Challenges and Responsibilities in Service-Based Sustainable Fashion Retail: Insights and Guidelines from a Qualitative Study

Sustainable fashion retail is associated with supporting circular economy processes through the provision of services that extend the duration of products, their components, and their materials. Considerable attention has been paid to environmental concerns, whereas comparatively less emphasis has been placed on the cultural and social dimensions that retail may facilitate. The presented research contributes to the ongoing discourse related to service-based retail by formulating guidelines that consider environmental, cultural and social aspects of sustainability. To achieve this goal, a literature review was conducted to identify trends, existing models, and to extract components of service-based sustainable fashion retail. Subsequently, a focus group was organised with experts from the fashion retail sector to gather opinions on retail and its relationship with sustainability. A systematic mapping of service-based retail initiatives was employed within the focus group as a tool to stimulate experts’ expertise and encourage them to anticipate the challenges and responsibilities associated with a service-based fashion retail model. Results from the focus group and literature review are discussed and combined to formulate guidelines on credibility and engagement components. Five guidelines were identified: (1) aim at transparency, (2) adopt digitisation and technological solutions, (3) offer immersive experiences and community building in the store, (4) enhance human resources, and (5) pragmatically communicate sustainability efforts. This research, viewing the fashion and textile industries through the lens of the European market, provides companies, designers and policymakers with strategic insights to navigate the complex and evolving fields of fashion and textiles.