shifting the attribution of responsibility, and engaging in cognitive dissonance as they do not have many options when it comes to sustainable shopping. This is where the new consumer profile comes in.
(Wicker, 2017)To attempt to provide a sustainable alternative to fast fashion giants like Shein, we figured it would
be best to target their existing consumer profile. The demographics would be primarily women aged
16 to 35 while catering to men and children as well (Deslandes). The target region would be the
United States (Deslandes). Consumers of all races and ethnicities would be appropriate customers.
They come from low-income backgrounds hence why they cannot afford to shop the most sustainable
clothing lines.
(Filadendron)Psychographics would include consumers who are often on the go and like to dress in trendy
clothing that allows them to express themselves. They may aspire to be true to themselves or
potentially to be known for their sense of style in the future. They may just aspire to dress in a
way that their most confident selves would dress, these consumers also value sustainability,
however, and do not put fashion over child labor or harming the planet. They understand
that there are real people on the other side of the planet suffering due to fast fashion.
(O'Connell-Grennell, 2021)
Originally, most fast fashion consumers were influenced by their peers along with social media influencers who collaborate with these fast fashion brands to show off the products on platforms like Tiktok and Youtube. Once learning about the toxicity of fast fashion brands like SHEIN, consumers may be influenced by those on social media who shame people who shop fast fashion rather than shaming the corporations that produce fast fashion. They may be influenced by the news, Youtube, or any other medium that educates one about the effects of fast fashion on our planet. Based on the amount of notoriety that SHEIN has gained using social influencers, any brand attempting to attract similar audiences could benefit from doing the same and distributing multiple pieces of clothing to influencers for try-on hauls (Hanbury, 2021).
(Ferrer, 2021)According to a 2020 Mintel survey about internet influencers, 61% surveyed followed at least
one influencer and 31% have purchased an item made by an internet influencer.
This is followed by 26% who have purchased an item directly from an influencer’s social media
account. 20% of those surveyed were driven to make purchases online based on the brands
practicing sustainability by using less packaging and 22% were driven by information on where the
items originated from brands. (Poelking, 2020)
(Poelking, 2020)In terms of communication and technological patterns and preferences, according to a state of retail
Mintel survey from 2022, over 98% of shoppers surveyed aged 18 years and up do some sort of
shopping online (Smith, 2021). 62% of shoppers use a computer, laptop, or desktop to do their
shopping. 65% of shoppers use a smartphone and 25% use a tablet. 52% of those surveyed make
less than 50% of their purchases online and 48% make 50% or more of their purchases online.
66% of shoppers buy their clothing and/or accessories online (Smith, 2021).
(Smith, 2021)I hope this article brings attention to a new emerging consumer profile and can help satisfy and
fulfill their wants and need. Sustainability can be achieved if we can offer sustainable fashion
at an affordable price point!
Works Cited
Alix Fraser 2020-07-28, Fraser, A., Fraser, A., 2020-07-28, Written by Alix Fraser , by, W., & Alix Fraser is a Product Content Specialist at Lightspeed. Alix delights in finding ways to deliver actionable insights to retailers and restaurateurs. When not cooking up data-driven blogs with valuable tricks and tips. (2020, July 28). 5 ways to run a sustainable retail store with lightspeed. Lightspeed. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/retail-sustainability/
Deslandes, M. (n.d.). Shein launches new collection to move upmarket. FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Shein-launches-new-collection-to-move-upmarket,1225018.html#:~:text=With%20a%20strong%20social%20media,fashion%20shows%20and%20international%20brands.
DeVault, G. (2021, February 4). How to create the Ideal Consumer Profile. The Balance Small Business. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/consumer-profile-defining-the-ideal-customer-2296932
Fashion ecommerce: 9 trends to capitalize on in 2021. Yieldify. (2021, December 23). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.yieldify.com/free-guides/fashion-ecommerce-trends/
Ferrer, M. de. (2021, September 9). How are Shein Hauls Making our planet unlivable? euronews. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/09/08/how-are-shein-hauls-making-our-planet-unlivable
Filadendron. (n.d.). Woman in cafe shopping online with laptop. iStock. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/online-shopping-gm923079848-253392810
Granskog, A., Lee, L., Magnus, K.-H., & Sawers, C. (2021, March 12). Survey: Consumer sentiment on Sustainability In Fashion. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/survey-consumer-sentiment-on-sustainability-in-fashion
Hanbury, M. (2021, October 5). How China's most mysterious billion-dollar company, Shein, won over US teens and became TikTok's most-hyped fashion brand. Business Insider. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/shein-china-billion-dollar-company-fast-fashion-brand-2021-8#this-has-helped-to-create-a-subculture-of-internet-shoppers-who-are-often-teens-who-post-shein-haul-videos-on-tiktok-and-instagram-10
O'Connell-Grennell, F. (2021, November 24). Sustainable fashion on a budget. spunout. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://spunout.ie/life/climate/sustainable-fashion-on-a-budget
Poelking, J. (2020, March). Internet Influencers - US - March 2020. Mintel Reports . Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://reports-mintel-com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/display/1047219/
Smith, D. (2021). State of Retail & eCommerce: Impact of COVID-19 One Year Later - US - 2021. Mintel Reports. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://reports-mintel-com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/display/1047219/
Ugochukwu, N., & Ugochukwu, N. (2021, June 7). What if I am too poor to care about who made my clothes? Eco Warrior Princess. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2021/06/what-if-i-am-too-poor-to-care-who-made-my-clothes/
Wicker, A. (2017, August 22). 10 things you can do to shop more sustainably. Racked. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.racked.com/2017/8/22/16179784/sustainable-shopping-how-to
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