The School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT) and a Japanese global apparel retailer UNIQLO today jointly released the results of the “Survey on Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Fashion in Hong Kong and Macau”, which explores the views and perceptions of consumers in Hong Kong and Macau on sustainable fashion and the changing consumption patterns brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak. The survey was designed and operated by Dr Di Fan, Assistant Professor, Dr Chris Lo, Associate Professor and Ms Weiqing Yan from SFT.
Survey results showed that over 80% of Hong Kong and Macau consumers understand the concept of “sustainable development”, and about 56% of them are aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations. Overall consumer attitudes towards apparel retail brands in Hong Kong and Macau are linked to the brand's sustainable development goals (SDGs) vision and actions. In view of the COVID-19 outbreak, consumers have become more concerned about sustainable fashion, with more than 80% of respondents saying they would consider a brand's position and approach to sustainability issues when selecting clothing, and more than 60% saying they would be willing to pay a premium of 10% to 20% above the original price for a sustainable fashion product.
The pandemic has significantly changed many consumers’ apparel requirements. More than 80% of respondents believe that whether a product is sustainable will affect their selection on a retail apparel brand. 64% of respondents believe that the pandemic has made them more likely to buy durable clothing. At the same time, the respondents also said that during the pandemic, they paid more attention to the practicality (66.4%) and product quality (50.7%), followed by price (47.7%), appearance (35.4%) and personalization (30.1%).
“An increasing number of fashion brands or industry experts have been paying more attention on sustainable development in recent years. We have seen the competitiveness of apparel retail brands gradually expand from product design and price to sustainability considerations, making ‘sustainable fashion’ more of a concern to consumers,” said Dr Di Fan, who coordinated the survey. He believed that this change in consumer spending patterns can have a positive impact on the fashion industry’s existing business model, and this change in behavior is evidence of a general awareness of the environmental pollution caused by the fashion industry.
Over 40% of the respondents were neutral on whether apparel retail brands are “honest”, “reliable” and “able to do the right thing”. The survey also revealed that consumer trust is relevant to their propensity to purchase zero-carbon products. More than 60 percent of respondents were positive about sustainable fashion, but their preference for sustainable fashion was relatively low. Dr Chris Lo, who specializes in sustainable supply chains in the fashion industry, said, “In general, consumers are concerned that brands will pass on the cost of producing and selling sustainable products to consumers, and that design may be limited using sustainable materials. The fashion industry should strengthen its public education and publicity channels to increase consumers’ awareness of the sustainability of the fashion industry and thereby dispel their myths. The School of Fashion and Textiles will continue its effort in sustainable fashion education, so as to increase the awareness among consumers and industry practitioners”.
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Ms Weiqing Yan
