Listen to myself, Tim Radley, on the Louise Lally podcast, discussing the world of retail sustainability, from diverse shopping channels, rental & second-hand resell, to on-demand manufacturing & the virtual inventory, and how sustainability, ethical governance and diversity are intrinsically linked.
Join the free podcast now through this link…https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ua8ca-1307ed8
The podcast features a discussion on Elvis & Kresse. Their story is fascinating. Several years ago, they discovered that the London Fire Brigade threw away as waste their used hose pipes. Working together they developed a way to reprocess the rubber and then to hand make beautiful fashion accessories from them. The brand completes the ethical cycle by donating 50% of its profits to charities related to the fire brigade and other raw materials partners.
Elvis & Kress now works with a variety of materials that would usually be regarded as waste, including the leather off-cuts from Burberry. These partnerships have helped the developed the tree word mantra of the brand – RESCUE, TRANSFORM, DONATE.
The brand is also a champion of ‘Slow Fashion.’ This represents the antidote to ‘Fast Fashion.’ Slow fashion takes the time to create products with care, detailing and craftsmanship, products that should be used and cherished for a lifetime, investments for life and not waste to landfill.
So, take a listen to the podcast, discover Elvis & Kresse if you’re not not already familiar with them, and understand how they fit into the wider world of sustainability, ethical trends and retail strategies.
I’ll also explain and illustrate with best practice examples, the important areas that all retailers should consider when considering their retail strategies & sustainable propositions, their choice of suppliers, how to mix rental, re-sell, and on-demand and how to run shops in a responsible way.
Topics in the interview also include:
“What is sustainability?”
“The core of sustainability – buying less stuff & producing less stuff!”
“Different ways to the ethical market – rental, resale, re-use”
“The rise of the home stylist – making the most of your wardrobe”
“Re-educating the customer to appreciate and use products in better ways”
“Ways that smaller independent retailers can be sustainable”
“Sustainable accreditation and the problem of brand transparency & greenwashing”
“The link between sustainability and ethics – ‘Patagonia selling itself to a trust to ensure profits go to good causes”
“Upcycling and creating collectable product marketplaces”
‘Loanhood and the communities across sustainability – interactive lenders & borrowers, buyers & sellers’
‘New approaches to inventory and the supply chain – committed, bespoke, virtual and instant inventory’
On-demand, digital printing, instant inventory and non-ownership’
This is the final one of 4 exclusive interviews Tim is giving during October. Other interviews cover:
- ‘Experiential Retailing’ & Shop concepts
- Visual merchandising & shop design
- The new world for Retail people