Business Plan: Necessities Clothing

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ELEVATOR PITCH

We are Necessities Clothing, a mid-market luxury, high quality and stylish workwear brand aiming directly at young female professionals, Gen Z and Millennials. Necessities Clothing focuses on the essentials of workwear providing timeless pieces in a variety of styles to complement different body types. Our core collection is a permanent set of clothing that provides longevity through quality, design, and colouring. The core collection gives customers a choice of three different silhouettes of suits in three neutral and basic colours. The collection also includes additional pieces that can be paired with the suit, which will be released at a later date. Seasonally Necessities Clothing will be offering additional colourings of the suits and alternate items to style with, allowing the brand to move with the times.

Necessities Clothing fills a gap in the market, with workwear being an extremely male dominated field. Competitors include high street retailers who sell workwear as a small collection within their brand, as well as corporate competitors who predominantly sell workwear clothing with a traditional style and older target audience in mind. Necessities Clothing gives Gen Z and Millennial females a place to shop stylish, high quality and mid-price workwear, avoiding fast fashion and old-fashioned styling.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Necessities Clothing aims to obtain a £60,000 sales turnover by the end of the first year of trading. This will mean that the amount of cash left in the business by the end of Year One is £19,241.02.

Necessities Clothing’s cash flow was calculated by combining all the relevant incomes and costs that the company has acquired to run a successful business. The cash flow forecast is crucial for any organisation, as it incorporates all the relevant costs from running the business, to showing the estimated funds available for Necessities Clothing. The costs in the cash flow forecast comprise of all the resource expense, start-up costs and the personal survival budget. The incomes include the input into the business from The Prince’s Trust and money borrowed from family and friends, as well as the eventual revenue from sales. The business owners are choosing not to invest any of their own money because as young individuals leaving university, their disposable income doesn’t allow for the luxury of investing in their business idea, and the personal survival budget will allow the owners to pay for basic living. Therefore, the disposable income that the owners do have, will facilitate them not taking a wage out of the company in the first year. The contingency funds account for any deviance in the projected success of the company, and will expedite further marketing campaigns.

Necessities Clothing’s cash flow displays that the company will start to trade in January and shall monetarily break even at the beginning of April, and then by the end of the same month it shall begin to make profit.

MISSION STATEMENT

‘Our brand is empowering the stylish girl boss through high quality, timeless and fashionable workwear.

USP

We create mid-market luxury, high quality, and stylish workwear for young professional women, gen z and millennials.

EK/ CO

NECESSITIES CLOTHING SUIT YOURSELF

ABOUT US & THE GAP IN THE MARKET

Necessities Clothing is an online ‘affordable luxury’ women’s workwear brand aimed at 21–30-year-old, Generation Z and Millennials.

Necessities Clothing’s aim is to empower women to know their worth, be inspired and resilient. Workwear and tailoring is a male dominated market where women are left to purchase their affordable workwear from high street fashion retailers or fast fashion brands, that don’t specialise in the sector (Barratt, 2020). We have created a brand that fills the gap in the market and provides the ‘Necessities’ of women’s workwear.

From personal experience and primary research, we have established that stylish workwear for younger women starting their career is lacking with limited options. Highstreet retailers often have a workwear section however the stock is limited and do not specialise in the sector (Harding, 2022). Stores who do specialise in workwear tend to focus on the traditional style with a high emphasis on tailored dresses. Their target market in mind is middle aged women, therefore the style of clothing fits the demographic leaving young professionals to shop fast fashion for affordability.

Necessities will create a brand for young female professionals to shop stylish, empowering workwear at a mid-market price point, but crucially high quality products. There will also be an effort to reduce the impact that fashion companies have on the environment.

To create an ‘affordable luxury’ workwear brand to empower young women aged between twenty-one and thirty through stylish, timeless and versatile clothing.

OUR ETHOS PROPOSITION

VISION

To create a strong relationship our customers in order for them to build a loyalty towards us and feel like there is no need for them to shop elsewhere for workwear clothing.

We want to help reduce the use of fast fashion and encourage purchasing clothing with longevity through high quality and versatility to lower the impact that fashion has on the environment Therefore our designs will be block colours with a lack of pattern to encourage styling pieces from different collections.

PURPOSE

To create an affordable luxury workwear brand for young females entering their careers, by building a wardrobe that creates a feeling of female empowerment and the motivation to succeed. The gap in the market for young female workwear is in high demand due to the lack of style and age appropriateness that is present.

Necessities Clothing will create a place for young females to build loyalty within our clothes and collect our pieces from our different collections to style in different ways in the effort to avoid shopping though fast fashion.

To create empowering female workwear that makes our customer feel inspired and resilient. Our relationship with female charities allows us to support women all over the country through raising money, donating samples and introducing our scheme to return worn Necessities Clothing donated by our customers to these charities.

Necessities Clothing is an online company with plans to introduce pop-up stores initially all over the UK eventually moving into Europe. This will allow us to build a stronger relationship with our customers.

THE ORIGIN AND MEANING

The name ‘Necessities Clothing’ has been carefully thought out to capture the ideology of our brand. Our workwear clothing is designed to fulfil the essentials of female workwear.

NAME JUSTIFICATION

NECESSITIES CLOTHING

PRIMARY RESEARCH

It is important for our target audience to understand the meaning behind the name and able to connect with the connotations. Therefore, primary research was conducted through a questionnaire. This questionnaire was targeted at the primary audience of 21–30-year-old females. The questionnaire was sent out to specific people who fit the brands target audience. It was important that we asked a variety of ages within the target audience as well as geographical locations to collate a range of opinions.

SUMMARY

The definition of Necessities according to Google, (2022) is “the state or fact of being required” or “an indispensable thing”. Our brand will focus on the core elements of workwear which are timeless and versatile Necessities Clothing avoids fast fashion but allows a stylish and trend forward outfit.

Overall the questionnaire concludes that the word Necessities connotes essentials and something you cannot live without. 100% of the females asked agrees Necessities Clothing fits a brand who sell workwear essentials, and feel that the name matches the products and values of the brand. (See Appendix A)

STRAPLINE

SUIT YOURSELF

The Strapline for Necessities Clothing was created as a play on words. ‘Suit Yourself’ connotes the idea that the customer can choose a style of suit, from the silhouettes, which compliments their body type and personal style. It is important as a brand that all females feel confident and empowered in their own bodies, and the styling of clothing can support that. The play on words creates a playful brand image that pulls away from traditional tailoring designed for males. The modern approach to women’s workwear avoids traditional tailoring which destroys the idea of objectification in women and creates a strong, powerful, and empowered female.

What do you think when you hear the word Necessities?

If Necessities Clothing was the name of a brand, what do you think they would sell?

Does Necessities fit a brand who sell female workwear essential clothing?

CHAPTER

TWO

OWNERS BACKGROUND

EMILIE MANAGING DIRECTOR CASEY DESIGN DIRECTOR

SACHA MARKETING DIRECTOR

SNEHA FINANCIAL DIRECTOR STUTI CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MANCHESTER MANCHESTER MANCHESTER MANCHESTER MANCHESTER

Necessities

Clothing is owned by five females with a passion for fashion. Our experience and education have given us the confidence and ability to collate our skills together to build our brand. We are all the target consumers of our brand, therefore we understand our audience and what is missing and required within the workwear market.

EDUCATION

Beverley High School10 GCSE’s

Wyke Sixth Form College Hull3 A-Levels A*, A, B Manchester Metropolitan UniversityBA (HONS) FASHION PROMOTION

PREVIOUS

EDUCATION

Winifred Holtby Academy 10 GCSE’s

Wyke Sixth Form College Hull3 A-Levels A, A, C Manchester Metropolitan UniversityBA (HONS) FASHION PROMOTION

EDUCATION

Holy Cross Secondary School New Malden

10 GCSES

Ursuline High school Wimbledon

3 A levels B, B, C

University of the Creative Arts Art foundation- Merit Manchester Metropolitan uni Fashion promotion

EDUCATION

Delhi Public School, Surat 10th CBSE GD Goenka School, Surat 11th, 12th CBSE Pearl Academy, MumbaiProffessional Diploma in Fashion Designing Manchester Metropolitan UniversityBA (HONS)International Fashion Design

EDUCATION

P.P Savani CVS School, Surat 10th CBSE

P.P Savani CVS School, Surat 11th, 12th CBSE

Pearl Academy, MumbaiProffessional Diploma in Fashion Designing Manchester Metropolitan UniversityBA (HONS)International Fashion Design

PREVIOUS

PREVIOUS JOBS

Sales assistant Topshop Sales advisor Reiss Sales advisor Mango Volunteer work for London fashion week

Retail sales assistant Dior at Harrodspop up event

UNIQUE SKILLS

UNIQUE SKILLS

UNIQUE SKILLS

Adobe skills

Social media

Visual merchandising Teamwork skills Styling

PREVIOUS JOBS

Design Assistant- Rocky Star Retail Marketing Head- Nitrogen Intern- London Fashion Week 22

UNIQUE SKILLS

Design and Illustrations

Adobe, Procreate skills

Fashion Styling

Quick Learner and problem solver

PREVIOUS JOBS Design Intern- Button Masala Design Assistant- Pinal Creation Intern- London Fashion Week

UNIQUE SKILLS

Fashion Boards

Design and Illustrations

Adobe skills Decision making Flexibility and teamwork

THE PRODUCT

CORE COLLECTION INITIAL DESIGNS

AIM OF THE CORE COLLECTION

Necessities Clothing’s aim to produce versatile, timeless workwear that women can style using different pieces from the collections as a mix and match. Therefore, it is important that Necessities Clothing has a basic clothing range which is permanent to the brand. This range will be called the core collection which will have a neutral colour palette allowing the consumer to easily mix and match the collection to create multiple outfits. The neutral colour palette also pushes the pieces to be timeless as they are easy to wear and can be simply paired with colour.

The branding will be built around the colour scheme and style of the core collection. This will produce and simple and clean look which represents the clothing. The high quality of the clothing will also be represented through the simplicity of the collection allowing the pieces to be sample pieces in the wardrobe.

THE 3 SILHOUETTES

SLIM STRAIGHT WIDE

THE FUTURE OF NECESSITIES

The Core collection may be extended after success of the brand. More core styles of garments will be added such as different fits of shirts, tops, skirts, dresses as well as implementing accessories into the brand which would include shoes, bags and jewellery .

Necessities

Clothing will have a set core collection that is available permanently. The initial designs are as shown with three silhouettes of suit: tailored, straight and oversized to complement every body type and styles.

The core collection will also include a waistcoat, a long sleeve high neck top and a t-shirt. These items will be available in three colours based the neutral theme. The idea behind the core collection is a basic collection that can be worn by everyone is can be styled with other items. These are ‘Necessities’ for workwear.

T-SHIRT

LONG SLEEVE TOP TRENCH COAT MAXI BODYCON DRESS

THE CORE COLLECTION

THE 3 SILHOUETTES

The Core Collection includes three styles of suits in three different colours. These pieces can be purchased individually to allow customers to mix and match styles. The designs have been mocked up on a model to show the fitting of the suits and the difference between the silhouettes. These illustrations will be used for promotional purchases and Instagram posts.

THE CORE COLLECTION ADDITIONAL PIECES

The additional pieces from the core collection are garments that can be paired with the three silhouettes or mixed and matched. These include a short sleeve top, a long sleeve high neck top, midi dress and trench coat.

SEASONAL COLLECTION- SPRING/SUMMER

INITIAL DESIGNS

SPRING/ SUMMER SEASONAL COLLECTION

Semi-annually, Necessities Clothing will release a seasonal collection which will be built on a colour palette which will be selected according to the colour fashion forecast and inspired by luxury fashion houses and their runway shows. The idea of introducing colour ranges allows customers to use our core collection as staples and essentials in their wardrobe and implement items from the seasonal collection to add a pop of colour to their outfit. In addition, the seasonal collection will allow consumers to build an outfit solely from this collection.

The seasonal collection will be released each spring/summer and autumn/ winter. The clothing style will be based on the season and climate therefore the spring/summer collection will include short sleeve tops and dresses with the autumn/winter collection including high neck tops and jackets. To avoid fast fashion our collections will avoid patterns and statement designs that are trend-led. Plain colours will allow the pieces to become staples in a wardrobe and have longevity encouraging sustainability. The seasonal collection will include the three silhouettes available on the core collection however will be available in the colours selected for the season.

SPRING/SUMMER COLOURS

The first seasonal collection will be for spring/summer. The colour scheme is based on the fashion forecast for spring/summer 2023. Blue, purple and pink are colours that we will be using for this collection, the colours will be available in the three silhouettes, so consumers have the choice to mix and match, buy one colour way or the whole collection. The idea of using forecasted colours will push the sales of the products as consumers will follow the trend. However, Necessities want to avoid fast fashion therefore colours will be decided carefully to avoid people buying a suit to only wear temporary while the colourway is on trend.

DIGITAL LAVENDER

“Purple will return as a key colour for 2023, representing wellness and digital escapism. Recuperative rituals will become a top priority for consumers who want to protect and improve their mental health, and Digital Lavender will connect to this focus on wellbeing, offering a sense of stability and balance. ” (Smith, 2022).

TRANQUIL BLUE

“Tranquil Blue is an illuminating mid-tone, signalling the return of soothing and sophisticated shades”.

WGSN describes it as a “commercial and versatile shade across all fashion categories. Elevate this shade by using high-shine and satin fabrics to create a watery effect. Bring a sense of tranquillity to the season, using it to balance statement brights” (Smith 2022).

SOFT PINK

Pink remains an essential colour direction, but this season barely there and tinted shades come to the forefront. The delicate and soothing level of #SoftPink acts as a near-neutral, giving it transseasonal appeal and versatility across multiple product categories (Smith, 2022).

(See Appendix C)

SEASONAL COLLECTION CALENDER

It is important that we plan when we launch our seasonal collections. After looking at competitors seasonal launches and as the weather in the UK changes, we have decided to run the spring/summer collection from the end of March until September. This allows customers to purchase their products as spring starts and high street stores change their stock to spring/summer styling.

This will mean that the autumn/winter collection can be launched at the start of September allowing customers to purchase warmer clothing for work.

Figure 9: Lilac Spring/Summer Trend Figure 10: Pale Blue Shirt Spring/Summer Trend Figure 11: Pale Pink Dress Spring/Summer Trend

Figure 12: Purple Suit Spring/Summer Trend Figure 13: Blue Suit Spring/Summer Trend Figure 14: Pink layered Dress Spring/ Summer Trend

The three suits that are established in the core collection will be used in the seasonal collections by applying the relevant colour palette for the season.

Depending on the climate of the specific season the clothing styles will alter. Jumpers, long sleeve tops and heavy style clothing will be available during Autumn/ Winter. The Spring/ Summer collection will incorporate the three silhouettes from the core collection but using the three colours.

THE 3 SILHOUETTES

COTTON SHIRT

BODYCON DRESS

PENCIL SKIRT WAIST COAT

CORSET

In addition to the three silhouettes from the core collection that will be adapted into the spring/ summer collection through colour, other garments will be added to the line. A skirt and waistcoat will be made to match the three suits therefore the skirt can be swapped out for the trousers, and waistcoat added. Other items will include a dress, corset, and shirt in black and white.

SLIM STRAIGHT WIDE

SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION

THE 3 SILHOUETTES

The Spring/Summer collection includes the same three styles of suits that is avaliable in the core collection however they are in pink, purple and blue. These pieces can be purchased individually to allow customers to mix and match styles. The designs have been mocked up on a model to show the fitting of the suits and the difference between the silhouettes. These illustrations will be used for promotional purchases and Instagram posts.

NECESSITIES SIZING SIZE GUIDE

SIZING JUSIFICATION:

To decide on our sizing and measurements we conducted some research from our competitors and compared their size guide to the measurements. H&M uses letter sizing with them comparing to two numerical sizes per letter. For example, a size medium at H&M would equate to a size 12/14. Even though their sizes are condensed they offer a larger size range as their largest size is a XXXXL. Mango also offers a large size range with their garments being available in letter sizing too, however their smaller sizes seem to be more precise. However, & Other Stories and Burberry offer a limited size range.

From our research it is usual in the fashion mid-market and luxury industry to use S,M,L sizing as it is more cost effective as it reduces the amount of sizes that has to be made (Zara, 2022), sells their products in S, M, L which allows us to justify our decision to size in this way. Our research also shows that the most popular sizes are small (8-10) and medium (12-14). Therefore the most stock will be made in them sizes. When working out costings we decided to make a 2:3:3:2 ratio of XS, S, M, L clothing with plans to expand into larger sizes and change to numerical sizes as the brand grows.

HOW TO MEASURE YOURSELF

BODY POSITIVITY

It is important for Necessities Clothing that we provide clothing for all body types as we describe ourselves as inclusive. However we understand as a start-up business it may be difficult to provide such a wide range of sizes. Therefore as Necessities Clothing grows we have plans to expand our sizes ranges.

We feel that giving a separate section for plus size is excluding, therefore in the future we want to include all sizes in our size guide therefore our sizes range from an XXS to XXXL. The size guide will be included on the website therefore consumers can check their measurements. Our models that will be included in campaigns will be a mix of body types to help consumers to relate to how the clothing will look and fit. The images will include size that the model is wearing as a comparison when purchasing.

ADJUSTMENT SERVICE

It is important to us that all our customers are completely happy with the fit of their suit therefore Necessities Clothing will offer an adjustment service. This will work on a digital basis in which the customer will be directed by one of Necessities Clothing seamstresses to where to measure. The customer will then submit their measurements online where the chosen suit will be adjusted to fit the customer to perfection.

CORE COLLECTION MATERIALS

When deciding the materials, we will use for our garments we firstly looked at our competitors and what materials they use for the types of garments that we will sell. Polyester, viscose, elastane, and cotton is popular materials used by Zara, & Other Stories, H&M and Mango to build a higher quality, cost effective garment. To decide on exact percentages and materials we looked at Fabric House (2022) for costings and recommendations for what materials to use for each garment. We decided to limit the amount of different materials that we are using as this is cost effective for a start-up brand but also allows us to re-use the off cuts- allowing us to be more sustainable.

Kapferer’s, (2008), Brand Identity model allows us to pin down the key idea of Necessities Clothing through six key elements. This model was useful to clarify why Necessities Clothing fills a gap in the market and what the brand is about.

From Kapferer’s Brand Identity Model Necessities Clothing’s ideologies are focused on empowering women, providing affordable luxury to women’s workwear and being sustainable. It is important that the products are high quality, provides timeless clothing to a loyal customer (Kapferer, 2008).

BRAND IDENTITY PRISM

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

1. Fills a gap in the market – female focused brand aimed at a young professional demographic.

2. A variety of silhouettes for different body shapes, something for every consumer.

3. sustainable products, a mid-market price range as the products and a timeless design.

1. Online only brand, some consumers prefer to see garments before purchasing which could limit demographic.

2. Limited size range as the brand is still a start up with limited funding.

3. Limited variety of colours, initially neutrals only which limits consumers who don't shop for neutral clothing.

SWOT ANAYSIS

1. Solely online business giving the opportunity to open pop up shops for a limited time creating hype around the brand.

2. As the brand grows and has more funding, the size range can be expanded.

1. Competitors are established therefore would have to create a large incentive and marketing strategy for customers to shop at Necessities Clothing rather than on the high street.

2. Other established brands have a wider range of sizes which would persuade some consumers to shop elsewhere.

3. The neutral colour scheme allows us to produce colourful pieces for the spring / summer collections.

OPPORTUNTIES

3. Affordable luxury clothing at a mid-price range, some of the clothing pieces may be too expensive for people with a lower disposable income.

THREATS

NECESSITIES CLOTHING PACKAGING

PACKAGING INSPIRATION

PACKAGING DESIGNS MOCKUPS

PACKAGING DESIGN

Necessities Clothing is an affordable luxury brand; therefore, the packaging needs to match the high calibre set by the clothing. The branding is neutral is has nude tones based on the core collection, this colour palette will also be reflected in the packaging.

The box is made from cardboard so it can be later recycled and will be taped up using personalised duct tape. On the right hand side there will be a ‘recycle me’ sticker reminding the buyer to shop sustainably. Inside of the box, the garment will be wrapped up in tissue paper with a personalised sticker and a thank you card on top. The personal touches allow the consumer to have a luxury experience when opening the parcel.

THANKYOU CARD

Included in the packaging is a thank you card which promotes the collaboration between Necessities Clothing and Smartworks and offers a QR code to consumers to find out more about the collaboration by taking them to the Necessities Clothing website.

SUSTAINABILITY

It is important that our packaging is sustainable too, therefore cardboard will be used to reduce the amount of plastic used within the business.

Cardboard is biodegradable therefore can be used for compost material when is not reused or recycled. Cardboard can recycle and will have a reminder on it for the customers who receive a Necessities Clothing parcel.

Cardboard production has a low carbon footprint as “the paper manufacturing industry is one of the lowest greenhouse gas emitters compared to plastic which have a huge negative impact on the environment (OKAFOR, 2022).

SWING TICKET DESIGNS

Initially, three designs were created for the swing tag, the final design features the initials of the brand with the full brand name directly underneath. Either a light nude and brown swing tag will be used across our products, the light nude will be used for the extra garments created alongside garments and the brown will be for the core collection.

The colours used for the designs of the swing tickets also matches the brand aesthetic and core collection clothing. The swing tickets are designed to have a high-quality look to align with the affordable luxury position in the market this will be achieved through the thick card material, silver detailing and simple and clean design.

CARE LABELS

The care labels inside the clothing will include the universal signs to show how to wash the garments. Due to the 100% polyester the guidance will be to wash Necessities Clothing garments at 30 degrees in the washing machine. It is also advised to iron on low heat and not to tumble dry, air dry only. Other details on the care label shows that the garment was made in Turkey, that the garment is made with 100% polyester and the size.

GARMENT LABEL

Inside of having a label inside the clothing to show the sizes the label will be printed on inside the clothing, either on the back of the neck or the back of the trousersboth inside. This gives the garments a luxurious feel and reduces irritation from the label.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

MANIFESTO

VALUES

SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATIVE

FACT

“Women portrayed support for sustainable fashion by stating that they would be willing to pay more or even boycott unethical brands. All the women stated that they would be willing to pay more for sustainable clothing, whereas the males were not” (Trueman, 2022)

COMMITTMENT

Committed to supporting a women’s charity

Committed to being sustainable in our fabrics

Committed to finding a well-tailored fit (quality product) by producing seasonal collections – not constantly producing new garments – reusing the same designs with slight changes.

CHANGE

Want a more sustainable way of shopping, shop at one place rather than multiple fast fashion places. Encourage young women to shop slow fashion, inspiring change. Finding a middle market – high quality at an affordable price.

SUSTAINABILITY

HOW NECESSITIES CLOTHING REDUCE THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

CHARITY WORK

HOW NECESSITIES WILL SUPPORT WOMEN’S CHARITIES

SOCIAL ISSUES

CHAPTER FOUR

TARGET CONSUMER

NECESSITIES CLOTHING CONSUMER

Necessities Clothing is aimed at young female professionals. The clothing will be designed for these females work in. They are empowering and appropriate to wear in an office-based work. However, the clothing will be highly stylish and fashion towards, the designs will adapt with the times. Therefore, this opens our consumer up to females who want to wear Necessities Clothing for casual and evening wear. This may include wearing a blazer from our silhouettes or a corset from a collection. All the garments will be versatile so they can be used as basic items that can be worn in any occasion. This leads to the ‘Trend Follower’ as the secondary audience.

THE BUSINESS WOMEN

PRIMARY AUDIENCE

The target audience of Necessities Clothing is 21-30-year-old female (generation z and millennials cross over). This female is an independent woman who is empowering her inner girl boss. Necessities Clothing will provide stylish workwear that is age appropriate for a young female. The affordable luxury garments will be high quality for longevity. Necessities Clothing will be worn by the working women.

THE TREND FOLLOWER SECONDARY AUDIENCE

The secondary audience for Necessities

Clothing is the same age group and gender however the garments can be worn for leisure. Necessities suits can be worn for date night, lunch and shopping as well as a girl’s night out. Necessities Clothing focus on style for their products so the suits can be worn at other times than for work.

MARKET SEGMENTATION

PRIMARY TARGET AUDIENCE

ATTITUDINAL SEGMENTATION

Although we have generalised our target market as 21–30-year-old working females it is clear through attitudinal segmentation that these females that fall into this category have very different beliefs and ideologies. Therefore, it is important for us to cater for this. Necessities Clothing have introduced three silhouettes of suits and different clothing pieces to wear with these. We have created clothing that allows you to cover your skin as well as suits which are loose fitting.

DEMOGRAPHIC

Female

21 – 30, Gen-Z/Millenials

Single/Engaged

Just entered career, just above minimum wage£18-25K. A small amount of disposable income.

Social Grade: C

GEOGRAPHIC

City, urban lifestyle Seasonal change, workwear will change with the seasons, summer – lighter silhouette/colours, winter –more layers/neutrals. Rented accommodation, first time buyers

BEHAVIOURAL

High percentage of money on clothing, also spend money on drinks and coffee events. Mostly shops online Mainly shops at H&M, Zara, Mango. Occasionally ASOS

Environmentally conscious, Sustainability values

PSYCHOGRAPHIC

Interested in current affairs, fashion, magazines, reading Hobbies: Shopping, workout programmes eg. Yoga, coffee with friends, after work drinks, listening to podcasts

Lifestyle: Career focused, daily routines, fashion concious woman who goes to work well dressed and is business oriented

CONSUMER PROFILE

THE BUSINESS WOMEN

AGE: 24 Years Old

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: BOYFRIEND

CAREER: Marketing Assistant

INCOME: £40K, Medium Disposible Income

LOCATION: Manchester, UK

HOBBIES & INTRESTS:

igure 20: Consumer Profiletarget consumer

Fashion, Shopping, Going out for drinks and Eating out, Reading, Travel, Listening to podcasts, Social Media, Watching Netflix, Yoga and Fitness.

SHOPS AT: Zara, H&M, Mango, & Other Stories, ASOS

PERSONALITY:

PURCHASE HABITS:

Spends a high percentage of their disposable income on clothing, home furnishings, a gym membership, eating out, night outs and holidays.

MOTIVATIONS: Money, Success, Fitness, Self-confidence, Happiness, Style.

STYLE: Sophisticated, Neutrals with occasional pop of colour, basic clothing with lack of pattern, blazers with every outfit.

(See Appendix F)

Ambitious, Social, Liberal Minded, Confident, Independent, Motivated, Focused.

GOALS:

Wants to become the manager of the firm that she currently works at. She is driven by money.

SUSTAINABILITY THOUGHTS:

Would like to shop more sustainably therefore avoids fast fashion brands, however, cannot afford to purchase high end clothing regularly.

CHAPTER FIVE

MARKET RESEARCH

WORKWEAR IS NOT SEASONAL

The workwear market is in demand all year round. No matter the season, consumers purchase workwear as most people work all year round. The type of clothing purchased may be differentiated due to the climate change seasonally, however this will only vary in colour, material weight and sleeve length. Unlike the rest of the fashion industry workwear doesn’t seem to be trend led therefore can be timeless pieces that can be worn year after year. However, with the workwear industry fitting an older demographics style the younger female shops their workwear from highstreet fashion stores which results in fast fashion and seasonal workwear. “Leading figures in the fashion industry in recent months have highlighted the urgency and desire for change when it comes to the outdated fashion season calendar” (Wallis, 2021). Necessities Clothing will solve this issue by providing a place for young professional women to purchase age appropriate and stylish workwear.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

QUESTIONAIRE

To gather some primary research in regards to our business proposition we conducted a questionnaire with ten questions to allow us understand our target audience and their thought on Necessities Clothing.

HOW MANY PEOPLE COMPLETED THE QUESTIONAIRE

70

CHOOSING THE AUDIENCE TO TAKE PART IN THE QUESTIONAIRE

To benefit from the questionnaire, we decided that our target audience should be asked the ten questions. To do this we posted the questionnaire on social media for people to fill in and disclosed that females aged 21-30 only should complete the questionnaire.

THE RESULTS

From the questionnaire we concluded that most people buy their workwear seasonally at a variety of mid-market brands which mainly include ASOS, H&M and Zara. Most females believe that the workwear market is male dominated. Majority of females would be interested in purchasing from a workwear brand that has a high focus on comfort and sustainability as well as supporting a charity. We have also learnt that Instagram is the most used social media followed by TikTok according to our questionnaire.

SECONDARY MARKET RESEARCH

UK CONSUMER SURVEY DATA: WORKWEAR

A significant proportion of consumers dress casually for work, limiting demand for formalwear

Consumers continue to spend less on formalwer, driven by the ongoing prevalence of working from home

UK CONSUMER SURVEY DATA: ARGREEMENT STATEMENTS

A lack of in-person events means that the formalwear market is struggling to rebound to pre-pandemic levels.

Figure 24: A woman wearing a black satin dress

WOMENS WORKWEAR HISTORY

Figure 26: “Le Smoking” by Yves Saint Laurent

Figure 28: Womens workwear styling today

Figure 25: 1943 womens workwear

Figure 27: 1980’s womenswear fashion

MARKETING

PRODUCT PRICE

Slim Blazer and Trousers (Black, Brown, Nude)

Slim Blazer and Trousers (Black, Brown, Nude)

Wide Blazer and Trousers (Black, Brown, Nude)

T-Shirt (Black, Nude, White)

Long-sleeve Top (Black, Nude, White)

Long-sleeve Dress (Black, Nude)

Trench Coat (Nude)

Affordable Luxury pricepoint Middle Market Positioning Blazer £70 (Black, Brown, Nude) (Slim, Straight, Wide)

Trousers £50 (Black, Brown, Nude) (Slim, Straight, Wide)

T-Shirt £20 (Black, Nude, White)

Long-sleeve Top £27 (Black, Nude, White)

Long-sleeve Dress £35 (Black, Nude)

Trench Coat £90 (Nude)

PROMOTION PLACE

Social Media Marketing (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook)

Personalised Emails (New in, back in stock, keep shopping)

Out of House Marketing (Billboards)

Pop-Up Shop (Firstly, in Manchester, expand over England)

PACKAGING

Luxury feel packaging, in a box, garment wrapped in tissue paper and sealed with a sticker. Contains a little card inside the packaging.

WEBSITE Reflects the aethetic of the brand, simple and easy to navigate, has a luxury feel.

PEOPLE PROCESS PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

POPUP STORE

Creating a customer experience, engaging with our customers, building a relationship and loyalty.

WEBSITE

Customer service is key to building brand loyalty- will include a live chat.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Customers can use social media to message Necessities Clothing about enquiries and concerns.

Materials are made in Turkey.

Materials sent to the factory that will manufacturing Necessities Clothing.

The Clothing will be shipped to Manchester to the Necessities Clothing office.

Customers will order their products

The Necessities team will wrap up the customer’s order in tissue paper and a branded box.

The order will be sent via a delivery service- Yodel

Necessities Clothing will be delivered to the customer within 3-5 working days.

THE MARKETING MIX

NECESSITIES CLOTHING OFFICE

Rented office space that we will ship our products from, and staff will work from.

POPUP SHOP

Rented store which matches the brands aesthetic, it is important that the store feel luxury so will make sure most senses of the customer is engaged when they walk in the shop.

EMAIL NEWSLETTERS

Personalised emails that reflect the brands aesthetic and creates a personal connection.

WEBSITE DESIGNS COLLECTION LAUNCH

NECESSITIES CLOTHING WEBSITE

As Necessities Clothing is solely an online retailer it is important that the website is easy to navigate, fits the brand aesthetic and clearly showcases the products. In a Forbes article Kaplan discusses the importance of a website for building a brand. “By clearly establishing who you are, what you represent and what you stand for, you increase the chances of your customers buying from you” (Kaplan, 2022).

The Necessities Clothing website will be able to be viewed on all pc, laptop, tablet, and smartphone devices. The website will directly reflect the brand style and aesthetic with a simple and basic style but connotes sophistication and luxury. The current campaign imagery will be at the top of the home page with a direct link to that collection. Above that will be the panel where there will be links to different parts of the website that the customer may want. This will include, suits, adjustments, and a contact us page.

(See Appendix G)

OUT OF HOUSE MARKETING BILLBOARDS

OUR LOCATIONS:

After getting the loan from the Prince’s Trust, Necessities Clothing will publish their website using Squarespace which costs £17 per month (Squarespace,2022), however for the purpose of the business plan a mock-up journey has been created so show how the website would function for the home page and the charity page.

As an out of house marketing strategy, we will use billboards around major cities across England, such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Leeds. The billboards will be located at bus stops, undergrounds, and metros as well as outdoor wall billboards. The billboards we have chosen across England are in major cities as it increases the volume of people who see the advert while en-route to their workplace. While females are on their journey to work, they have their career on their mind therefore an advert for workwear will become more relevant. EK/

THE DESIGNS:

Our billboards won’t all be the same design, however will contain our logo as the main feature on the poster. We will use a combination of our illustrations of our clothing and photoshoots from our campaigns. By using different designs will give the brand more chance to connect with individuals. Some females may be intrigued by the illustration designs and visit our website to see the clothes we offer. Other females may be drawn to the clothing on the models of photoshoots and visit the website to shop the item.

Some of the billboards that will be seen by people on foot will have QR codes on to create ease to find the Necessities Website.

NECESSITIES CLOTHING SOCIAL MEDIA

INSTAGRAM

FEED POSTS

The feed posts on the Necessities Clothing Instagram page are the most important as they are displayed on the profile creating the aesthetic of the brand and promoting new products and styling the current garments. These posts will include current advertisement campaigns, e-commerce shoots, editorial shoots, product illustrations and collaborations with charities.

STORIES

The Necessities Clothing Instagram stories will include countdowns to collection launches, shared photos from customers styling the clothing, as seen on and reviews. These stories will be saved on the highlights so can be accessed after 24 hours.

REELS

Instagram reels have become important to small businesses on Instagram as the algorithm is pushing them over still posts. For Necessities Clothing to reach a maximum amount of view on their profile we will regularly post reels of photoshoots, styling and clips of advertisement videos.

(See Appendix H)

Figure 34: Print wall billboard mockup

Figure 33: Billboard on pole- urban mockup

Figure

Figure 35: Social Media: Instagram influencer styling Mockup

Figure 37: Necessities Clothing illustration Instagram story mockup

Figure 38: Necessities Clothing TikTok page iphone mockup

NECESSITIES CLOTHING SOCIAL MEDIA

NECESSITIES CLOTHING TIKTOK

Females aged between 21 and 30 (Necessities Clothing’s target market) fits in with the highest percentage of active users on TikTok therefore this channel is essential for Necessities Clothing (Oberlo, 2022).. The videos posted on this channel are short form therefore will include advertising campaigns, styling, customer engagements videos and behind the scenes. There will also be links to the website so the customer can shop as they spot a garment worn on TikTok.

Figure 39: Necessities Clothing TikTok page mockup

SOCIAL MEDIA YOUTUBE

NECESSITIES CLOTHING YOUTUBE

Necessities Clothing will have a YouTube Channel as another marketing technique. YouTube provides long form videos compared to TikTok or Instagram Reels therefore this will allow Necessities Clothing to build a greater relationship with their customers. We will post videos such as behind the scenes, meeting the staff behind the brand and video campaigns.

NECESSITIES CLOTHING FACEBOOK

Necessities Clothing will also have a Facebook page where they will share campaign imagery, styling images and new in designs. There will also be an area on the page where you can shop our products. Customers may leave reviews on our products and service on Facebook too. Necessities Clothing will also have adverts and pop-ups on Facebook that will have direct links to the website, this raises awareness for the brand for customers who may of not heard of us before.

Figure

EMAIL DESIGNS

COLLECTION LAUNCH

Another marketing technique that Necessities Clothing will adopt is sending emails to our customers to give information of our restocking of items, new collections, and new campaign. The email designs will be designed with a clean and sophisticated look which matches the brand. Both photography and illustrations will be used on the email with direct links to the website and social media.

When ordering a product from us the customer will be able to choose if they want to be added to the mail list in which they will be send these emails.

Emails such as ‘keep shopping’ or ‘have you forgotten about this in your basket’ which will send to those who have added things to their wish list or basket.

INFLUENCER MARKETING

SELECTING INFLUENCERS

When selecting the influencers, we want to promote Necessities Clothing we must consider their natural style, personality and lifestyle. It is important that their lifestyle aligns with our target audience or appeals to our target audience. We have selected three main influencers we aim to work with to push our brand into the workwear and clothing industry. Their social media presence is very important as this will be the main way, they will promote our brand and clothing. Each influencer we have selected reaches as slightly different demographic however still within our target audience. With Zara McDermott being in mainstream television as well as social media, Jess Hunt on social media and her success of her makeup brand Refy and a TikToker who gains --views each video.

'The global influencer marketing space has more than doubled since 2019 to $13.8 billion in 2021, according to Statista'' (Chauhan, 2022).

INFLUENCER COSTING

In a Forbes article it clarifies that “pay per performance is one of the most strategic and high-impact ways to reach consumers” (Cole, 2022). By implementing this model to Necessities Clothing it lowers the costs that will have to be spent on influencer marketing and will only pay for the successful creators who drive sales to our brand.

POPUP STORE CORE COLLECTION

POP-UP SHOP AESTHETIC:

The pop-up shop will be in a rented space with a similar aesthetic to our brand and core collection. The clothing available in the store will be the core collection. There will be opportunities to see how we style the items and see our products in real life. It is important for some customers that they can see the products in person and feel the materials and try the products on before purchasing, this is what the pop-up shop will allow customers to do.

Figure 45: Zara McDermott Instagram Figure 46: Jess Hunt Instagram

Figure

Figure 48: Necessities Clothing Instagram pop-up store mockup

The AIDA model was invented in 1898 by a advertising strategist called Elmo Lewis (Heintz, 2021) originally it was a model used in sales talks however now, the focus for the model is a pre-sales model used in marketing (Heintz, 2021). The model shows a consumer’s potential journey to purchasing a product and helps brands to map out their marketing plans based on these consumer journeys (Cuofano, 2022).

Necessities

Clothing will use the AIDA model for any new marketing techniques to ensure there are no weaknesses and track the success of

LOW QUALITY

BRAND POSITIONING

HIGH PRICE

CHAPTER SEVEN

LOW PRICE

PRICING

Necessities Clothing’s high street competitors offer competi tive pricings at a low price point and most offer a 30-40% dis count however, corporate competitors are aimed at consum ers with a high income with average price between £100-200. Corporate competitors offer high quality but at a higher price point, therefore Necessities Clothing will offer the same qual ity product at a midmarket price point aimed at young profes sionals who want affordable luxury workwear.

Figure 51: Competitors social media platforms

TABLE OF COMPETITORS

CORPORATE COMPETITORS

ELKINGTON’S TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

THE MODERN ADAPTATION

In the Forbes article Kraaijenbrink, (2022) discusses the adaptations that need to be made when using Elkington’s triple bottom line. He believes that the term Profit should be changed to “prosperity” as it allows more focus being on the success of the business and less on the monetary value. He discusses the obvious importance for profit in a business but believes that “by drawing our attention to those three, we might get a little closer to Elkington’s original intentions, minimizing our negative impacts and maximizing our positive impacts.

CHAPTER EIGHT

OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS

MANUFACTURING JOURNEY

CUSTOMER JOURNEY TRANSPORT

PAYMENT

Primary Payment Method

A survey was conducted by the BRC investigating how consumers pay for their goods and how this has changed over the years (BRC,2021). The survey found that 81% of UK consumers are paying for goods using a card and 54% are using a debit card (BRC,2021).

Necessities Clothing is an online only brand and will only operate using card methods; the platform Stripe offer affordable charges, international payments and is straight forward to use for the consumer (Stripe, 2022) therefore, it will be beneficial to use as one card payment option on the Necessities Clothing website. The brand will also offer other forms of card payment method including Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal pay in three to appeal to a variety of consumers who may prefer convenience or monthly instalments.

Alternate Payment Method

With our target market being the young female professionals, the price point that Necessities Clothing charge for the pieces may be difficult for early career females to purchase. Therefore, it is important that we provide an alternate payment method that allows the customer to pay in instalments. Necessities Clothing will allow customers to pay with PayPal as they provide a payment scheme, named pay in three.

When weighing up the company to use for instalment payments

PayPal was compared to Klarna, however the costs for Necessities Clothing is lower to use PayPal. PayPal charge up to 2.9% for commercial transactions and £0.30 for each transaction, (PayPal, 2022), compared to Klarna who charge up to 5.99% and $0.30 charge per transaction (Mann,2022).

Necessities Clothing’s products will be manufactured in Turkey therefore arranged transportation will have to be considered. Due to the type of garment that Necessities Clothing are selling it is important that the suits are kept in pristine condition and not packed in boxes in bulk where they will be crushed and creased. If the garments arrived at the Necessities Clothing warehouse in a creased condition, the business would have to spend time steaming and ironing the garments before sending them out to the customers. Initially this may not raise too much of an issue as the owners can steam and iron the suits before they are packaged by themselves. However, as the sales increase

Necessities Clothing would have to start employing staff to do this job. This would a cost that can be avoided from the start of the production line.

Therefore, the transport from Turkey to the UK will be on a truck. This allows the clothing to be hung in boxes in the back of a truck without the risk of creases the garment. The suits will be covered in a polybag which can also be used to stock the garments safely away in the warehouse.

Road Freight, (a truck from Turkey to UK) is a cheaper and convenient option than air or sea freight. Using a truck will also reduce the variety of transport that other ways of transport will require to reach an airport or dock (Franklin, 2022). The average cost to transport 1 cube is £206, 2 cubes £250, 10 cubes £420 and a full truck would average about £3,184. Although, Necessities clothing want to hang the clothing in a truck when being delivered therefore these costings will adapt depending on the company’s policy on hanging garments (Delamode International Logistics Limited 2022). According to Turk Transport, (2022) road freight takes on average 7 days from Turkey to the UK.

SUPPLIERS

Necessities Clothing has chosen to import their clothing from Turkey as the research suggests that overall, a Turkish manufacturer will be most cost effective and beneficial for the business. “Turkey exports over £6 billion in textile goods every year with over 11,000 individuals manufacturers producing clothing goods in Turkey alone” (Ragsourcing, 2022).

“Turkey’s economy has experienced impressive growth in the last decade with growth showing 11% in 2021, and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increasing by 42.8% and reaching $518 Billion” (Insight Quality Services, 2022).

Even though Turkish manufactures are seen to be more expensive than other countries with the “average wage rates in the Turkish clothing industry hovering around £1.47 per hour, in China (£0.26), and India (£0.29). However, it is still much cheaper than hiring UK employees.” By choosing to manufacture in Turkey it also stops business reaching the manufactures in China and India who pay their staff a very minimal wage, while working in poor conditions. The factory in Turkey will be invested by Necessities Clothing carefully before signing any contracts.

Turkish clothing manufactures also pride themselves on the offer they can make to businesses like Necessities Clothing, a small start-up business wanting a small batch of clothing. “Turkish manufactures offer some of the lowest ‘minimum order quantity’ (MOQ) rates in the world, with minimums of 100 to 300 units. This is something that you cannot receive, (or rare to find) in other manufacturing countries.

The geographic location of Turkey allows very short lead times meaning fast transportation times. This means with a start-up company, the business can only predict the demand for their clothing, therefore if the sales are rapid more garments can be manufactured and delivered to the Necessities warehouse in a short time compared to other countries. From an article from Ragsourcing (2022), they state “based on our own experiences, the average lead time is 60 days, including 10 days of freight travel”.

With Necessities Clothing being a slow fashion brand and having a high emphasis on their impact on the environment it is important to research the environmental impact the manufacturer that is making the products is having on the environment. “Turkey is one of a select few countries that mandates that all its textile manufacturers comply with internationally accepted environmental standards. As an example, unlike many Far East and Asian countries, Turkey bans the use of carcinogenic dyes. This results in more environmentally safe products” (Ragsourcing, 2022).

INSURANCE

Necessities Clothing requires business insurance to protect the company “for small, everyday business risks to the larger, unexpected compensation claims. It can protect the owners work, the people, reputation and ultimately, your future livelihood” (AXA, 2022). The business insurance policy that Necessities Clothing will be using is AXA company due to its cheaper rate compared to their competitors. The business insurance that AXA provide includes public liability (to cover third party damage), professional indemnity, employers’ liability, and contents. Additional cover can be added to cover terrorism and legal expenses if needed (AXA, 2022). Although, employer’s liability will not be required initially for Necessities Clothing as this insurance covers hired staff which the business will not have in the first year (Direct,2022).

PERSONAL SURVIVAL BUDGET

The Personal Survival Budget indicates the average monthly income the brand owners need to survive. As a start-up business, there is a unlikely chance of making enough profit to secure all owners an income (limited, 2022) and Necessities Clothing will put all profits back into the business for the following year. In order to survive and run the business, a Survival Budget has been set up to ensure all partners can afford their basic needs including food and rent.

RETURNS

Klarna, a global payment and shopping service who provide flexible shopping and purchase experiences, produced an article releasing their statistics on returns. It is important to understand the culture of returns in the online retailing industry as Necessities Clothing is an online business with only limited opportunity to see the products in person at the pop-up shops. Klarna shared that “83% of online shoppers admit to getting frustrated by retailers who have an inefficient returns process, whilst 82% agree that retailers in general need to improve their returns capabilities. Compared to 2019, a greater number of online shoppers now believe that returns are a normal part of online shopping today (80%, up from 77%) and expect that every retailer they shop with offers free returns as a minimum standard of service (81%, up from 75%) (Klarna, 2021). Therefore, Necessities Clothing will provide a seamless and easy returns process where the customer will be able to download a shipping label to take to your local convenience store with Collect+ (Yodel, 2022).

MANAGEMENT OF STAFF

Necessities Clothing is going to follow a limited liability partnership business structure where every member is responsible for their own liabilities (Healys LLP, 2022). A partnership agreement will be signed by every partner to ensure everyone is covered and responsible for their own assets (Perrys, 2022).When Necessities Clothing grows and begins to hire employees, the brand has to get Employers’ Liability insurance as a legal requirement and register them with HM Revenue and Customs (GOV.UK, 2015).

“Over a third (36%) cited slow refund processes as the most frustrating element of returning items bought online”. By choosing Yodel (Collect+) to deliver and return to gives the consumer confidence that the returns process will be smooth due to the positives reviews that Yodel have compared to their competitors (Trust Pilot, 2022).

“84% of online shoppers agree they’re more likely to buy from and 86% are more likely to come back to online merchants who offer free returns. Over two thirds (70%) of online shopper’s state that if a preferred retailer stopped offering free returns, they might not shop with them” (Klarna,2022).

The returns for Necessities Clothing will be free due the statistics that Klarna has provided. From primary research it is clear that these figures are accurate as majority of 21-30 year olds avoid retailers who charge for returns as there is no guarantee that the clothing will fit.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

BUSINESS STRUCTURE

Necessities Clothing will set up a limited liability partnership (LLP), this is beneficial for the brand as tax is paid by every member of the partnership however, each member is not ‘personally liable for any debts the business can’t pay.’ (GOV.UK, 2022). All partners must agree on the terms of the LLP and sign all paperwork including an official LLP agreement, invoices, letters and fill out an application to register the LLP (GOV.UK, 2022).

DATA PROTECTION LAW

E-COMMERCE LAW

Necessities Clothing are an online only business and will comply under the E-commerce Regulation 2002 laws as this allows consumers to access information surrounding the website (LawBite,2022). This includes how to place an order, the terms and conditions surrounding the sale and the website, clear pricing, company information including the name, email address and office address (LawBite,2022).

As an e-commerce website Necessities Clothing has responsibility to protect personal data of the consumer under the Data Protection Act 2018 (GOV.UK, 2022).Necessities Clothing guarantee full transparency with its audience and the Data Protection Act 2018 ensures all consumers are informed on how their data is used and gives them an option to have all data erased or updated at any time (GOV.UK, 2022). Cookies are used on the brand’s website which remember personal and relevant data of the consumer however, it allows the customer to have full control of their data as they can accept or decline using the cookies (Kaspersky, 2022)

MARKETING & ADVERTISING LAW

CONSUMER RIGHTS

A consumer can legally get help if they are treated unfairly from a business, this includes problems surrounding cards, faulty goods and poor service (GOV.UK, 2015). Necessities Clothing will ensure all services are honest and transparent and offer full refunds to a customer who sends back garments that don’t fit correctly, are faulty or unsuitable within the timeframe set by the brand (GOV.UK, 2015). The law will be followed consistently and the brand will have the consumers rights as priority guaranteeing no investigations take place (GOV.UK, 2015).

The brand will provide an accurate, honest description of the garments for sale and follow two regulations including advertising to consumers and advertising to business that the brand legally must follow (GOV.UK,2022). These regulations include offensive and political advertising, Necessities Clothing are well researched and will make sure to focus their advertising on inclusivity. For direct marketing, consumers can choose how they prefer to be contacted and always have the option to decline marketing from the brand. If a customer changes their mind and no longer wants to be contacted, the option to ‘opt out’ is always available (GOV.UK,2022).

CHAPTER NINE COSTS AND PRICING STRATEGY

GARMENT COSTINGS

COST & PRICING STRATEGY

Necessities Clothing are ordering 900 garments for the year, split between blazers and trousers, totalling at 450 suits to sell in the first year of business. However, the costing strategy is based on the brand selling 600 garments over the course of a year, with these amount of sales Necessities

Clothing are still able to make a profit to reimburse into the business the following year as well as having a residual stock of 300 pieces that can still be sold the following year. However, in the cash flow, the costing of 900 garments have been accounted for and the money out will be reduced in the next year of the business when it comes to restocking garments.

CORE COLLECTION GARMENT QUANTITIES

QUANTITIES JUSTIFICATION

For the Core Collection, Necessities Clothing stock sizes in a 2-3-3-2 ratio as the target market mostly wear a size small or medium. A questionnaire was set up asking females aged 21-30 anonymously what their usual size is, this is due to a lack of public information in the industry surrounding consumers sizing. From the questionnaire results, the brand was able to justify the ratios.

The suits will be sold throughout the year adapting the marketing with styles and trends for the season. Necessities Clothing gathered information on production from a Turkish manufacturer who may potentially work for the brand, they stated ‘we may go down to producing 100 pcs/ style and colour as lowest case.’ (Erdogan, 2022). From this information, the brand decided to order 900 garments across 18 suits in different styles and colours making a total of 50 of each garment. As a small business, it is essential that the brand is conscious about ordering large quantities, by ordering the suits as a set and dissembling them into separates, it allows the brand to order less quantities and ensure a profit for the year. If a customer orders a full suit, Necessities Clothing will guarantee a colour match by ordering a light box and quality checking the pieces before they are sent to the buyer.

START UP COSTS CASH FLOW

CASH FLOW ANAYSIS

From the Necessities Clothing cashflow spreadsheet it evident that the business will break even in the fourth month of sales, (April) as well as making a profit in the same month. By October, Necessities Clothing’s balance will be hit £19,241.02. This is funds that Necessities Clothing will have to re-invest into the business for the next year. The repayment for the loan is calculated within the cash flow as up to October £5021.70 will have already been paid back from the £23,000 that the business borrowed at the start of the business.

CASH FLOW JUSTIFICATION

PRINCES TRUST LOAN

Necessities Clothing will use the Princes Trust to help guide and fund the business. The Princes Trust offers new businesses loans to help young people aged 18-30. They work with “the Start Up Loans Company to offer low-interest personal loans for business purposes between £500 to £25,000 at a rate of 6.2% APR”. The Start Up Loan is a personal loan that The Princes Trust allow entrepreneurs to set up a business-like Necessities Clothing, loaning the business the start-up costs to be repaid over 1-5 years at a fixed rate.

FUTURE PLANS

When completing the cash flow table, it was evident that the full Core Collection cannot be released initially and will have to be gradually launched. The first pieces will include the three different styles of suits, (slim, straight, wide) in three different colours (Black, Sand, Brick). The other designs for The Core Collection will be released in the second year to ensure enough money can be re-invested into the business by purchasing 100 garments of each style. This quantity is mandatory due the minimum order policy that suppliers have.

The money that will be re-invested into the business will be used to expand clothing sizes, products, and collections.

After calculating the start-up costs and cash flow Necessities Clothing will need £23k loan from the Princes Trust to fulfil the plans to finish the first year of business with £19,241.02. By having a lower loan, it will decrease the level of marketing that Necessities Clothing will have to provide to ensure the brand is reached by our target market.

The Seasonal Collection will also be a collection that will be released in the next financial year to ensure that Necessities Clothing can fund the cost of manufacturing and transport at a high quantity.

PERSONAL SURVIVAL BUDGET

SHORT TERM CHANGES:

CHAPTER TEN BACK UP PLAN

As the products will have already been purchased from the suppliers in Turkey, the cost of the garments will already have been paid. Therefore, it is important that the products that we have purchased are sold. If the current marketing strategies don’t give us our predicted sales forecast, then Necessities will work with additional influencers by gifting them the clothing to allow them to share the brand and products on the social media.

Additionally Necessities could purchase a list of name and addresses from a third party so emails can be sent out to new customers who will be interested in the brand and the products that Necessities Clothing aren’t able to contact.

Necessities Clothing will also invest money into google advertisements. An initial idea is to add an advert for Necessities Clothing on sites such as Indeed. This will allow a direct reach to professional when looking for jobs.

LONG TERM CHANGES:

If long term changed need to occur to lower costs and increase sales and increase money for investment the five of us can take on a part-time job. This will take the pressure off the business having to pay the staff and can focus on reinvesting with the company.

The financial director could take part in a training course to learn more strategies to reduce costs.

The marketing director could take part in a marketing course for womenswear to learn about effective and current marketing strategies that Necessities Clothing may not have applied to their marketing strategy.

CLOSURE OF THE BUSINESS:

In the unlikely event that Necessities Clothing collapses and we have no choice but to close the business, there will be key skills and valuable experience that all five of us have gained. Although we have had individual roles we have worked as a team to support each role. When there has been personal issues other team members have stepped up and taken over jobs outside their own job role therefore have gained experiences in all roles.

We have gained industry financial experience in setting up and running a business. We have learnt collaboration skills then sourcing suppliers and manufactures. The managing director has learnt key skills to motivate a team as well as managing the job roles and prioritising tasks. Skills from marketing, design and creative are also skills and lessons that each of us can take into future work and businesses.

WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNT?

As a result of running the business the owners have learnt that dedication and enthusiasm are key to working as a team. If you don’t believe in the ideas you are running, then the business will not succeed. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience starting up a business in womens workwear and has allowed the owners to learn about the market and audience. Working as a team can cause conflict when all members don’t agree with a decision made, however the owners have learnt how to negotiate and revaluate when some members are not happy. It is important to listen to each other’s views and come to a joint decision by weighing up the pros and cons.

Time management is an aspect that has been worked on throughout the journey to setting up Necessities clothing. By giving each member of the team small deadlines, this allows larger deadlines to be achieved at a high standard and on time.

Collectively as a group the owners have gained the experience in fields which that they had never even considered. Finance and logistics were something that none of the owners had any previous experience in and therefore having first hand involvement has allowed the group to learn how important it is to understand these aspects within a business. The experience of setting up a business and working as a team will increase the groups future employability. Even though the group had set jobs as directors of each sector, they all worked as a team to help each other as a collaborative project, giving them the experience of working in each role. Therefore, they all gained each experience in creative, design, marketing, and finance.

QUESTIONAIRE QUESTIONS

1. What do you think when you hear the word Necessities?

2. If Necessities Clothing was the name of a brand, what do you think they would sell?

3. Does Necessities fit a brand who sell female workwear essential clothing?

23-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, LONDON

24-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, LONDON

21-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, CHESHIRE

1. Necessities means essential for survival and stale clothing pieces

2. I would expect Necessities Clothing to sell good quality basic timeless pieces.

3. Necessities would be a fitting name for a female workwear clothing brand.

1. Necessities are something I really need and couldn’t carry out my day to day without.

2. If Necessities was a brand, I think they would sell basic types of clothing items which were versatile and reusable.

3. Necessities very much fits essential workwear clothing.

22-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, HULL.

1. Necessities makes me think of essential items and things that you prioritise buying.

2. I would expect them to sell essential basic clothing.

3. I think Necessities would fit a female workwear brand as it is essential.

21-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, NEWCASTLE

1. I think of everyday essentials when I hear the word Necessities.

2. If Necessities Clothing was a brand, I think they would sell items for the everyday lifestyle and clothes that you could wear daily.

3. I think Necessities Clothing fits a brand who sells female workwear essentials.

24-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, MANCHESTER

1. Necessities makes me think of essential items.

2. I would expect Necessities Clothing to sell clothing basics and staples, like a brand such as Uniqlo.

3. Necessities would definitely fit a workwear brand.

25-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, EAST YORKSHIRE

1. Necessities makes me think of basics that you can’t live without.

2. Necessities would sell waterproofs, thermals etc. Mountain Warehouse

3. Necessities clothing would fit a workwear brand as workwear/ leisure is what comes to mind when considering the name as a brand.

1. Necessities to me would mean something that you need or is essential

2. Brand wise I’d think of anything that people can’t live without.

3. I do think it fits that brand but I also think with today a lot of companies don’t have a set uniform and with each company varying. Office wear can be casual now whereas some offices are a lot more smart, a lot of people also tend to do a lot more working from home etc.

21-YEAR-OLD FEMALE, BIRMINGHAM

1. When I hear the word Necessities I think of a need, something that is normally a requirement.

2. I think it would sell essential clothing items, whether that be basic things like coats for winter or shorts for summer. They could also sell essential clothing for work related purposes, for example, uniforms.

3. Necessities would fit a workwear clothing brand especially if the clothing is essential and needed.

TAGS INSPIRATION

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

“Companies are beginning to prioritise not only the sustainability of their product but also the impact of their packaging on the environment — which, with the rise of e-commerce, has become especially wasteful” (Cernansky, 2022). This is evident in the reduce of plastic bags and the introduction of paper packaging and paperless returns within companies such as H&M and Zara.

“In 2021, the fashion industry accounted for between 8-10% of global carbon dioxide output, and 20 per cent of the world’s plastic production — largely due to the industry’s reliance on petroleum-based polyester. And though companies have pledged to reduce or neutralize their carbon footprint, the necessary structures and obligation to transparency to hold them accountable don’t exist. And the manufacturing of clothing derived from fossil fuels is only expected to grow over the next twenty years. Reducing carbon emissions industry-wide would require an overhaul of the entire supply chain” (Cernansky, 2022).

In the Vogue article by Chan, (2022, explains importance of buying less and buying better. She said “it is key when you consider that a staggering 100 billion garments are being produced globally every year. Before making a purchase, sustainability consultancy Eco-Age’s chief strategy officer Harriet Vocking advises that you ask yourself three all-important questions: “What are you buying and why? What do you really need? Will you wear it at least 30 times?”. Necessities Clothing will provide clothing with longevity and timelessness which can be worn over and over, pairing the garments with other garments. The aim is to reduce the amount of clothing people buy and wear a few times.

GREENWASHING:

“As consumers become ever more aware of their environmental footprint, greenwashing – brands using vague, misleading or false claims to suggest it’s more eco-friendly than it actually is – is becoming increasingly prevalent. Look beyond buzzwords such as ‘sustainable’, ‘eco-friendly’, ‘conscious’ and ‘responsible’ to see if brands have detailed policies to back up their claims” (Chan, 2022).

“Climate change is not about emissions. It’s about a system that has been benefiting some at the expense of the vast majority of people on the planet and the planet itself,” says Muhannad Malas, senior climate campaigner for advocacy group Stand.earth.

NECESSITIES CLOTHING TARGET MARKET

15: YOUNGER PROFESSIONALS IN SMALLER FLATS

- SUMMARY

"These expensive small flats are occupied by younger professional singles and couples, tenure being split equally between ownership and renting. Around a quarter of these flats have been built recently and are more usually found in urban locations, particularly London. While these properties cost double the average house price nationally, their price is only a little above the median for their location. Shared equity ownership is relatively high.

These are young areas with a high proportion of people aged under 35 years. In addition to singles and couples there will be households with pre-school children. There may be a high turnover of people in these streets, partly due to the renting and partly because people may move to larger accommodation as their fast-moving career, and family, develops.

The majority of people will have a degree and most work in white collar professional and managerial occupations. Their incomes are high, typically double the national average or higher. Many may have savings and investments in stocks and shares, ISAs and similar. They tend to spend freely using their credit cards and some might occasionally require the overdraft facility on their current account. Some might still have debt from student loans. They actively manage their financial affairs and are some of the people most likely to switch accounts and investments, which are often actively researched on the internet. Other purchases will also be researched prior to purchase online, in particular musical or sports equipment, furniture and electrical goods and local government services. Other frequent online purchases are cinema or theatre tickets, cosmetics, flowers, hotels and holidays. Many will read their newspapers and magazines online. They are particularly likely to read and post comment or reviews about products they have used.

Mobile phones will be important to the activity of these people. The number who will respond to advertising, or enter competitions is higher than average. They will plan travel, book tickets, locate shops and share content using their phone. Phones and apps will also be used to access content relating to their travel, lifestyle, and financial activity and to receive news, sports and other entertainment. These people are significantly more likely than average to download paid for apps to their phone or tablet devices.

There tends to be a stronger prevalence to use social media to make business contacts or find a job than to follow celebrities" ( ACORN, 2022).

WEBSITE INSPIRATION

In a survey conducted by BoF “89 percent of the survey participants rate fashion as important for boosting confidence, while 82 percent say fashion is important for establishing their identities. For Gen-Zers, fashion is less about being trendy or denoting status.”

Gen-Z — aged between 12 and 25 and accounting for approximately 25 percent of the world’s population — is now coming into its own. But Gen-Z is truly unique. As the first digital natives, their formative years have been unlike that of previous generations, creating a greater cultural chasm between Gen-Z and older generations. Social platforms have given Gen-Z tastemakers an unparalleled ability to convene and speak to audiences.

Keeping up with fads has become more difficult than ever, as social media has accelerated trend formation. Moreover, Gen-Z has inverted the design process — aesthetics like Barbiecore, Cottagecore, Dark Academia and Coastal Grandma originated bottoms-up from social media and resale platform content instead of top-down from fashion brands and retailers. As a result, many Gen-Zers tend to adapt pieces representative of trends into their own personal styles, as opposed to following trends full-scale. (Lee, 2022).

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

TIKTOK INFLUENCERS

Research from RealEyes found that TikTok creators with mid-level reach (1M-50M followers) may be the most effective for promoting a brand and product. Cole suggests that highly produced, scripted influencer marketing campaigns often lacks authenticity, therefore using a mid-level influencer allows your Necessities to be seen by a high volume for people while having a connection to the customer (Mason, 2022).

With TikTok becoming one of the most influential platforms of social media with 1466 million annual users it is essential for Necessities to work with TikTok influencers to raise awareness of the brand. A majority of TikTok users are aged under 30, with the largest age bracket aged between 20 and 20 years old. Tiktok is more popular among women than men with 57% of the users being female (IQBAL, 2022).

COMPETITORS PRODUCTS

COMPETITORS PRICING

GARMENT PRICING

Competitor - Zara

How high is the brand awareness of ZARA in the UK?

When it comes to fashion online shop users, brand awareness of ZARA is at 86% in the UK. The survey was conducted using the concept of aided brand recognition, showing respondents both the brand's logo and the written brand name.(Kunst, 2022)

How popular is ZARA in the UK?

In total, 24% of UK fashion online shop users say they like ZARA. However, among the 86% of UK respondents who know ZARA, 28% of people like the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What is the usage share of ZARA in the UK?

All in all, 17% of fashion online shop users in the UK use ZARA. That means, of the 86% who know the brand, 20% use them.(Kunst, 2022)

How loyal are the customers of ZARA?

Around 14% of fashion online shop users in the UK say they are likely to use ZARA again. Set in relation to the 17% usage share of the brand, this means that 82% of their customers show loyalty to the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What's the buzz around ZARA in the UK?

In July 2022, about 8% of UK fashion online shop users had heard about ZARA in the media, on social media, or in advertising over the past three months. Of the 86% who know the brand, that's 9%, meaning at the time of the survey there's little to no buzz around ZARA in the UK. (Kunst, 2022)

Location -

Zara is a Spanish clothing retailer based in Galicia, Spain. Founded by Amancio Ortega in 1975, it is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group, the world's largest apparel retailer. (BusinessofFashion,2022)

One of the unique characteristics of our supply chain is the fact that a high number of the factories that make products for us are located in markets that are relatively close to our headquarters in Arteixo (Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Turkey). (Inditex, 2022) The company operates over 2,220 stores and is present in 88 countries. (BusinessofFashion,2022) DemographicZara's main target customers are 18-year olds to 35-year-old adults. (Ltd, 2022)

COMPETITOR ANAYSIS

APPENDIX L

Competitor- Pretty Little Thing

How high is the brand awareness of PrettyLittleThing in the UK?

When it comes to fashion online shop users, brand awareness of PrettyLittleThing is at 75% in the UK. The survey was conducted using the concept of aided brand recognition, showing respondents both the brand's logo and the written brand name.(Kunst, 2022)

How popular is PrettyLittleThing in the UK?

In total, 18% of UK fashion online shop users say they like PrettyLittleThing. However, among the 75% of UK respondents who know PrettyLittleThing, 24% of people like the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What is the usage share of PrettyLittleThing in the UK?

All in all, 13% of fashion online shop users in the UK use PrettyLittleThing. That means, of the 75% who know the brand, 17% use them.(Kunst, 2022)

How loyal are the customers of PrettyLittleThing?

Around 10% of fashion online shop users in the UK say they are likely to use PrettyLittleThing again. Set in relation to the 13% usage share of the brand, this means that 77% of their customers show loyalty to the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What's the buzz around PrettyLittleThing in the UK?

In July 2022, about 16% of UK fashion online shop users had heard about PrettyLittleThing in the media, on social media, or in advertising over the past three months. Of the 75% who know the brand, that's 21%, meaning at the time of the survey there's little buzz around PrettyLittleThing in the UK.(Kunst, 2022)

Location -

Our headquarters is based in Manchester where PrettyLittleThing and CEO Umar Kamani were born and bred (PrettyLittleThing, 2022)

We also deliver to over 200 countries worldwide and currently offer an International Delivery Service which includes USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, United Arab Emirates and the following countries within Europe. (PrettyLittleThing,2022)

COMPETITOR- BURBERRY

Location

-

Our global headquarters at Horseferry House is a central hub for our entire organisation. This iconic location in the heart of central London is a proud connection to our heritage, as the first Burberry store in London opened at 30 Haymarket in 1891. (Burberry, 2022)

At Burberry, our teams are made up of 120 nationalities across 34 countries and territories. Our global footprint extends across many locations, encompassing head offices, manufacturing sites and retail spaces. (Burberry, 2022)

Burberry had a total of 418 stores in operation around the world as of April 2, 2022. (Sabanoglu, 2022)

Demographic -

Highly dominated by women with a high disposable income. It is famous for its celebrity appeal. With stores located in largely populated, wealthy and tourist attractive cities. (Brighton, 2022)

Offering a range of products to both genders as seen in figure 1. Burberry declared that they would aim their newer products at millennials. (Burberry, 2017)

COMPETITOR- & OTHER STORIES

Location

With more than 1,900 employees and 70 stores, the fashion chain has a presence in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the Middle East, the UK and the US.(FashionNetwork.com, 2022)

& Other Stories headquarters in Stockholm are surprisingly low-key. Located on a quiet street in a residential part of the city (Peter Fisk, 2017)

Demographic

According to the store’s staff, the & Other Stories customer is around mid/late 20s or older; the brand’s timeless silhouettes widen the H&M appeal to a different audience, with older customers.(anapereiraverissimo, 2015)

COMPETITOR- MANGO

How high is the brand awareness of Mango in the UK?

When it comes to fashion store customers, brand awareness of Mango is at 66% in the UK. The survey was conducted using the concept of aided brand recognition, showing respondents both the brand's logo and the written brand name.(Kunst, 2022)

How popular is Mango in the UK?

In total, 12% of UK fashion store customers say they like Mango. However, in actuality, among the 66% of UK respondents who know Mango, 18% of people like the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What is the usage share of Mango in the UK?

All in all, 6% of fashion store customers in the UK use Mango. That means, of the 66% who know the brand, 9% use them.(Kunst, 2022)

How loyal are the customers of Mango?

Around 5% of fashion store customers in the UK say they are likely to use Mango again. Set in relation to the 6% usage share of the brand, this means that 83% of their customers show loyalty to the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What's the buzz around Mango in the UK?

In August 2022, about 3% of UK fashion store customers had heard about Mango in the media, on social media, or in advertising over the past three months.

Of the 66% who know the brand, that's 5%, meaning at the time of the survey there's little to no buzz around Mango in the UK.(Kunst, 2022)

Location

Common misconception that Mango is one of Zara owner Inditex's cluster of brands is common. In fact, the 30-year-old Barcelona-based company is private and unrelated to the world's largest retailer, based in Galicia, northern Spain. (FashionNetwork.com, 2022)

MANGO now has more than 2,700 retail outlets in 108 countries. (Cabotcircus, 2022)

Demographic

Mango's target audience is the upper and upper-middle sections of urban society. The brand focuses its efforts on fashion-conscious males and females belonging to the middle-age group. (440 Industries, 2022).

COMPETITOR- H&M

How high is the brand awareness of H&M in the UK?

When it comes to fashion online shop users, brand awareness of H&M is at 94% in the UK. The survey was conducted using the concept of aided brand recognition, showing respondents both the brand's logo and the written brand name. (Kunst, 2022)

How popular is H&M in the UK?

In total, 40% of UK fashion online shop users say they like H&M. However, in actuality, among the 94% of UK respondents who know H&M, 43% of people like the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What is the usage share of H&M in the UK?

All in all, 30% of fashion online shop users in the UK use H&M. That means, of the 94% who know the brand, 32% use them.(Kunst, 2022)

How loyal are the customers of H&M?

Around 24% of fashion online shop users in the UK say they are likely to use H&M again. Set in relation to the 30% usage share of the brand, this means that 80% of their customers show loyalty to the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What's the buzz around H&M in the UK?

In July 2022, about 21% of UK fashion online shop users had heard about H&M in the media, on social media, or in advertising over the past three months. Of the 94% who know the brand, that's 22%, meaning at the time of the survey there's little buzz around H&M in the UK. (Kunst, 2022)

Location

Founded in 1947, the Swedish retailer operates in 62 countries worldwide. (Retail Week, 2022)

Demographic

H&M targets woman in the lower middle class and working class, The target market for H&M is for younger people. (UKDiss, 2021).

COMPETITOR- ASOS

How high is the brand awareness of ASOS in the UK?

When it comes to fashion online shop users, brand awareness of ASOS is at 87% in the UK. The survey was conducted using the concept of aided brand recognition, showing respondents both the brand's logo and the written brand name. (Kunst, 2022)

How popular is ASOS in the UK?

In total, 33% of UK fashion online shop users say they like ASOS. However, in actuality, among the 87% of UK respondents who know ASOS, 38% of people like the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What is the usage share of ASOS in the UK?

All in all, 25% of fashion online shop users in the UK use ASOS. That means, of the 87% who know the brand, 29% use them.(Kunst, 2022)

How loyal are the customers of ASOS?

Around 20% of fashion online shop users in the UK say they are likely to use ASOS again. Set in relation to the 25% usage share of the brand, this means that 80% of their customers show loyalty to the brand.(Kunst, 2022)

What's the buzz around ASOS in the UK?

In July 2022, about 23% of UK fashion online shop users had heard about ASOS in the media, on social media, or in advertising over the past three months. Of the 87% who know the brand, that's 26%, meaning at the time of the survey there's some buzz around ASOS in the UK.(Kunst, 2022)

Location:

In London (Camden), you'll find our head office (a beautiful art deco building, which used to be an old tobacco factory!). This is where most of our teams are based. (Asos Careers, 2022)

Ships to 196 countries (ASOS, 2022)

ZARA SOCIAL MEDIA PLT SOCIAL MEDIA

H&M SOCIAL MEDIA BURBERRY SOCIAL MEDIA

COMPETITORS SIZING

COMPETITORS SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

THE H&M GROUP:

The H&M group has taken large steps to become a more sustainable brand by introducing sustainable collections within store and online. They also provide a sustainability scheme where they encourage their customers to bring their old clothing into store in exchange for a £5 voucher, clothing is then recycled. H&M have also made goals for their group to help their brands to become more sustainable. These include pledges to make their garments from 100% recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way by 2023.

In 2021 H&M began their journey to become a more circular brand. They tripled the volume of recycled materials used in their garments. They aim for all their products to follow the circular model by 2025. They also aim to design “100% of packaging to be reusable and/or recyclable by 2025” (H&M, 2022).

MANGO:

Mango takes their sustainability practises seriously as they are changing the way they source and manufacture their garments. The brand has created goals to change the materials they are using reduce the negative impact they are having on the environment.

64% of Mango’s cotton is sourced from a sustainable origin, this supports the cultivation of cotton with a lower environment impact. 50% of their polyester will be recycled by 2025. Mango said that their decision to used recycled polyester is important as “it decreases the pressure from non-renewable resources and boosts our contribution to a circular economy”.

In 2018 Mango started a collaboration with ‘LENZING’, “whose fibres are produced from controlled and sustainable wood sources” to stop their contribution towards deforestation or illegal logging (Mango, 2022).

“In 2021, Mango nearly doubled the size of its Mango Committed range, with items in this collection made from more sustainable materials. About 75% of its clothing lines are now part of the Committed collection, and the brand is aiming for this to be 100% by the end of 2022” (Global Data, 2022).

BUSINESS CANVAS MODEL

MEETING LOG

IMAGE REFERENCES

REFERENCES