Fast fashion retailers are coming under threat from customers’ growing “focus on sustainability” as increasing numbers buy expensive longer lasting clothes.
The number of UK customers now more likely to choose more expensive but longer lasting clothes has jumped 33.8 per cent since last year, representing over half of shoppers (51.4 per cent) for the first time.
The Fashion Retail Academy’s new research also found that the number of shoppers who prefer fast fashion items has divebombed 46.2 per cent to just 14 per cent.
Fast fashion retailers like Missguided, Boohoo and Primark are also under threat from the growing second-hand market, with 66 per cent of shoppers now purchasing preworn clothes.
READ MORE: Second-hand fashion sales hit £187m on Ebay as “sustainable” searches skyrocket
“The focus on sustainability has finally been embraced by consumers in a big way and we’ve witnessed a big shift in shopping habits over the past year,” Fashion Retail Academy principle Lee Lucas said.
“Shoppers are moving away from fast fashion and there are new waves of consumers who are willing to invest in higher quality items, acknowledging that more expensive price tags might mean more mileage from certain items of clothing.
“This shift towards quality over quantity, recycling and buying second-hand is not just about saving money, it is a reflection of how customers are increasingly mindful of fashion waste and the supply chain.
“Vintage clothing is in and sustainable clothing brands such as Patagonia, which offer a lifetime guarantee on their clothes have become more and more popular.”
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