Changing our ranging process accelerates our impact.
This week I was asked; ”where do we need to come in to the range process in order to make the biggest impact?” And the answer is; From the very beginning.
Historically, that’s a big ask for a brand, wanting to come in at the planning stage rather than being briefed when the range has been signed off to sampling.
Manufacturing is such an essential part of the brand product process that waiting until after your product has been designed to bring in that expertise limits your capacity to make lasting change. It also effects a brand’s ability to move towards a lower waste economy. It is estimated that between 15-25% of fabric is left on the cutting room floor, that’s 15-25% of your fabric cost! As well as 15-25% of emissions!
Understanding the type of product from the offset, being a split short or a 2in1, means that we can help you assess your sustainable apparel goals and provide your designers and developers with the information they need to make products that achieve the desired sell through and reduce the impact we have on the environment.
We can also advise what resources are going to be needed to achieve those goals. Our resources are not infinite and changes will need to happen in order to keep our systems in equilibrium. Rather than looking at it from a demand perspective, we can take a holistic view around what is achievable. I can practically see all merchandisers recoil at the paragraph! But we can drive up demand for full price products, rather than driving a bottom out price point through sales.
Brands will still require profitability, not only to continue, but also to do good. It’s no longer enough to simply give money to other organisations in the hope that they will be able to do the work for you. Such as investing in the ETI but not implementing changes within your own organisations. We can still be profitable, sustainable businesses.
The future is there for all of us, through collaboration and common goals. The future is a bright green!
