O o d h e a d p u b L i s h I n g L i m I t e d

3.2
The environmentally aware
retailer and consumer
For several years, consumers in Northern Hemisphere countries have become
increasingly environmentally aware. Initially environmental purchasing was
restricted to a small ‘hard green’ minority; however, as environmental
consciousness has increased, the proportion of consumers prepared to pay
more for environmentally friendly or ‘ethical’ goods has increased (Anon,
2007; GfK NOP, 2007; PriceGrabber.com, 2007).
An AWI/Woolmark/Queensland Department of Primary Industries marketing
study (Pattinson et al., 2006) notes that the drivers of increased consumer
and retail interest in ‘ethical’ apparel products largely relate to social and
processing issues and that this focus will continue in the future. The document
also notes that the presence of harmful substances in textiles is regarded
equally with social responsibility, product functionality, comfort and price.
© 2009 Woodhead Publishing Limited

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Wool as a natural renewable fibre
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Only product quality rated higher. A recent US study ranked energy efficiency
as the most important factor (PriceGrabber.com, 2007).
In 2007, major retailers and garment ‘brands’ in the United Kingdom and
United States moved from rhetoric to announcing major sustainability initiatives
backed by large expenditure. High-street stores and even supermarket chains
have announced designer ranges of organic fashions. ‘Organic’ cotton textile
lines (some containing small percentages of organic cotton) are common in
brand name products. Usage of organic cotton is expected to increase by at
least 30% per year (Soth, 2006).
This trend to sustainable textiles is extremely important for wool. Wool is
a minority fibre compared with polyester and cotton which dominate the
apparel industry. Garments manufactured from these fibres are central to the
business of most retailers. There is much less dependence from most retailers
on wool. In the harsh business environment, wool retains space on the
showroom floor only while it remains attractive to consumers and returns a
comparable profit to retailers per square metre of floor space.