Learn from the experts: Tips for Building Sustainable into Your Fashion Brand

Last month, we joined a webinar with some incredible apparel e-commerce experts to discuss how apparel brands can boost revenue while embracing sustainability. 

It was an interesting in-depth conversation about… 

Below are a few of the highlights from the discussion, including some expert tips for how to build more sustainability into your business. To go more in-depth, listen to the full webinar on-demand.

Why sustainability in fashion matters

The apparel industry is one of the top polluting industries worldwide. 

• 92 million tons of waste are created each year in the fashion industry alone 
• This accounts for approximately 5% of all the waste in all the landfills 
• The fashion industry causes 20% of the global wastewater and 35% of the microplastics in oceans 

And, as Brittany Ho, VP of Account Management at ShoppingGives points out, shoppers are becoming more intentional about supporting sustainable clothing brands.

• 75% of Millennials are eco-conscious to the point of changing their buying habits to favor environmentally friendly products 
• 40% of Gen Z consumers say their investment decisions are driven by “companies with a purpose” 

Listen to the full webinar to learn more about how sustainable business practices can lead to higher retention rates, AOV, and LTV. 

Tips for making your apparel brand more sustainable

How do you take steps to make your fashion brand more sustainable, as well as ensure its profitability? The panel experts offered these three tips. 

1. Market for value – We’re seeing an increase in conscious consumers who spend time finding high-quality, sustainable brands. As Madena Ghani, Head of Growth at Hawke Media points out, customers are now completing as many as 10 touch points before making a purchasing decision. Despite the added rigor, this is good news for brands that can connect with these consumers. Customers are willing to spend an extra 10% on high-quality, sustainable products. The lesson? Instead of moving right to a discount marketing tactic, consider messaging your brand and products around sustainability and quality value props early in the funnel.

2. Consider a resale program – Increase buyer confidence by offering an option for people to resell your product after they no longer want it. While this might seem counterintuitive, Jake Disraeli, Cofounder & CEO of Treet, points out that it actually has many upsides for your business. It helps new customers who might not be familiar with your brand to have an entry point into trying your product. It increases brand loyalty among the original shopper because they are confident they can recoup some of the original cost of an item purchased. You can even offer an option for the original customer to get brand credit for their sale, which keeps them shopping with your brand long-term. 

3. Reduce returns – One major component of the pollution produced by the fashion industry is emissions related to shipping. Naturally, by reducing the amount of returns, you’re able to reduce the overall environmental impact of your business. We know that over 52% of all online apparel returns are linked to size confusion. By offering shoppers better sizing recommendations during the buying experience, they will be more likely to purchase the correct item for their body type, reducing your overall return rate. 

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This is just the tip of the iceberg of wisdom shared on the webinar: Sustainable Fashion Secrets: Boosting Revenue While Embracing Sustainability. To get more expert tips, watch the entire video on-demand.