So, it’s been a week when Shein has never been far from the news. Firstly with a pitiful account of itself in front of the government committee, and then the fallout and discussions on why customers shop with them, will they continue to shop with them, and what will it take for them ever to change?
Aside from the very serious ethical concerns surrounding Shein, what the media buzz also did was to generate some fascinating conversations around the materials that are used by the brand, by other fast fashion brands, as well as the wider fashion industry.
One particular thread which explained in great detail the ‘pros and cons’ of polyester and recycled polyester was totally fascinating and enlightening. It certainly raised a red flag for me. The consensus of evidence and opinion was that recycled is just as bad as virgin polyester, and in-fact worse in some scenarios.
As I left these discussions with a full head of facts and data, I came to 2 conclusions.
Firstly, that there are some extraordinary people involved in the sustainable fashion business, designing, sourcing and transforming supply chains. I am totally in awe of them. The knowledge out there in this community is incredible. The facts are detailed and painstakingly researched, convincing, believable and should make anyone sit up and listen.
My second conclusion was that there is very little chance that customers who buy from fast fashion will actually sit up and listen to this incredible and convincing body of evidence.
I believe it is not so much that the ‘Devil is in the detail’ as the old retail mantra goes. But that the ‘Devil is the Detail.’
After the Shein appearance in front of the committee, and the subsequent interviewing of customers on the streets, it seems clear that the average customer, the vast majority of customers, simply do not have the time or the inclination to read and understand the detailed reasoning as to why they should not buy products made from harmful materials, unethical processes and dishonest businesses.
In particularly, when at the shopping coal face, at the point of purchase, in a shop or online, when the personal economics of low prices, and the excitement of new products, come together to create this irresistible cocktail of temptation, then the reading of transparent supply chain details and product material breakdowns on tickets and webpages, is not going to change anyone’s buying decisions. No matter how compelling the argument. Most people will not even read the information.
The change will come. But it will come from the customer listening to and trusting the messenger, not from listening to the message itself.
That might sound sad. It might seem defeatist to think that the millions of customers who need this most, will never read the millions of words and data that would convince them to change their shopping habits.
They say ‘the end justifies the means!’ Well, the end is what we all want to see, because the end is this case, is an end to damaging and exploitative consumerism and the brands pushing it.
This end might not be achieved by the means we would ideally like to see, but it is an end to grasp however we arrive at it.
As a sustainable community, we need to elevate charismatic, convincing, trustworthy and irresistible influencers into the public domain. Witnesses who resonate with customers. Who will be able to help us all to make the right verdicts on the brands we buy from, and the products we buy.
We need some David Attenborough’s of the consumer world.
Having listened to all of those amazing people on LinkedIn recently, with so much knowledge, and yes, with so much passion and charisma, I have no doubt that the sustainable community has such influencers within it.
We need a media shift in elevating and promoting these key witnesses, rather than just relaying the evidence. The evidence is after all, what is behind their authority, their conviction, and their powers to persuade and convince.
The data has done its job!