Some 25% of UK shoppers are vowing to make ethical shopping decisions in 2020, as sustainability and fast fashion continue to be talking points across the globe.
The nationwide survey, conducted by Ginger Comms for by Voucher Shares, asked more than 1500 British consumers about their current shopping habits. As sustainability continues to be a hot topic across retail with Fast Fashion often being criticised for its impact on the environment, it seems British consumers can’t resist as the study found 48% regularly buy several outfits online for a single event and over a fifth admit they frequently buy fashion items that are identical to ones they already own.
According to separate data from Wrap, it is estimated that more than £140 million worth of clothing ends up in landfill with the average clothing item having a life cycle of just 2.2 years. Voucher Shares research found that around 11% of people surveyed threw unworn items in the bin. However, the research also found that whilst British consumers are likely to spend their money on cheap clothing, 63% of women and 48% of men admit to feeling guilty about buying fast fashion.
Tanya Larsen, CEO of Voucher Shares explains: “Fast fashion and its impact on the environment is often heavily criticised and with climate change being such a significant topic, we wanted to highlight the shopping habits of British consumers. It’s encouraging to see that people do intend to shop more sustainably this year as more environmentally conscious consumers want their shopping choices to offset climate change.”
Larsen adds: “As a business we’re committed to promoting sustainable shopping practices. We want more retailers and consumers relish platforms such as ours to give something back as they shop.and we are proud to support the World Land Trust (WLT), an international conservation charity that funds the creation of reserves, providing permanent protection for the world’s most biologically significant habitats and wildlife acre by acre.”
