
It takes many
Mobilising Collective Action to Enable More Sustainable Consumer Choices in Fashion
A new consumer study conducted by GlobeScan for Zalando titled ‘It takes many,’ presents a collective roadmap for change with recommendations for retailers and brands, the EU, and other national governments, as well as social media platforms and influencers.
The study builds on insights from Zalando’s previous report, taking a deeper look at the barriers consumers face and identifying what is needed from the fashion ecosystem to help turn their aspirations into action.
Although consumers want to take steps in making more sustainable fashion choices, many still seem to struggle to act on their intentions. Most importantly, the research confirms that consumers view sustainability as a shared responsibility and expect action from brands, fellow consumers, governments, non-governmental organisations, influencers, and digital platforms.
A concrete outcome of the study introduces an initial roadmap for collective action, shaped through dialogue with consumers and leading industry experts.
The report’s key findings are grouped into three categories that reflect the complexity of sustainability in fashion:
1. Beyond the gap
- Sixty-six percent of consumers say they already make sustainable choices and 62% report having “a lot” to a “moderate” amount of knowledge about sustainability.
- But consumers want to do more than they are doing today – 71% aspire to shop for fashion items more sustainably, and 74% want to wear clothes more sustainably in the future.
- Key barriers stand in the way of consumers realising their aspirations: price (41%), difficulty identifying sustainable options (27%), not knowing where to shop (24%), not knowing what to do (21%), and distrust in sustainability claims (19%).
2. It takes many
Consumers see more sustainable fashion as a shared responsibility.
- Seventy-seven percent expect action from brands and 72% from individuals like themselves.
- Many also look to the EU (66%), social media platforms (65%), national governments (63%), and influencers (61%) to take responsibility for more sustainability in the fashion industry.
- Stakeholders are expected to make sustainability the norm: brands and retailers must lead the way, governments and the EU should support through policy and infrastructure, and social media platforms and influencers need to help shift consumer mindsets away from fast fashion.
3. What’s next with consumers?
- Consumers are diverse. The research segmentation identifies four groups among the consumers we interviewed – Fashion First, Conscious Curators, Mindful Minimalists, and Indifferents – that can be more effectively engaged through a deeper understanding of their motivations and challenges. Their motivations range from value-seeking and self-expression to sustainability and minimalism.
- To enable real change, the fashion industry must meet consumers where they are, not where we assume or wish them to be.
The report is based on quantitative and qualitative research conducted across France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the UK to assess general consumer attitudes, behaviours and expectations regarding fashion and sustainability. The findings were enriched with interviews from industry experts – including Zalando’s partner brands, associations, consultancies, and independent specialists – to explore how various actors can better enable more sustainable choices and support a broader industry transformation.
Founded in Berlin in 2008, Zalando is Europe’s leading online multi-brand fashion destination. We are building a pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce, along two growth vectors: Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B). In B2C, we provide an inspiring, high-quality multi-brand shopping experience for fashion and lifestyle products to more than 52 million active customers across 25 markets. In B2B, we leverage our logistics infrastructure, software, and service capabilities to support brands and retailers in managing and scaling their entire e-commerce business, both on and off the Zalando platform. Through our ecosystem vision, Zalando aims to enable positive change in the fashion and lifestyle industry.
Learn more – https://corporate.zalando.com/en