Sustainable and ethical fashion : study about the retail practices in the Dutch Fashion Industry

The fashion sector plays a vital role in human life by fulfilling the fundamental requirements of clothing as well as various economic benefits by trade and jobs to the society. One of the most commonly used terminologies of today’s apparel industry is sustainable apparel/fashion. Sustainable fashion, however, goes beyond the wave of eco-friendly and socially conscious brands, by meeting future consumer demands for sustainable fashion. . The sustainable entrepreneurs in this industry are categorised into two types: Emerging Davids (new entrants) and Greening Goliath’s (incumbents). However, the efforts of these new entrants in managing their supply chain sustainably are not explored in depth in the literature. Therefore, this study presents a qualitative research on how the new entrants (‘Emerging Davids) are integrating sustainable practices in this currently competitive market of the ever-growing Dutch fashion industry. The results of this study reveal that although the retailers in the apparel industry face numerous challenges throughout their supply chain they are trying combine all the three facets of sustainability in practice. This research analysed those sustainability challenges and provided recommendations to further enhance their market position and sustainability performance.