December 2018
Featured in this insight: Consumer goods & FMCG , Financial services, Retail
Majority of consumers aged 18–35 buy clothes they never wear: A survey has revealed an incredible 83% of consumers aged 18–35 buy clothes that never see life beyond the wardrobe.
The poll of 2,000 conducted by the Retail Fashion Academy also found that 61% do not desire clothes that are made to last, instead favouring faster fashion purchases which bring the looks of the catwalk to the high street in record time and enable them to update their wardrobe every season.
The survey also reveals that although seven out of ten (70%) consumers in this age category are in favour of sustainability, a third (33%) admit they are not prepared to pay an additional £5 to buy a sustainable piece.
When it comes to disposing of clothes once they're are no longer needed, 12% admit they throw them away in the traditional rubbish bin instead of recycling – meaning they are destined for landfill sites.
In response to questions around their enthusiasm for second-hand clothing, 35% said this is something they would never do; however, women are 16% more likely to sport a pre-loved item of clothing than men.
Lee Lucas, principal and CEO of the Fashion Retail Academy is encouraging people to recycle their items by giving them to second-hand shops – as well as buying items from second-hand resources to help reduce the clothes waste now being generated:
“Recycling clothes is not only good for the consumer who can purchase clothes more affordably but also massively reduces the environmental impact of our clothes and lessens our personal fashion footprint," he said.
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