Lenzing Group (Lenzing), a worldwide chief in sustainably produced wooden-based mostly specialty fibers, introduced findings from its Global Consumer Perception Survey on Sustainable Raw Materials in Fashion and Home Textiles.
The survey, which was carried out in early 2020, assessed the perceptions and behaviors of acutely aware shoppers in the direction of sustainable clothing and home textile merchandise, in addition to their views in the direction of sustainable uncooked supplies and product options.
To perceive consumer curiosity in sustainable supplies and their present data, a complete of 9,000 respondents throughout 9 international locations aged between 18 and 64 had been surveyed utilizing on-line questionnaires. The key findings of the survey offered a glimpse into consumer habits in the direction of pursuing a sustainable life-style, their data of the uncooked supplies utilized in clothing and home textile merchandise, their notion in the direction of brands, and most popular product descriptions.
The findings additionally mirrored the approaching want for nearer collaboration inside the clothing and home textile industries to present shoppers with extra clear details about the merchandise they buy, so as to improve consumer trust and maximize enterprise potential.
Three key findings of the survey are outlined under:
– Conscious Consumers actively interact in pursuing a sustainable life-style and are always educating themselves about uncooked supplies – Almost all (86 p.c) respondents consider buying garments made out of sustainable uncooked supplies is a key element of dwelling a extra sustainable life-style, and they continuously buy merchandise from brands which are dedicated to utilizing sustainable uncooked supplies (80 p.c) or recycled supplies (77 p.c) of their merchandise. The survey additionally revealed that majority of respondents actively study sustainability via researching the manufacturing technique of merchandise earlier than buying (76 p.c in clothing and 74 p.c in bedding and home textiles). They additionally have a tendency to learn label hangtags (88 p.c in clothing and 86 p.c in bedding and home textiles), and most respondents are prepared to pay a mean of 40 perceent extra for clothing or home textile merchandise with descriptions that mirror sustainability.
When procuring for clothing and home textile merchandise, respondents take into account the fabric sort to be their most essential consideration (ranked within the high three elements for consideration by 44 p.c of respondents), which is above value, design, model status and perform.
– Products described as ‘Eco-friendly’ or ‘Natural’ with a ‘Biodegradable’ or ‘Recyclable’ afterlife enchantment to shoppers – When requested about definition of sustainable clothing, respondents thought-about merchandise being processed or manufactured utilizing humane, eco-accountable manufacturing processes and merchandise made out of pure, natural or botanic supplies as high concerns. Over 80 p.c of respondents expressed that they’re “extremely interested” or ‘very interested’ in sustainable vogue and buying clothing made out of sustainable uncooked supplies.
When requested about their choice for clothing and home textile merchandise, half of the respondents stated they might be extra seemingly to buy a product described as ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘natural’, whereas over 60 p.c of respondents are extra seemingly to buy merchandise with a ‘recyclable’ or ‘biodegradable’ afterlife. Given the recognition of such phrases, there are alternatives for brands to present extra descriptions and larger readability to the supplies, manufacturing processes and product afterlife info to their merchandise as consumer training.
– Brands with larger transparency on uncooked supplies and substances can acquire consumer trust – Most respondents thought-about brands which are clear with their substances (83 p.c) and the origin of their uncooked supplies (82 p.c) as reliable. At the identical time, respondents additionally take into account brands which are clear about their manufacturing processes (82 p.c), sustainable practices (81 p.c) and the place their uncooked supplies come from (82 p.c) as trusted brands. While respondents believed that understanding what uncooked supplies had been used of their clothing and home textile merchandise is essential to construct confidence in a model (87 p.c), in addition they believed that understanding the model’s environmental affect when deciding to buy (87 p.c) is crucial.
“The findings of this survey prove the value of Lenzing’s ongoing efforts in driving the sustainability dialogue across the textile supply chain, from yarn makers to consumer brands. Based on the survey, we gained a more comprehensive understanding of consumer perceptions globally. The rating of material type being the top consideration factor when shopping for clothing and home textile products has also echoed our belief that consumers value and actively look out for sustainable products. This survey provided us, our partners and brands with insights to curate more targeted strategies and programs to drive sustainability, not only on raw materials, but also product afterlife. In the long run, we hope to bring optimal value for the clothing and home textiles industry supply chain and help brands achieve new heights, drive sustainability and safeguard our planet,” stated Florian Heubrandner, Vice President of Global Business Management Textiles at Lenzing.
Collaboration within the vogue and textile business is important for driving larger transparency
Though sustainability has been a scorching subject amongst brands, to improve transparency, there is nonetheless room for the availability chain to evolve communications on uncooked supplies, manufacturing course of and product afterlife. Given shoppers are already actively looking for sustainable merchandise, it is essential for the business and brands to revolutionize how technical data is translated into consumer language on web sites, product tags and labels.
To drive change, Lenzing has been taking the lead with a 3-pillar strategy to enhance business collaboration and shift in the direction of sustainability by making certain a better diploma of transparency and enabling verification of uncooked materials origin from manufacturing course of to last garment. The three-pillar strategy covers particular fiber identification expertise, a blockchain-based mostly monitoring system, and proactive provide chain collaboration and planning. Such strategy is additionally complemented by Lenzing’s bespoke e-branding platform for producers and brands, offering one-cease help for cloth certification, together with cloth testing, identification numbers and hangtags to provide reassurance that sustainability is in each step of the availability chain.
“We are thrilled to see more consumers embrace a sustainable fashion lifestyle by making informed purchases based on research and reading product labels. With rising consumer expectations towards sustainability, over the past few years, we have been transforming and upgrading the TENCEL™ brand experience through proactive engagement programs on sustainable cellulosic fibers,” stated Harold Weghorst, Vice President of Global Brand Management at Lenzing.
“Consumer interest in eco-friendly and biodegradable products aligns with our ongoing commitment to bring brands and consumers more sustainable and biodegradable options to the clothing and home textile industries. Derived from sustainably sourced wood, TENCEL™ branded fibers offer breathability, quality and biodegradability to clothing and home textile fabrics that are used in our everyday lives. While we continue to advocate for innovation in sustainable raw materials, we will continue to go beyond fibers and look for new ways to engage brands and consumers, enabling them to embrace sustainability anytime, anywhere,” added Weghorst.
The survey is commissioned by Lenzing in partnership with Wakefield Research, a market analysis agency, surveyed on-line a complete of 9,000 respondents aged between 18 and 64 from 9 international locations together with China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Turkey, Germany, U.Okay. and the U.S. in early 2020.