Who are the biggest consumers of fast fashion?
The target audience for fast fashion retailers are largely consumers aged 18 and 24 who are often students with low incomes (Lam etal., 2016). Females of this age group are found to shop in fast fashion retailers more often than any other demographic group.
The countries that account for the majority of this apparel demand are the United States and China, both generating substantially higher revenues than any other country. It is perhaps no surprise that the same two countries play a significant role in international trade.
- Fashion Forward consumers: who look for latest trends and styles.
- Traditional consumers: who prefer to have a conservative look in their garments.
- Value driven consumers: who seek more value and comfort in their apparels, rather than fashionable looks.
In a revealing 2020 Vogue Business survey, more than half of the 105 members of Gen Z surveyed reported buying "most of their clothes" from fast-fashion brands. Shein alone earned almost $10 billion in 2020 — its eighth consecutive year of revenue growth over 100 percent.
Fast fashion comprises cheaply and rapidly mass-produced clothes that aim to keep up with ever-changing fashion trends on the high street. Its business model enables consumers to buy a higher volume of clothes due to their low-cost and for demand to be fed through rapidly changing fashion lines and ranges.
Research Results
By age group, most fast fashion shoppers were between the ages of 18 and 24. Of that age group, 147 out of 157 female respondents stated that they shopped at a fast fashion company. Out of 135 men in this age group, 115 said they consistently shopped at a fast fashion location.
Studies show that young women are some of the biggest culprits of fast-fashion culture – buying 50 to 60 items a year and not even wearing one in seven of them. The fast-fashion market continues to weather the global storm kicked up by climate-change awareness.
The target audience for fast fashion retailers are largely consumers aged 18 and 24 who are often students with low incomes (Lam etal., 2016). Females of this age group are found to shop in fast fashion retailers more often than any other demographic group.
Another critical trend in the fashion and apparel industry is that today's consumers want to buy from brands with a mission. They expect brands to care about employees, fight for social and environmental issues, and be transparent about what they've done to protect the planet.
In today's fashion space, the customer has more power and influence over product lines and design than ever before. This power and influence is wielded through purchasing trendy pieces, as well as online reviews and other forums for feedback within the digital marketplace.
What does Generation Z like to buy?
According to a 2021 Consumer Culture Report by 5WPR, Gen Z is prioritizing electronics and technology along with health and wellness. Conversely, Millennials and those from older generations prioritize travel and experiences, home goods, and furniture.
Also, in a 2019 survey by First Insight, it was shown that 73% of Gen Z consumers surveyed were willing to pay more for sustainable products, more than every other generation. Gen Z are becoming increasingly eco conscious.
It should also be noted that Millennial females are far more likely than their younger counterparts to say they're not interested in any of the fashion trends listed. Millennials are, as we are always saying, getting older, and many Millennial females aren't as interested in trend-chasing as they once might have been.
Consumers demand new, affordable, and fashionable clothes available in high-street stores every week. The fast fashion industry plays a huge role in the global economy. It employs 300 million people around the world. It offers jobs to farmers and workers in the poorest countries.
Major players in the fast-fashion market include Zara, H&M Group, UNIQLO, GAP, Forever 21, Topshop, Esprit, Primark, Fashion Nova, and New Look. Many companies are both retailers and manufacturers, though they often outsource the actual production of clothing (see "The Disadvantages of Fast Fashion").
Compared to the prestigious fashion brands that have just few fashion collections in the course of the year, fast fashion businesses offer their customers a lot more fashion collections during the year at more affordable prices. Consumers can buy more for less, but they keep up with the latest fashion trends.
First, the clothing is incredibly cheap, which makes it easy to buy. Second, new deliveries to stores are frequent, which means customers always have something new to look at and desire.
Millennials' favorite brands include Glossier and Veja — who make makeup and skincare products, and higher-end sneakers, respectively, and don't sell clothes — and two affordable, if generic, clothing retailers: Everlane and H&M.
An Untapped Market
The rise of Y2K and 70s-inspired silhouettes has helped grow demand for vintage yet accessibly priced finds. But fast fashion brands still remain a go-to source of current trends, even among Gen-Z consumers engaged in ostensibly more sustainable shopping habits like resale.
Data from the market research firm Mintel suggests that Gen Z out-consumes older generations when it comes to fashion purchases: 64% of British 16- to 19-year-olds admit to buying clothes they have never worn, compared with 44% of all adults surveyed.
What age is Gen Z?
| Born | Ages | |
|---|---|---|
| Gen Z | 1997 – 2012 | 10 – 25 |
| Millennials | 1981 – 1996 | 26 – 41 |
| Gen X | 1965 – 1980 | 42 – 57 |
| Boomers II* | 1955 – 1964 | 58 – 67 |
In 2021, a new trend began, introducing patterned outfits and pinstriped suits. Patterned clothes are the latest go-for fashion trend among Gen Z. These styles seem casual; however, they are the fashion choice for men's runway shows. They depict simplicity with class and are a watched-out suit trend today.
Research has shown that consumers often buy items from fast fashion brands that are price conscious (such as Zara, Primark, H&M). Purchasing clothes from sustainable brands is not generally present in consumers' behavior, although they show concern for climate change and pollution.
Despite users flooding the comment sections of videos of Shein hauls about these rumors, the company claims it “never engages in child or forced labor.” In addition, its website states: “We regularly evaluate and address human trafficking and slavery risks in product supply chains through in-house inspectors who are ...
Looking Ahead to 2021
Here are a few 2020 shifts that will continue into 2021: Focusing on new consumer values – Clear changes in consumers' perception of health, safety and home. Investment in product experience and innovation to drive growth – Companies need to be ready and to anticipate what's coming.
- Functional Needs. Functional needs are the most tangible and obvious of the three main types of customer needs. ...
- Social Needs. A social need is a customer need that relates to how a person wants to be perceived by others when using a product or service. ...
- Emotional Needs.
- Hoodies Under Blazers.
- Power Bohemian Florals.
- Color Clashing.
- Tractor Trek-Sole Boots.
- Chunky Loafers.
- Academia.
- Hot Goth.
- Y2K Fashion.
In fast fashion, transparency is often the first step towards sustainability. TIPA's compostable pre-made packaging is now available in a stock offering for low quantities. Order your compostable packaging now!
Fashion market research is the process of gathering and analyzing information to gain insights into the fashion industry, which includes its top players, your competitors and mainly, your target market.
But because they aren't built to last and quickly go out of style, these clothes are quickly discarded, piling up in landfills. In addition to environmental issues, fast fashion garments spark a lot of ethical concerns. They are often made in sweatshops where workers are employed for long hours in unsafe conditions.
Who are Gen Z consumers?
Generation Z is broadly defined as the 72 million people born between 1997 and 2012, but Pew Research has recently defined Gen Z as anyone born after 1996.
Unlike older generations, Gen Zers find inspiration for their purchases from a diverse array of sources, looking to shopping websites (51%), social media (47%), friends and family (45%), and brick-and-mortar stores (44%).
Social Media and Online Support
The main reason why Millennials are loyal to their brand is because they have the means to research products and services to determine if efficacy claims are true. According to Futurecast, 40% of millennials refer to online reviews and testimonials before purchasing a product.
Gen Y: Gen Y, or Millennials, were born between 1981 and 1994/6. They are currently between 25 and 40 years old (72.1 million in the U.S.) Gen Y. 1 = 25-29 years old (around 31 million people in the U.S.)
That is why the generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And so it follows that Generation Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.
The reason is that Gen Z — who is now up to age 25 — has made it clear that protecting the environment and combating climate change are a priority for them, not only as consumers but also as employees and even as shareholders and voters,” he said.
- Charli D'Amelio. Charlie D'Amelio is arguably the first TikTok influencer to become globally famous. ...
- Khaby Lame. Khaby Lame lives in Africa and generated TikTok buzz with his one-of-kind reaction videos. ...
- Addison Rae. ...
- JoJo Siwa. ...
- James Charles. ...
- Bretman Rock. ...
- Emma Chamberlain. ...
- MattyBRaps.
Gen Z's fashion choices might stand out from the crowd, but they earned that by going against the grain and making bold choices, UNiDAYS revealed that 56% of Gen Z do not follow fashion trends. 87% of Gen Z agree that great clothes make them feel sexy and 79% state sustainable fashion is important to them.
Generation Z was raised on the internet and spends a significant amount of time using phones, tablets and other mobile devices to connect with friends as well as brands and influencers. They have high expectations for the appearance, functionality and security of the online stores they shop at.
Fashion industry statistics show that the global fast fashion market was estimated at $35.8 billion. We all know why every industry was shaken in 2020. The estimated value of fast fashion in 2020 is $31.4 billion, representing a negative CAGR of –12%.
How much waste is produced from fast fashion?
The continual drive of 'fast fashion' adds to the waste problem, amounting to a staggering 10,000 items of clothing being sent to landfill every five minutes, equivalent to £140 million in value every year3. But it's not just the impact on landfill that's an issue.
- Low Quality. ...
- Negative Environmental impact. ...
- Increased Consumption. ...
- Material Waste. ...
- Increase in consumed energy. ...
- Unsafe Working Conditions. ...
- Negative Impact on Developing Countries. ...
- The Supply Chain.
Uniqlo is a fast-fashion brand that used child labor in the past. They now use forced labor to manufacture their products in Asian developing countries. Factory workers making Uniqlo clothing are forced to work excessively long hours with very low wages, seven days a week.
SHEIN's alarming 'real time fashion' model
“SHEIN represents the worst of the worst for large fashion brands on almost every front,” says Kristian Hardiman, Good On You's head of ratings. Largely because of its total lack of transparency.
When Zara landed in New York at the beginning of the 1990s, people first heard the term 'fast fashion'. It was coined by the New York Times to describe Zara's mission to take only 15 days for a garment to go from the design stage to being sold in stores.
In fact, Zara is known as the original fast fashion brand. The term “fast fashion” was coined by the New York Times in the 1990s to describe the way Zara could take a garment from design to stores in under 15 days.
