Online luxury fashion platform Farfetch has launched an online fashion
footprint tool to help consumers understand how to track the environmental
impact of their purchasing decisions and how their pre-owned and conscious
fashion choices can impact the planet.
The tool, part of Farfetch’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, is
available on its website and will allow consumers, when choosing to make a
purchase, to consider which materials can reduce the environmental impact
of their purchase, and to see the environmental savings of incorporating
pre-owned purchases into their wardrobes.
The aim of the new initiative Farfetch explained is to help empower its
shoppers to “think, act and choose positively” and to ensure that
sustainability remains front-and-centre for consumers.
The fashion footprint tool coincides with the launch of new research,
commissioned by Farfetch in partnership with QSA, ICARO and London Waste
and Recycling Board, which looked at the growth of the pre-owned market in
the UK, the US and China, while examining the average environmental impacts
(carbon, water, waste) for fashion items as well as the displacement rates,
to see what extent shopping pre-owned fashion replaces the need to purchase
new-season items.
Thomas Berry, director of sustainable business at Farfetch, said in a
statement: “Existing data shows that luxury resale represents a 24 billion
US dollar market that is growing four times faster than the primary luxury
market, partly due to consumer interest in sustainable fashion, but data on
resale’s environmental impact is limited.
“Farfetch has been selling a curated selection of pre-owned and vintage
fashion online since 2010, and in 2019 launched two services offering
customers the ability to sell or donate their pre-owned items. We wanted to
better understand the environmental benefits of all these models as we
continue to focus on projects to enable us and our partners to reduce
environmental impacts.”
Farfetch continues to push sustainable initiatives with footprint tool
for pre-owned fashion
Key findings from the report revealed that of the 3,000 people surveyed,
51 percent in the US said over half of their wardrobe is made up of
pre-owned items, this fell slightly to 42 percent in the UK and down to 21
percent in China, however, on average those consumers purchased eight
pre-owned items in 2019.
The US and UK pre-owned buyers purchased more clothing, whereas, in
China, shoppers bought more footwear, jewellery and watches. In terms of
average spend per pre-owned item, China spent the most with 88 US dollars,
the US spent 59 US dollars and British consumers the least at 47 US
dollars.
The top four reason for buying pre-owned were better price, rare item,
environmental reasons, and good past experience, and the report found that
displacement average was 57 percent overall from pre-owned fashion
purchases prevented people buying something new, this was higher in the US
and UK at 65 percent.
When it comes to the environmental impact of buying pre-owned, on
average one pre-loved purchase can save 1 kilogram of waste, 3,040 litres
of water and 22 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
Giorgio Belloli, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Farfetch
added: “With this research, we want to support our partners and more
broadly the luxury industry, in helping to drive positive change. In
addition to the core-business initiatives we are launching within the
sustainability space, we aim to become a source for data and tools in the
circular space to drive this positive change. This marks the first step
into that direction.”
Images: courtesy of Farfetch