Sustainable Fashion: A Handbook for Educators

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just an “affluent urban middle class consciousness, but an
issue and influence on consumer minds and actions that will
continue to grow and gain momentum” (Retail Think Tank,
2007); and that children taught about ethical issues at
school will push their sometimes reluctant parents into
more ethical buying patterns.

However, there is a growing belief that it makes little sense
to talk about the ‘ethical’ consumer as a general category.
There has been some attempt to profile the ethical
consumer more precisely. For example, the
Co-operative Bank Ethical Consumerism Report 2007
suggests that consumers can be broadly divided into three
groups according to their consumption: the committed
consumers, the regular consumers and the passive
consumers. However, in the Retail Think Tank White
Paper (2007), four groups, devised by the Henley Centre
Headlight Vision were put forward into which the UK
population could be divided according to their attitudes
towards ethical consumption:

• Principled pioneers/vocal activists (8%): Committed
  environmentalists who put pressure on companies and
  lobby them to change their product offer.


• Positive choosers (31%): Those who buy ethically from
  good companies and boycott bad ones. They support
  their local community and buy local. They are more
  affluent, less price sensitive and thus a good target for
  more expensive ethical/environmental produce.


• Conveniently conscious (35%): These are making
  easy changes to their lifestyles, but are not willing to
  compromise on quality or value. They are an interesting
  target for companies who can offer them a simple way of
  ’doing the right thing’.


• Onlookers (26%): For these, interest and activity is only
  peripheral and/or limited.

In addition, the Fashioning an Ethical Industry (FEI)
discussion paper on ethical consumerism outlines Marks &
Spencer’s own ‘ethical segmentation’, which broadly reflects
that of the Henley Centre.

However, there is often a discrepancy between what
people say and what they do because of a fear of paying
higher prices. The Fashioning an Ethical Industry discussion
paper discusses the link between consumer concerns
about ethical issues and economic prosperity. The ability
or reluctance to pay for the premium that ethical products
command is also demonstrated by the disinclination of

younger consumers to buy ethical products, whilst being

as or more knowledgeable and concerned about ethical

issues compared with other consumers (Just-Style, 2006;

Retail Bulletin, 2007). These younger consumers may be

using their low income levels to ‘justify’ buying cheap and

probably unethically produced fast fashion. Other reasons

for not buying ethical products include consumers thinking

that their individual buying decisions and actions will not

make a difference, and because a lack of information

prevents informed choice. The FEI discussion paper

provides further discussion on the confusing messages that

consumers are confronted with in the fashion market.

Media exposure can play a powerful part in altering

consumer attitudes. Bad publicity seems to be influencing

consumers who are not normally concerned with ethical

production. A report (Just-style, 2008b) of a survey carried

out by ICM Research on behalf of Drapers magazine

suggests that 42% of Primark shoppers are now less likely

or a lot less likely to use the retail chain following the

exposure of child labour in its supply chain in 2008. Primark

shoppers do not normally use ethical considerations

in their buying decisions, with only 3% using ethical

production as a factor in their choices. Nearly half (46%) of

Primark shoppers quote ‘value for money’ as the decisive

factor in purchasing decisions.

ItEM 3: achIEVIng coMpEtItIVE adVantagE In thE Mar-

KEt VIa thE EthIcal routE

The concept of competitive advantage is an important

one in marketing strategy formulation. The seminal work of

Michael Porter (1985), which is now reiterated in virtually

all marketing textbooks, led to the general understanding

that there are two main ways that a business can be better

than its competitors at appealing to customers: being

cheaper (cost leadership) or being different (which includes

being the first to do something different).

Being ethical therefore can be considered as a means by

which a company can achieve differentiation. However, like

being ethical as a consumer and being ethical as a product,

being ethical as a company is complex. The FEI discussion

paper on ethical consumerism provides a useful overview

of the responses of the clothing industry to the growth of

ethical consumerism (FEI) and, within this discussion, the

different levels to which a company commits to ethics is

questioned.

MarKEtIng