scholarly journals Trends in the Fashion Industry. The Perception of Sustainability and Circular Economy: A Gender/Generation Quantitative Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrizia Gazzola ◽  
Enrica Pavione ◽  
Roberta Pezzetti ◽  
Daniele Grechi
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
Generation Z ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
Sustainable Fashion ◽  
Survey Results

The significant changes which have occurred in the competitive scenario in which fashion companies operate, combined with deep transformation in the lifestyles of final consumers, translate into the need to redefine the business models. Starting from a general overview of the emerging trends today affecting the fashion industry, the paper will devote particular attention to the analysis of the most important phenomena that are influencing this market and the drivers for long-lasting competitiveness: sustainability and attention to the so-called circular economy. According to the literature, from the consumer behavior’s point of view, the younger generations are paying growing attention to these issues. In light of these considerations, this paper aimed to analyze how sustainability and circular economy principles are influencing the perception of the fashion world among the new generations of consumers. After mapping the emerging trends in the fashion industry and analyzing the role of sustainability from both the demand and supply side, this paper presents the results of a survey conducted through an anonymous questionnaire made in collaboration with Insubria University. The results of the survey describe the students’ behaviour as regards fashion’s emerging trends, with particular attention to sustainability issues and the application of circular economy principles. The survey results were analyzed from both a descriptive and quantitative point of view with the aim to check the different perceptions as regards sustainable fashion and circular economy in fashion, focusing mainly on the so-called Generation Z. The results of the analysis proved to be consistent with the theoretical framework and confirm the relevance of sustainability issues in the fashion industry today in driving the demand of Generation Z, by considering a gender perspective. Moreover, the circular economy is descriptively analyzed with the aim to understand the relevance of the different facets for the entire sample of respondents.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY: INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODELS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

2021 ◽  
Vol 296 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
Olga Garafonova ◽  
◽  
Daria Vietrova ◽  
Olha Marhasova ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Radical Innovations ◽  
Sustainability Strategies ◽  
New Business ◽  
Sustainable Fashion ◽  
The Many ◽  
Key Aspects

Promoting sustainable fashion within the circular economy is an important contemporary topic. Experts in design, consumption, business and industry explain how to approach circularity in fashion production and consumption in different ways. Increasingly, new and existing companies are looking for ways to thrive in a competitive environment through innovative business models, taking into account public opinion and avoiding actions that harm the planet. Trends such as the circular economy, fair trade, and sharing policies are among the many new approaches to business that address these issues, but there is still a gap between the theory that argues for levels of environmental and social sustainability and the implementation of these strategies in practice. That is why the study of the current state of the circular economy is relevant. This article presents the principles of the circular economy in terms of fashion. The key aspects of the integration of sustainable development in the fashion industry are considered. Different approaches of new business models for the circularity of the economy are highlighted. The main directions of implementation of sustainability strategies due to business transformation are identified, which requires the construction of a new level of the system and radical innovations.

Rethinking luxury brands and sustainable fashion business models in a risk society

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Posi Olatubosun ◽  
Erica Charles ◽  
Tolulope Omoyele
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Risk Society ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Sustainable Fashion

This exploratory work investigates the burgeoning integration of ‘cradle to cradle’ practices into primary strategic activities of procurement, production and sales by ten London based fashion businesses, analysing how profits are derived from offsetting the high costs of sustainable inputs against savings from innovative strategic choices in the production value chain. This research was influenced by the background knowledge that in the global fashion industry, less than 1 per cent of the recycled textiles are converted into new wearable materials, and even more of these textiles end up in landfills. However, this unsustainable tradition in the fashion industry may gradually give way to a mainstream circular economic best practice in the fashion industry, even as the Mckinsey Report found that sustainability will be a significant factor for consumer purchasing mass market apparels by 2025. Based on the semi-structured interview of the ten fashion business owners and the analyses of internal strategic policy documents including budgets, we adopted Garret Hardin’s ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ and Ulrich Beck’s risk society as the lens view through which the qualitative data derived from these fashion businesses were discussed in order to bring out the illustrative extracts and sub-themes. Through the application of interpretive methodological approach, we were able to generate the themes suggesting the ‘Becksian’ reflexive modernization and dis-embedding mechanisms in analysing the issue of trust in luxury fashion environment. We were able to demonstrate the multidisciplinary and multifaceted nature of the use of modern technology in achieving a closed-loop circular economy in luxury fashion business(es) and its interconnectedness within the concentric layers of the value-chain, which is part of the economy, which is in turn a subset of the society and the environment. As businesses are expected to adapt their strategies to the changing environment, we argue that dematerialization in fashion is still at its infancy, and some deliberate actions on the part of economic policy-makers may be required in due course as this is connected to social sustainability amongst others. This article contributes new empirical data to the understanding of luxury fashion business in a circular economy, which is a departure from the linear economy with its attendant externalities. The adoption of a sustainable fashion business model may be pivotal to combating the inefficiency costs built into the fashion industry, and if successful, may be replicated in other jurisdictions in due course.

Emerging Industrial Revolution: Symbiosis of Industry 4.0 and Circular Economy: The Role of Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seeram Ramakrishna ◽  
Alfred Ngowi ◽  
Henk De Jager ◽  
Bankole O. Awuzie
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Jobs

Growing consumerism and population worldwide raises concerns about society’s sustainability aspirations. This has led to calls for concerted efforts to shift from the linear economy to a circular economy (CE), which are gaining momentum globally. CE approaches lead to a zero-waste scenario of economic growth and sustainable development. These approaches are based on semi-scientific and empirical concepts with technologies enabling 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and 6Rs (reuse, recycle, redesign, remanufacture, reduce, recover). Studies estimate that the transition to a CE would save the world in excess of a trillion dollars annually while creating new jobs, business opportunities and economic growth. The emerging industrial revolution will enhance the symbiotic pursuit of new technologies and CE to transform extant production systems and business models for sustainability. This article examines the trends, availability and readiness of fourth industrial revolution (4IR or industry 4.0) technologies (for example, Internet of Things [IoT], artificial intelligence [AI] and nanotechnology) to support and promote CE transitions within the higher education institutional context. Furthermore, it elucidates the role of universities as living laboratories for experimenting the utility of industry 4.0 technologies in driving the shift towards CE futures. The article concludes that universities should play a pivotal role in engendering CE transitions.

scholarly journals The Role of Simulation and Serious Games in Teaching Concepts on Circular Economy and Sustainable Energy

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1138
Author(s):  
Rocio de la Torre ◽  
Bhakti S. Onggo ◽  
Canan G. Corlu ◽  
Maria Nogal ◽  
Angel A. Juan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
University Management ◽  
Teaching Methodologies ◽  
The Will

The prevailing need for a more sustainable management of natural resources depends not only on the decisions made by governments and the will of the population, but also on the knowledge of the role of energy in our society and the relevance of preserving natural resources. In this sense, critical work is being done to instill key concepts—such as the circular economy and sustainable energy—in higher education institutions. In this way, it is expected that future professionals and managers will be aware of the importance of energy optimization, and will learn a series of computational methods that can support the decision-making process. In the context of higher education, this paper reviews the main trends and challenges related to the concepts of circular economy and sustainable energy. Besides, we analyze the role of simulation and serious games as a learning tool for the aforementioned concepts. Finally, the paper provides insights and discusses open research opportunities regarding the use of these computational tools to incorporate circular economy concepts in higher education degrees. Our findings show that, while efforts are being made to include these concepts in current programs, there is still much work to be done, especially from the point of view of university management. In addition, the analysis of the teaching methodologies analyzed shows that, although their implementation has been successful in favoring the active learning of students, their use (especially that of serious games) is not yet widespread.

“Enabling circular business models in the fashion industry: the role of digital innovation”

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phuc Hong Huynh
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Chain Model ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Radical Innovations

PurposeDigital innovation and circular business model innovation are two critical enablers of a circular economy. A wide variety of digital technologies such as blockchain, 3D printing, cyber-physical systems, or big data also diverges the applications of digital technologies in circular business models. Given heterogeneous attributes of circular business models and digital technologies, the selections of digital technologies and circular business models might be highly distinctive within and between sectorial contexts. This paper examines digital circular business models in the context of the fashion industry and its multiple actors. This industry as the world’s second polluting industry requires an urgent circular economy (CE) transition with less resource consumption, lower waste emissions and a more stable economy.Design/methodology/approachAn inductive, exploratory multiple-case study method is employed to investigate the ten cases of different sized fashion companies (i.e. large, small medium-sized firm (SME) and startup firms). The comparison across cases is conducted to understand fashion firms' distinct behaviours in adopting various digital circular economy strategies.FindingsThe paper presents three archetypes of digital-based circular business models in the fashion industry: the blockchain-based supply chain model, the service-based model and the pull demand-driven model. Besides incremental innovations, the radical business model and digital innovations as presented in the pull demand-driven model may be crucial to the fashion circular economy transition. The pull demand–driven model may shift the economy from scales to scopes, change the whole process of how the fashion items are forecasted, produced, and used, and reform consumer behaviours. The paths of adopting digital fashion circular business models are also different among large, SMEs and startup fashion firms.Practical implicationsThe study provides business managers with empirical insights on how circular business models (CBMs) should be chosen according to intrinsic business capacities, technological competences and CE strategies. The emerging trends of new fashion markets (e.g. rental, subscription) and consumers' sustainable awareness should be not be neglected. Moreover, besides adopting recycling and reuse strategies, large fashion incumbents consider collaborating with other technology suppliers and startup companies to incubate more radical innovations.Social implicationsAppropriate policies and regulations should be enacted to enable the digital CE transition. Market patterns and consumer acceptances are considered highly challenging to these digital fashion models. A balanced policy on both the demand and supply sides are suggested. The one-side policy may fail CBMs that entail an upside-down collaboration of both producers and consumers. Moreover, it is perhaps time to rethink how to reduce unnecessary new demand rather than repeatedly producing and recycling.Originality/valueThe pace of CE research is lagging far behind the accelerating environmental contamination by the fashion industry. The study aims to narrow the gap between theory and practice to harmonise fashion firms' orchestration and accelerate the transition of the fashion industry towards the CE. This study examines diverse types of digital technologies in different circular business models in a homogeneous context of the fashion industry with heterogeneous firm types.

scholarly journals PREFERENCES OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN CONSUMERS IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-110
Author(s):  
Judit Olah ◽  
Adriana Tiron Tudor ◽  
Vadim Pashkus ◽  
Genady Alpatov
Keyword(s):  
Generation X ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Central European ◽  
Generation Z ◽  
Contingency Coefficient ◽  
Chi Square Test

Research background: Consumers’ interest in environmental responsibility, sustainable consumption, and the circular economy is significantly increasing in all aspects of their lives. Clothing and fashion are clearly among these aspects. The fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive and environmentally polluting industries. Circularity has been offered as a solution to this issue; however, the change must be in the attitudes of all concerned (Musova et al., 2021b). Businesses must react to this requirement for sustainable fashion, which is the reason that new circular concepts have been raised. Different generations prefer different models of circularity. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the current study is to detect the existence of dependency between generation and the fashion industry’s circular models, and to identify consumers’ specific preferences. Methods: The original consumer survey was undertaken by the authors in 2021, and involved 513 Slovak and 974 Czech consumers, who responded on their preferences in the circular economy. Pearson’s chi-square test of independence was used to confirm the dependence between consumers’ generation and the circular concept. The significant medium dependence of the nominal variables was confirmed by Pearson’s contingency coefficient, C, and Cramer's V. The relationships between the generation categories of Central European consumers and the categories of the new circular models in the fashion industry were established through correspondence analysis. Findings & Value added: The findings of the study suggest that Baby boomers single out capsule wardrobes, Generation X prefers patchwork and slow fashion, while Millennials prioritise GOTS and SWAP. Finally, Generation Z favours leasing jeans, upcycling, and renting clothes.

A triple-trickle theory for sustainable fashion adoption: the rise of a luxury trend

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Mohr ◽  
Leonora Fuxman ◽  
Ali B. Mahmoud
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Product Positioning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Common Basis ◽  
Generation Z ◽  
Sustainable Fashion ◽  
Media And Technology ◽  
Conceptual Foundations ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis article critically synthesizes the literature on sustainable fashion, the movement behind it and plausible fashion adoption theories. Then, to build on those studies, developing a new theory about adopting sustainable fashion – mainly among millennials and Generation Z who are behind forwarding and adopting this fashion trend – is sought after.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theory-synthesized conceptual article that presents a literature-informed new theoretical structure pronouncing sustainable fashion adoption and its rise as a new luxury trend. That included explicating and unraveling the conceptual foundations and construction elements that different viewpoints use to articulate the trend under investigation and the searches for a common basis to construct a new and improved conceptual framework.FindingsThis study introduces the triple-trickle theory that incorporates the role of media and technology to organize and understand the diffusion of sustainable fashion and identify paths for future trickle-effects on fashion research.Research limitations/implicationsEven though this has the benefit of offering a vast array of views and evidence that offers an adequate problem inspection, further studies providing empirical evidence are needed to establish the external validity of the theory derived from this research.Practical implicationsThis theory can be applied to develop targeted practices to understand the diffusion and adoption of sustainable fashion and further practitioners’ understanding of product positioning, target marketing, marketing strategy and luxury opportunities in general.Originality/valueThough interest in sustainable fashion has increased among consumers, no theory or model exists to explain its adoption. Therefore, the triple-trickle theory is proposed and aimed to be a more relevant framework to offer a theoretical premise for future empirical investigations of sustainable fashion adoption.

scholarly journals Transitioning Toward a Circular Economy: The Impact of Stakeholder Engagement on Sustainability Culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela M. Salvioni ◽  
Alex Almici
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
The Impact

The circular economy transition increasingly points to the need for a change in corporate culture, namely toward sustainability. This change can be supported by improving relations with relevant stakeholders, engaging comprehensively with them, and creating strong awareness about issues such as ecosystem protection, health-related safeguards, and the careful use of resources. In this regard, through stakeholder engagement and a review of traditional business models, the circular economy can contribute to transforming the corporate culture to ensure the concurrent enhancement of economic, social, and environmental dimensions. This study verified the role of stakeholder engagement in establishing and strengthening the sustainability culture in a company transitioning toward a circular economy. The case study research methodology was applied, referencing a single firm—operating in the oil and energy industry—representing one of the best practices in the international context, even if some efforts are still required to reduce downstream emissions. The findings underline the contributing role played by stakeholder engagement in establishing values and principles compliant with environmental protection and community wellbeing. Thus, this study contributes to the existing stakeholder engagement literature and sheds light on the practical implications and emerging issues.

scholarly journals How to Carry out the Transition towards a More Circular Tourist Activity in the Hotel Sector. The Role of Innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Florido ◽  
Marta Jacob ◽  
Margarita Payeras
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tourism Destination ◽  
Circular Model ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Great Pressure ◽  
Hotel Sector

Tourism causes important environmental impacts and can generate great pressure on local resources, such as land, water, energy and food, generating large amounts of waste, as well as problems of congestion, noise and air pollution. The circular economy is presented as an alternative model to the linear model, which recognizes the fundamental role of the environment, its functions and the interaction between the environment and the economic system. The hotel sector and the tourism sector in general, have been criticized for not adequately addressing environmental problems and global warming. In order to carry out the transition to a circular economy (CE), it is essential to innovate in business models, designing a circular business model. The objective of this work is to design guidelines on possible actions and opportunities that allow us to carry out a successful transition towards a circular model in hotel companies, as well as to design a model for this transition in a tourism destination, analyzing the roles of the different agents in this transition. Findings identified the main opportunities and benefits of this transition in the hotel sector and describes a three-axis model to carry out this transition in a tourism destination, identifying the roles of public administrations and DMOs, resident population and the tourism sector. Future research implications are also discussed.

scholarly journals National oil companies: business models, challenges, and emerging trends

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 713-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saud M. Al-Fattah
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Joint Venture ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
National Oil Companies ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Oil Company ◽  
Gas Supply

This paper provides an assessment and a review of the national oil companies’ (NOCs) business models, challenges and opportunities, their strategies and emerging trends. The role of the national oil company (NOC) continues to evolve as the global energy landscape changes to reflect variations in demand, discovery of new ultra-deep water oil deposits, and national and geopolitical developments. NOCs, traditionally viewed as the custodians of their country’s natural resources, have generally owned and managed the complete national oil and gas supply chain from upstream to downstream activities. In recent years, NOCs have emerged not only as joint venture partners globally with the major oil companies, but increasingly as competitors to the International Oil Companies (IOCs). Many NOCs are now more active in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), thereby increasing the number of NOCs seeking international upstream and downstream acquisition and asset targets

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