SUSTAINABILITY AND GEN Z: ALL TALK, NO WALK? AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INFLUENCE OF GENERATION Z FEMALE ON THROWAWAY FASHION CULTURE BABITA PUN | N0591147
“ Figure 1 Gen Z on Pile of Clothes (LinkedIn, 2017)
The clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world, second only to the oil industry. Eileen Fisher (Ecowatch, 2016: online)
�
BACKGROUND
“
400% more clothing is purchased today by consumers in comparison to the last two decades.
”
(Fashionrevolution, 2017)
Demand for clothing is expected to rise
63%
and the level of fashion consumption waste predicted to reach
148 million tons by 2030
2012
2014
2016
2018
Figure 2 Global web search graph for term “Sustainable Fashion” (Google Trends, 2017)
Figure 3 Pile of Clothes (Army, 2017)
(Pulse of the industry, 2017; WGSN, 2017)
THE DEMOGRAPHIC
Figure 4 Gen Z Infographic (Author’s Own, 2018)
Figure 5 Urban collage (Pinterest, 2018)
RESEARCH AIM To investigate the influence of Gen Z female on sustainable fashion consumption by critically analysing influential factors driving the throwaway culture and exploring the relationship between awareness and action.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1
2
3
To examine the current understanding of sustainability.
To study female Gen Z consumers’ buying behaviour and attitudes towards sustainable fashion consumption.
To establish and critically analyse the factors that influences consumers to adopt a throwaway mentality.
4
5
6
To investigate the relationship between awareness and action.
To explore current sustainable practices within fashion.
To formulate strategic, commercial recommendations in order to influence best practices for sustainable consumption.
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
FEMALE ONLY
UK + US FEMALE ONLY
Figure 6 Gen z female (Pinterest, 2018)
18-23 YEAR OLD
Realism • Inductive • Cross-sectional • Multi-method •
Figure 7 The Research ‘Onion’ (Saunders et al, 2015: p122)
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
SECONDARY RESEARCH REPORTS
WEBSITES
BOOKS
MEDIA
Figure 8 Secondary research resources (Google Images, 2018)
SECONDARY RESEARCH EVENTS AND CONFERENCES Fashion in Flux Fashion Positive Initiative Eileen Fisher sustainability panel Fashion in a changing climate: researching a throwaway society Clothing Longevity
Figure 9 Influential conferences attended (Author’s own, 2018)
PRIMARY RESEARCH SOCIAL MEDIA
Figure 11 Social media survey images (Author’s own, 2018)
ANONYMOUS SURVEY
Figure 12 Anonymous survey images (Author’s own, 2018)
PRIMARY RESEARCH 1. PILOT QUESTIONNAIRE 10 Participants January
84%
2. ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
Response rate
3. COLLEGE SURVEY
212
90% Aged 19-22
Respondents Figure 13 Online questionnaire results (Author’s own, 2018)
4. PROPOSAL FEEDBACK
Figure 15 Primary research analysis (Author’s own, 2018)
Figure 14 College Survey questions (Author’s own, 2018)
PRIMARY RESEARCH FOCUS GROUPS Focus Group Sample segmenta2on Focus group 1
Focus group 2
Focus group 3
Segmenta2on
LYC “Open to Ideas”
LYC “Caring Ci4zen”
College students
Age
21-23
21-23
18-20
Loca2on
No?ngham
No?ngham
No?ngham
Educa2on level
University
University
College
Interest in Fashion
Interest or studying fashion
Interest or studying fashion
Interest or studying fashion
Representa2on of
Overall female Gen Z popula4on
Niche sustainable oriented Gen Z Younger Gen Z female female
Current engagement
None
Involved with NTU sustainability None society and/or Fashion Revolu4on ambassadors
Sample size
6
4
8
Referred as
Par4cipants A-F
Par4cipants G-J
Par4cipants K-R
Figure 16 Focus Group workshop (Author’s own, 2018)
PRIMARY RESEARCH INTERVIEWS
JOB WITHIN SUSTAINABILITY
RESEARCHERS AND AUTHORS
MARKET AND CONSUMER
SOLUTIONS
Figure 17 Company Logps (Google images, 2018)
Vintage Fair -NTSU Monday 12th March 3:00-3:30
Vintage Fair -NTSU Tuesday 6th Feb 11:00-11:30
PRIMARY RESEARCH OBSERVATION
CHAPTERS UNFOLDING GEN Z THE DISPOSABLE NATURE OF FASHION
Figure 18 Stella McCartney AW17 campaign (StellaMcCartney, 2017)
THE WHY OF CONSUMPTION THE GAP
AWARENESS 76% had awareness of “sustainable fashion”, 12% admitted to having no awareness of the term and 12% skipped the question altogether. (Online questionnaire, 2018)
Skipped question 12 % No awareness 10 % Materials 11 % Social and ethics 12 %
Quality and longevity 23 %
Environment 18 % Recycling 15 %
Figure 19 Survey Analysis on understanding of "sustainable fashion” (Author’s own, 2018)
Figure 20 Gen Z female on social (Pinterest, 2018)
BUYING BEHAVIOUR
“
67% 16-24-year-old female consumers consider shopping for clothes as a leisure activity (Mintel, 2017)
”
HYPOTHESIS 1= POSITIVE Comparison between participants across the focus groups showed that higher awareness translates into action.
Figure 21 Survey results, number of clothing purchased (Author’s own, 2018)
ATTITUDES AND VALUES
“
Sustainability should be a given with fashionable clothing
Figure 22 Reformation campaign (Reformation, 2018)
(Focus group, 2018)
”
Figure 23 Cross Analysis of Primary research findings (Author’s own, 2018)
THE THROWAWAY MINDSET
The Product Life Cycle
Figure 25 Fashion industry Take-Make-Dispose model (Contraload.com, 2018)
(Lewis, 2001)
Figure 26 Product Lifecycle (LinkedIn, 2017)
Figure 1. Landfill (Doubleeleven, 2018)
The Linear Economy
“
the most fundamental environmental issue associated with the clothing industry is its focus and dependence on everchanging fashion as most clothes are not worn-out; they simply get replaced by the latest designs and colours.
INFLUENTIAL FACTORS Fast Fashion • Low Cost Mentality • Sale Culture and Impulse Buy • Social Media and Advertisement •
Figure 28 Fast fashion retailer- Zara (Authors own, 2018)
Figure 27 Social media survey -impulse vs planned purchases results (Author’s own., 2018)
Figure 29 Social Media fuelling consumption (Author’s own, 2018)
“
(Lonergan, 2018: interview)
”
THE WHY OF CONSUMPTION
Figure 30 Consumers shopping (Retailgazette, 2017)
Consumer culture is premised on stimulating individuals’ desire for connection and fear of dis-connection.
THE ATTITUDE-BEHAVIOUR GAP Price (75%) is the biggest barrier to sustainable consumption, followed by aesthetics and fashionability (66%), accessibility and convenience (80%) and awareness (32%).
THREE NESTED INDEPENDENCIES
Figure 31 Reformation campaign (Reformation, 2018)
(Questionnaire, 2018)
ENVIRONMENT
SOCIETY
ECONOMY
Figure 32 The Three Nested independencies model (Rochester Edu, 2016)
MEASURES OF SOLUTION
Recycling
Figure 33 Take-back programs -H&M and Zara (Author’s own, 2018)
Second-hand Figure 34 Secondhand store(Author’s own, 2018)
Collaborative Consumption
Circularity
Figure 35 Rental Models (Renttherunway, 2018)
Figure 36 Eileen Fisher Circularity (EileenFisher, 2018)
RATE OF ADOPTION Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation
Current adop4on
Figure 37 Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory (Behaviouralchangemodels, 2016)
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT DESIGNER Bubble Up: Interac4on Consumers shop readily available sustainable offering and inspire peers to do the same.
PREMIUM Bubble Up: Adop4on Figure 39 Adapted Trickle -down, bubble up theory (Author’s own, 2018)
Figure 38 Interconnecting circles sustainable strategy implementation plan for Consumer, businesses and government (Author’s own, 2018)
RECOMMENDATIONS
Retailers respond to demand and introduce sustainable assortment throughout the store.
HIGH STREET Bubble Up: Interest and Demand Consumers raising ques4ons about issues and stop buying fast fashion
STREET STYLE Bubble Up: Early adop4on Niche consumers adop4ng the sustainable consump4on
RECOMMENDATIONS CONSUMER SEGMENTATION
Figure 40 Gen Z female profile 1,2 and 3 (Author’s own, 2018)
RECOMMENDATIONS BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS
CONSUMER SOLUTIONS PRODUCT
CONSUMER COST PRICE
CONVENIENCE COMMUNICATION PLACE PROMOTION
Figure 41Sustainable Marketing Mix Strategy (Author’s own, 2018)
Time
ATTENTION
INTEREST
DESIRE
ACTION
RETENTION/ REVIEW
News and videos of
Niche brands and
Seeing celebri4es and
Fashionable sustainable Loyal repeat purchases are
sustainable
designers promo4ng
influencers making a
products available at
implica4ons shared
fashionable sustainable
statement about being mass with affordable
Tech savvy consumers are
across social media
products through social
‘sustainable’.
likely to share image of
channels.
media to spark interest.
pricing.
made by female Gen Z.
purchase on social media. Figure 42 Adapted AIDAR Model (Author’s own, 2018)
RECOMMENDATIONS CONSUMER MOVEMENT
Figure 43 Event Poster in Website and Social Media (Author’s own, 2018)
Figure 44 Screenshots of Walk the Walk visual marketing pack (Author’s own, 2018)
RECOMMENDATIONS CONSUMER MOVEMENT
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
•
EcoWatch. (2015). Fast Fashion Is the Second Dirtiest Industry in the World, Next to Big Oil. [online] Available at: hbps://www.ecowatch.com/ fast-fashion-is-the-second-dir6estindustry-in-the-world-next-to-big--1882083445.html [Accessed 5 Oct. 2017].
•
Fashionrevolu6on.org. (2017). Why do we need a Fashion Revolution? : Fashion Revolution.[online] Available at: hbp://fashionrevolu6on.org/ about/why-do-we-need-a-fashionrevolu6on/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017].
•
Pulse of the Industry. (2017). [ebook] Global Fashion Agenda & The Boston ConsultingGroup. P 12 Available at: hbps:// www.copenhagenfashionsummit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pulse-of-the-Fashion-Industry_2017.pdf [Accessed 15 Sep. 2017].
•
WGSN Insider. (2018). Sustainable fashion: Brands to watch, circular fashion and ethical choices. [online] Available at: hbps://www.wgsn.com/ blogs/sustainable-fashion-brandsethical-choices/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=Oktopostlinkedinprofile&utm_campaign=Oktopost-2018-01+General+Campaign [Accessed 28 Jan.2018].
•
FBIC Group (2016). Gen Z:Get Ready for the Most Self-Conscious, Demanding ConsumerSegment. [ebook] New York: Fung Global Retail and Technology. Available at: hbps://www..icgroup.com/sites/default/files/ Gen%20Z%20Report%202016%20by%20Fung%20Global%20Retail%20Tech%20August%2029,%202016.pdf [Accessed 8 Jan. 2018].
•
Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill. 2015. Research Methods for Business Students. London: FT/Prentice Hall
•
Lewis, E. St. Elmo. (1899) Side Talks about Advertising. The Western Druggist. p. 66.
•
Lonergan, P., 2018. Conversation with Babita Pun, Chaucer Building, Nottingham TrentUniversity, 19 March.
THANK YOU