BDA London recognises the pressures of our industry and partners with like-minded businesses to create sustainable product ranges. This involves finding a balance in the number of trends – avoiding excessive choice, as exemplified by SHEIN releasing over 7,000 new items daily, yet ensuring offerings remain fresh. Crucial to this approach is supply chain agility, with a preference for on-shoring and shorter lead times. It's understood that getting the wrong product to a store or website promptly has no advantage. The focus is on understanding the total cost of goods, not just the purchase cost, by comparing intake margin versus maintained margin. Our industry often ends up through current range structure, buying process or overall business model results in redundant stock of brocken size ranges across numerous options is not viable for businesses or communities. It’s all about the first mile not necessarily the last mile. Fast fashion's detrimental impact on both industry and environment is acknowledged, highlighting the urgency to develop product strategies that address customer needs ( rather than creating wants ) in a wiser, more informed way. A shift towards evaluating social progress, rather than exclusively focusing on GDP or profit, offers a more comprehensive understanding of our growth as a global community. ( is this what France trying to do ? ) To initiate these necessary changes, it is crucial to incentivise decision-makers and stakeholders, ensuring businesses are accountable to both shareholders and society. This responsibility extends to re-evaluating production practices, promoting recyclable and sustainable materials, and minimising waste. By adopting these measures, the industry can mitigate its environmental footprint, fostering a more sustainable and responsible business model. Adopting sustainable practices and focusing on long-term social progress rather than short-term profits are essential steps towards addressing the pressing health and environmental issues of our time. Through collaborative efforts between businesses, stakeholders, and communities, we can forge a path towards a more sustainable and equitable future. #sustainability #trendplanning #innovation #designplanning #futurism #creativity.
Very wise words, Dave
Hear hear.
Growing GDP will only get businesses so far! I agree it's fundamental to look at the bigger picture of how social progress can contribute to business growth in a way that benefits the consumers you serve.
"Long-term social progress" is the key 😍
Agree completely
Well said Dave 👏
Creative Director / Brand Designer / Strategic Director Use.Space / AccelerateME Advisory Board Member / Brand Director Alltoogether / Team AgencyGMR / Co-founder ONEOFTHE8 Podcast / Member Creative UK & Clean Creatives
6moSaw in interesting commentary on fast fashion that retro-engineered the supply chain of £9.99 jeans sold to consumers by a very well known online retailer. Putting environmental issues aside for one very brief moment, the consequences on what workers on machines in countries like Bangladesh are being paid are absolutely shocking. The price point being the primary concern means those workers are being paid way, way below the meagre living wage they need. Fast fashion, its suppliers and its retailers, have a lot more to consider than sustainability. Their impact on people can be as bad, if not worse.