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Slow fashion – Balancing the conscious retail model within the fashion marketplace

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  • McNeill, Lisa S.
  • Snowdon, Jasmine

Abstract

Consumers are ever more aware of the impacts of fashion textiles on the natural world, as well as the production ethics concerns directed toward traditional fast fashion products in terms of human resources. This has led to an emerging form of fashion retail centered on production principles that encourage increased lifecycles of products, reduced volume of purchasing by individuals, and ethical care in production and sales. The ethical movement termed slow fashion thus has a unique philosophy that is at odds with a number of traditional aims of retailing. Striving for higher profits through increased sales volume and rapid turnover of goods contradicts the conscious consumption philosophy of slow fashion proponents. This paper therefore explores the market strategies used by four New Zealand fashion retailers who identify as slow, and have a business approach that encourages consumers to prioritize longevity and consumption ethics over price and fashion newness. The research takes a case-based approach, and finds that the central issue for slow fashion retailers, irrespective of their individual philosophies within the slow fashion sphere, is that of finding a balance between the particular conscious retailing models they have self-prescribed, and that of traditional retailing. A necessity for profit making and market share underscores the difficulty of their position in the modern fashion marketplace, and this paper details their unique strategies in negotiating this ethical retail space.

Suggested Citation

  • McNeill, Lisa S. & Snowdon, Jasmine, 2019. "Slow fashion – Balancing the conscious retail model within the fashion marketplace," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 215-223.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:aumajo:v:27:y:2019:i:4:p:215-223
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ausmj.2019.07.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sojin Jung & Byoungho Jin, 2016. "Sustainable Development of Slow Fashion Businesses: Customer Value Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Swilley, Esther & Goldsmith, Ronald E., 2013. "Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Understanding consumer intentions on two major shopping days," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 43-50.
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    4. Pookulangara, Sanjukta & Shephard, Arlesa, 2013. "Slow fashion movement: Understanding consumer perceptions—An exploratory study," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 200-206.
    5. Matthew J. Bernthal & David Crockett & Randall L. Rose, 2005. "Credit Cards as Lifestyle Facilitators," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 32(1), pages 130-145, June.
    6. Brun, Alessandro & Castelli, Cecilia, 2008. "Supply chain strategy in the fashion industry: Developing a portfolio model depending on product, retail channel and brand," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(2), pages 169-181, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sojin Jung & Byoungho Ellie Jin, 2022. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Slow fashion branding: understanding what consumers value most," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(2), pages 141-149, March.
    2. Dominik Zimon & Peter Madzik & Robert Sroufe, 2020. "The Influence of ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 on Sustainable Supply Chain Management in the Textile Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Mariana Domingos & Vera Teixeira Vale & Silvia Faria, 2022. "Slow Fashion Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Karin Brondino-Pompeo, 2021. "Mapping spheres of exchange: a multidimensional approach to commoditization and singularization," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 11(1), pages 81-95, June.
    5. Weilin Pu & Yilu Wang & Giuseppe Daniele Ibello & Rishav Chakraborty & Mojun Yang & Ka Wing Chan & Rafi Chowdhury & Felix Septianto & Junbum Kwon, 2025. "Effective Awe-Inspiring Visual Content Strategy for Social Media Engagement with Ethical Fashion Brands: The Mediating Role of Deontological Ethical Beliefs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 196(4), pages 753-771, February.
    6. María Luisa Ríos-Rodríguez & José María Salgado-Cacho & Pilar Moreno-Jiménez, 2021. "What Impacts Socially Responsible Consumption?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-14, April.
    7. Eleanor Kohler & Emmanuel Mogaji & İsmail Erkan, 2023. "Save the Trip to the Store: Sustainable Shopping, Electronic Word of Mouth on Instagram and the Impact on Cosmetic Purchase Intentions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, May.

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