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1 – 10 of over 3000
Article
Publication date: 2 January 2023

Manoj Kumar Paras, Lichuan Wang, Rudrajeet Pal and Daniel Ekwall

This study proposes a garment modularization model based on an interactive genetic algorithm. The suggested model consists of extraction and identification of parts and the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study proposes a garment modularization model based on an interactive genetic algorithm. The suggested model consists of extraction and identification of parts and the determination and implementation of connections. Rules and corresponding mathematical equations have been formulated for the part's extractions from the discarded products and connections for the redesigned products.

Design/methodology/approach

Sustainability entices scholars and practitioners while referring to reducing waste to control environmental degradation. One of the ways to safeguard natural resources is to increase the reuse of old or discarded products. The current study focuses on the redesign process to improve the reuse of products.

Findings

The intelligent system proposed based on the modularization techniques is expected to simplify and quantify the redesign process. The model can further help in the minimization of wastage and environmental degradation.

Originality/value

Presently, manual decisions are taken by the designers based on their memory, experience and intuition to extract and join the parts.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 27 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2017

Samira Iran and Ulf Schrader

The purpose of this paper is to provide the conceptual basis of collaborative fashion consumption (CFC) as a possible path toward more sustainable clothing. A definition and a…

10269

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide the conceptual basis of collaborative fashion consumption (CFC) as a possible path toward more sustainable clothing. A definition and a typology of CFC are introduced and possible environmental effects of CFC are structured and discussed. This provides a solid conceptual basis for future empirical studies on CFC as an element of more sustainable consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is written mainly based on a review of the more recent literature on collaborative consumption, as well as of older papers about related concepts like sustainable service systems and eco-efficient services. The proposed CFC typology and the structure of environmental effects are developed using both a deductive and an inductive process, and then by transferring existing structures to this specific field and challenging them by assigning practical examples.

Findings

The main contributions of this paper are the definition and typology of CFC and the structure for assessing its environmental effects.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide a conceptual basis for future empirical research on CFC.

Practical implications

For practitioners, the CFC typology and the structure of environmental effects could be used as checklists for future development of more sustainable collaborative consumption offers.

Originality/value

This paper makes a unique contribution to the concept of CFC. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first paper that has been explicitly dedicated to examining different types and environmental effects of CFC.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 October 2019

Johan Holtström, Charlotte Bjellerup and Johanna Eriksson

The purpose of this paper is to identify key aspects of business model development for sustainable apparel consumption, as actors show an increasing interest in product‒service…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify key aspects of business model development for sustainable apparel consumption, as actors show an increasing interest in product‒service systems. This purpose should be seen from a retailers’ perspective so as to develop sustainable solutions for long-term survival in the apparel industry when meeting consumer preferences for fashion as well as an increasing interest in consuming less. Further, this is from a perspective in an economy where sharing and circularity are potential drivers for changing consumer patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on the apparel retailer Houdini Sportswear and its business model development from a traditional model of selling sportswear to a more future-oriented model where sustainability is more salient. The data for analysis were collected through interviews with employees within the studied company. The interviews have been guided by overarching themes covering relevant areas of interest for this study.

Findings

Overall, the paper shows how sustainability can be included in strategic development, from product idea, product development, production and sales/rental to repair, reuse and finally recycling. The paper also highlights potential obstacles in a developed business model with increased sustainability, including technological platforms, distribution networks for collecting and returning products and consumer consumption preferences. There are a few intertwined factors to be considered on different societal levels to achieve long-term success.

Originality/value

This study contributes an increased understanding of how more sustainable solutions can be included when developing business models. While the manufacture, distribution and consumption of clothes have an impact on the environment, some retailers and producers want to reduce this environmental impact. One alternative is to change the way clothes are consumed, to include more sharing and circularity.

Details

Journal of Strategy and Management, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-425X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 August 2021

Julia Wilfling, George Havenith, Margherita Raccuglia and Simon Hodder

Sports garments play an important role in the well-being of an athlete by protecting the wearer from changing environmental conditions and providing a comfortable feel. Clothing…

Abstract

Purpose

Sports garments play an important role in the well-being of an athlete by protecting the wearer from changing environmental conditions and providing a comfortable feel. Clothing requirements have changed in recent years and demand for apparel with a higher comfort performance has been rising. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ expectations and perception of comfort and to examine how different textiles are perceived by consumers to provide useful knowledge that allows to engineer comfort into fabrics and sports garments.

Design/methodology/approach

This online survey comprised 292 respondents, classified by sex, age, nationality and physical activity. The respondents were asked a total of 18 questions through the Bristol Online Survey tool to explore expectation, perception and preference of clothing comfort, specifically of sportswear.

Findings

Fit and comfort are closely linked together, both forming part of the clothing comfort concept. When purchasing garments online, the haptics of fabrics were identified as a crucial missing parameter. However, priorities of attributes within the concept varied according to the person’s sex and nationality. Women put more emphasis on garment fit and showed a higher need for tactile input, whereas men prioritised physiological comfort descriptors, i.e. properties which facilitate thermoregulation. Furthermore, there is an increased importance of physiological comfort parameters for people exercising for 10 or more hours per week. Finally, it was possible to identify common associations and preferences for textile materials (cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester blend and wool). However, consideration should be taken concerning sex and nationality.

Originality/value

Sex and nationality are parameters modulating the clothing comfort concept and the conceptualised feel of materials. Therefore, the sex and nationality of the end-consumer should be considered during the development phase of sports garments and particular attention should be given to the targeted market in which these will be sold.

Details

Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1560-6074

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2023

Thamoda Geegamage, Achini Ranaweera and Rangika Halwatura

The fashion industry has been accused of being the second largest environmental polluter in the world. Millions of tons of post-consumer waste are dumped in landfills and garbage…

219

Abstract

Purpose

The fashion industry has been accused of being the second largest environmental polluter in the world. Millions of tons of post-consumer waste are dumped in landfills and garbage disposal sites each year. However, environmental concerns are emerging as a mainstream issue among modern-day consumers. This critical problem has prompted fashion retailers and brands to embrace sustainable practices to address consumers’ environmental concerns by reducing pollution. Given this background, this research aims to understand consumer’s perceptions of value towards second-hand fashion consumption in the context of Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study uses a qualitative approach to understand consumers’ perceptions of value towards second-hand fashion consumption.

Findings

This research uses the theoretical model of the means-end chain model and shows five consumer’s values of second-hand consumers: price-consciousness, consciousness on emotional bonds, comfortability consciousness, quality and brand consciousness and social and environmental consciousness. Furthermore, the authors show non-second-hand fashion consumers’ values as social status consciousness, hygienic consciousness, comfortability consciousness, quality and brand consciousness and self-expressive consciousness.

Originality/value

This research sheds some light on the emerging knowledge of second-hand consumption. This research further points out certain practical implications by drawing attention to a few opportunities and challenges associated with the second-hand fashion business within the Sri Lankan fashion retail sector, in particular when launching new fashion brands catering to second-hand fashion consumers.

Details

Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1560-6074

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 February 2021

Susana C. Silva, Ana Santos, Paulo Duarte and Božidar Vlačić

Second-hand clothing (SHC) has kindled a growing interest among researchers and practitioners. However, despite all the benefits that this market presents, consumer adherence…

6611

Abstract

Purpose

Second-hand clothing (SHC) has kindled a growing interest among researchers and practitioners. However, despite all the benefits that this market presents, consumer adherence still has considerable room for improvement. Several studies have explored the main motivations that lead consumers to buy second-hand clothes (SHCs), but few have focused on the factors that prevent consumers from adopting this consumption behavior. Hence, this study aims to identify barriers through the differences in the perception of experienced and inexperienced consumers in SHC purchases.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collected through an online questionnaire from 127 cases were analyzed using means comparison and binomial logistic regression.

Findings

The findings of this study revealed that having previous experience in purchasing SHCs influences consumers' perception of the barriers. The results also indicate that social embarrassment is the factor that most negatively influences the purchase of SHCs, as well as the consumers' lack of knowledge regarding the available channels.

Originality/value

Considering the importance of the SHC market and its potential, this study reveals what motivates and at the same time prevents consumers from acquiring SHCs. Original findings regarding the importance of channel familiarity and social embarrassment assist companies in defining their marketing strategies and enhancing the consumer experience in the purchase of SHCs.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 49 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2010

Vivienne Richmond

The purpose of this paper is to determine the merchandise offered and bought at late‐nineteenth‐century English jumble sales, to understand the place of jumble sales and used…

317

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the merchandise offered and bought at late‐nineteenth‐century English jumble sales, to understand the place of jumble sales and used goods in the domestic budgets of the poors, and to investigate the reasons for purchasing from jumble sales rather than other secondhand goods outlets.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses Anglican Parish Magazines and social surveys, in late‐Victorian England, focusing on two commodities: clothing and carpets.

Findings

Jumble sales were organised by the middle and upper classes for the poor, into whose multiple provisioning strategies they were rapidly integrated, although admission fees excluded the poorest. The sales supplied both necessary and non‐essential items and were eagerly attended, but there is no evidence that they were preferred to other secondhand outlets or that the goods on offer were cheaper or better quality. Although a site of class interaction, jumble sales also served to maintain class separation.

Research limitations/implications

The geographical spread of this paper omits the most southern, northern and western counties. Further work is also needed to determine more precisely the quality and cost of jumble‐sale merchandise, the age and gender of the customers, and differences between urban and rural sales.

Originality/value

Through interrogation of an underused source, parish magazines, the paper redresses the scholarly neglect of a significant and enduring sector of the used goods market. The paper is of value to historians of marketing, philanthropy, consumption, dress, and the English working classes.

Details

Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, vol. 2 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-750X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2022

Jaspreet Kaur, Emmanuel Mogaji, Deepti Wadera and Sangeeta Gupta

This study aims to investigate the domestic sustainable consumption practices in Indian households and the motivations to do so. These practices also contribute to environment…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the domestic sustainable consumption practices in Indian households and the motivations to do so. These practices also contribute to environment management and its impact on Indian society through the action of reusing, reducing and recycling of consumed products for two generations, namely, the Baby Boomer and the Generation Z.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory qualitative research was undertaken in which the data were collected through personal interview technique with 64 respondents including males and females from the generations of Baby Boomers and Generation Z of Indian households.

Findings

The theoretical framework of the 3R was extended to inculcate broader themes like awareness, action and motivation for the domestic sustainable activities. The findings conclude that the domestic sustainable consumption practices of Baby Boomers in India were far more advanced than their Generation Z counterparts. These two generations differed in their awareness sources, actions of sustainability and the motivations for undergoing the domestic sustainable activities. Managerial implications have been framed for organisations like start-ups, sustainable firms, government organisations and second-hand product vendors. These practices in such organisations could help in the enhancement of circular economy through the domestic waste disposal.

Practical implications

Practical implications are for organisations that can consider the domestic sustainability consumption practices while planning their strategies to maximise stakeholder satisfaction through their corporate social responsibility initiatives and create more goodwill and growth avenues for their businesses.

Originality/value

Where most of the past literature concentrates on the supply chain and manufacturing initiatives of sustainability or sustainable consumption, very few studies look at the angle of domestic sustainability initiative and how they could be linked to the initiative of circular economy. This paper fills this gap in past literature.

Details

Society and Business Review, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5680

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 February 2024

Olga Gurova

This paper aims to answer the questions of what clothing practices related to sustainable fashion can be observed in young consumers' daily lives in Finland’s capital region and…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to answer the questions of what clothing practices related to sustainable fashion can be observed in young consumers' daily lives in Finland’s capital region and what prevents their further proliferation.

Design/methodology/approach

This is qualitative research that draws from 22 semi-structured interviews with high school students in the capital area of Finland. The data were analyzed with the use of thematic analysis, a flexible method of data analysis that allows for the extraction of categories from both theoretical concepts and data.

Findings

This paper contributes to studies of young people’s consumption with the practice theory approach, putting forward the category of following sustainable fashion as an integrative practice. The three-element model of the practice theory allows answering the question of challenges that prevent the practice from shaping. The paper further advances this approach by identifying a list of context-specific dispersed practices incorporated into sustainable fashion.

Practical implications

The study suggests practical ways of improving clothing consumption based on the practice theory approach and findings from empirical research. Sustainable practices require competences, knowledge and skills that the school, as an institution working closely with high school students, could help develop.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the current studies of sustainability and youth culture of consumption with a practice theory approach and findings, related to a particular context of a country from Northern Europe.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 October 2023

Lorena Ronda

This paper aims to explore the attitude-behaviour gap consumers experience when transitioning from buying fast fashion to embracing sustainable fashion consumption. Despite being…

1685

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the attitude-behaviour gap consumers experience when transitioning from buying fast fashion to embracing sustainable fashion consumption. Despite being driven to make sustainable fashion purchases, consumers are confronted with certain retail barriers that impede them from making the shift.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws from the theory of planned behaviour and the behavioural-reasoning theory approaches to theoretically develop and assess five key fashion consumption barriers that moderate the relationship between sustainable fashion consumption motivations and actual behaviour. These are the steep price of sustainable fashion, low visibility, restricted availability, limited cognisance of the deleterious consequences of fast fashion and low trust in sustainability claims. Under heightened levels of moderators, the relationship between motivation and behaviour was predicted to be weaker. The author's data sample of 376 consumers validated the hypotheses.

Findings

This article contributes to the field of sustainable fashion retail consumption in three ways: (1) it reveals that the expensive cost of sustainable fashion is not an obstacle to its adoption, and consumers are willing to pay more but struggle to access the styles they prefer; (2) it unveils that, in contrast to recent scholarship, the lack of knowledge of the adverse environmental effects of fast fashion is still a barrier to transitioning to sustainability and (3) it implies that consumers are less motivated to lower their consumption of clothing when they feel dubious about fashion companies' sustainability claims.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge on green consumption by shedding light on the complex dynamics between moderating factors and the transition from intention to behaviour in sustainable fashion consumption.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 52 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 3000