Wholesale can be a powerful way for sustainable brands to scale their operations and reach new customers. However, to make wholesale a sustainable part of your business model, it's essential to think carefully about the practices and partners you choose, whether you are a small-scale designer brand or a high-end brand.
First of All, What to Consider?
1. Type of Retailers
One key consideration is the type of retailers you work with. Look for partners who share your sustainability values and prioritize ethical and responsible practices. For example, you might seek out retailers who focus on sustainable fashion or are committed to reducing waste. By working with like-minded partners, you can help ensure that your products are sold in a way that aligns with your brand's values and reduces waste.
2. Production Process
Another important factor is the production process itself. Traditional wholesale practices often involve large batches of products that can result in excess inventory and waste. Instead, consider adopting a "slow fashion" approach, where you produce products in smaller batches and only restock when needed. This can help you reduce waste and ensure you're only producing what you need to meet demand.
3. Product Creation
Finally, focus on creating products that are designed to last longer and have a lower environmental impact. This might involve using sustainable materials, avoiding harmful chemicals, and designing products that can be repaired or recycled at the end of their lifecycle. By prioritizing sustainability in your product design, you can help reduce waste and ensure that your products positively impact the environment. So, it's possible to make it a sustainable part of your business model by working with the right partners, adopting a "slow fashion" approach to production, and prioritizing sustainability in your product design.
What About Small-Scaled Designer Brands?
What is bothering me is whether is it possible to be sustainable considering every step. Sustainability is an important issue for any business, and it can be especially challenging for small-scale designer brands looking to enter the wholesale market. One of the biggest challenges is balancing the need to produce enough inventory to meet demand with the desire to minimize waste and overproduction.
A few strategies can be considered for small-scale designer brands to address sustainability and wholesale challenges:
1. Adopt a sustainable production process:
This can include using eco-friendly materials, reducing energy consumption during production, and minimizing waste through recycling and upcycling. This not only helps to reduce the brand's carbon footprint but also appeals to consumers who prioritize sustainability.
2. Implement a made-to-order model:
Instead of producing large quantities of inventory upfront, consider offering a made-to-order model where items are produced only when they are ordered. This helps to reduce waste and overproduction and also allows for more flexibility in terms of customization and personalization.
3. Collaborate with like-minded wholesale partners:
Seek wholesale partners that share your sustainability values and can help promote your brand's commitment to sustainability. This can include retailers with a strong sustainability focus or online marketplaces that specialize in a sustainable fashion. If one does not want to consider wholesale and did not get along with like-minded wholesale partners about sustainability, selling it on your own is an option as well. When one wants to enter the wholesale process, it should be ordered previously, and it should be in the season, so the producer cannot choose when to produce and what is more efficient in order to have a sustainable process.
4. Use data and analytics to inform production decisions:
By analyzing sales data and customer feedback, small-scale designer brands can better understand demand and adjust production accordingly. This helps to reduce overproduction and ensure that inventory is being produced in a sustainable and responsible way.
5. Invest in education and transparency:
Educate customers and wholesale partners about your brand's sustainability practices and the steps you're taking to reduce waste and minimize your impact on the environment. This can help to build trust and loyalty among consumers who value sustainability.
Challenges of Sustainability
Considering all our examples and information above, we can say that it is a process full of challenges. For example, some retailers may be hesitant to carry sustainable products due to concerns about pricing, perceived quality, or lack of demand from customers. Additionally, sustainable brands may have higher production costs than traditional brands, which can make it more difficult to offer competitive wholesale pricing.
That being said, there are many retailers who are actively seeking out sustainable products to carry in their stores, and the demand for sustainable and ethical products is growing among consumers. As a result, many sustainable brands are finding success in the wholesale market and are able to build relationships with retailers who share their values and commitment to sustainability.
Overall, while there may be some challenges for sustainable brands in the wholesale market, many are finding ways to succeed and build partnerships with retailers who share their vision for a more sustainable future.
Image Credit: Mara Hoffman
Solution for Everyone: JOOR
Joor is a New York-based technology company that provides a digital platform for wholesale buying and selling in the fashion industry. Their platform connects brands and retailers, streamlines the buying process, and provides real-time data insights to both parties.
In terms of sustainability in fashion, Joor has taken several steps to reduce its environmental impact. For example, they have implemented a paperless office policy and encourage their employees to use public transportation or bike to work. They have also created a Sustainability Committee that focuses on reducing the company's carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices within the fashion industry.
Joor has also launched several initiatives to help its clients reduce waste and improve their sustainability practices. For instance, they have partnered with a company called ByFusion to turn plastic waste into building blocks for construction. They have also created a digital showroom feature that enables brands to showcase their collections without the need for physical samples, reducing waste and carbon emissions associated with shipping and travel.
Trend or Eternal Evolution?
Sustainability is both a trend and an evolution in the fashion and luxury products industry. While there is certainly a trend towards sustainability in the industry, with more and more consumers demanding sustainable products and practices, sustainability is also driving a larger evolution in the industry, as companies rethink their business models, supply chains, and production processes to become more sustainable.
The fashion and luxury products industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and as a result, there is increasing pressure for companies to adopt more sustainable practices. This has led to a growing trend towards sustainable fashion and luxury products, with companies adopting more eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, and minimizing their carbon footprint. Also, people now expect brands to have a sustainable pack considering every stage of a product.
However, sustainability is also driving a larger evolution in the industry, as companies recognize that they need to fundamentally change the way they do business in order to become more sustainable. This includes rethinking their entire supply chain, from sourcing materials to production processes to distribution, and finding new ways to create value that are more sustainable and socially responsible.
We can say that while sustainability is certainly a trend in the fashion and luxury products industry, it is also driving a larger evolution in the industry towards more sustainable and responsible practices.
Image Credit: By Walid
Comments