Sustainable retail system: Proposal for closed-loop fashion

Abstract

Abstract The fashion industry is at a turning point due to the increased unsustainability of current economic, environmental and social practices requiring a new set of best practices throughout the supply and value chains. Retailers and manufacturers seek profit in a consumer market that increasingly expects more product and services for less money at a quicker rate of turnover. Scarcity of resources, from natural materials to affordable labour, will only intensify rather than be ameliorated in the current system. Concurrently, increasing awareness of environmental and social harm will make negotiations between price and availability all the more acute. The consumer expectation of environmentally friendly practices does not necessarily translate into acceptance of higher costs in the marketplace. The fashion industry therefore must reconsider the role of the designer, the use of technology, long-term responsibility for all products sold and how to engage the consumer beyond the confines of the traditional point of sale. Designers, manufacturers and retailers will have to reconfigure the supply chain process and expand the possibilities of experiential retail to accommodate increased consumer demand of getting what they want when they want it, all while affording confidence and trust. This article is a proposal for a Closed-Loop Sustainable Product Service System and Retail construct. The proposal suggests a national network of design, retail and manufacturing sites specific to a community or region. Specific technology would support small batch production geared to the requirements of a community or locality while taking responsibility for all waste. A supporting literature review will be provided reinforcing the assertions and suggestions made by the author.