Retail

Sustainable fashion is increasingly shaped not only by how garments are made, but by how they are sold, used, and cared for. A recent study argues that, as pressure mounts to reduce environmental and social harm, retailers are turning to service-based models that prioritise longevity, transparency, and engagement over volume, repositioning retail as a critical driver of sustainability.

The growing ease of online returns is redrawing the map of fashion logistics. What began as a customer service feature has become an environmental liability, adding distance, fuel use, and waste to every transaction. The system built for convenience now defines how much carbon fashion sends back into circulation, a new study has pointed out.

A Cornell University study on human-centred design has shown that algorithm-fuelled generative art heightens consumers’ sense of exclusivity and aesthetic pleasure inside metaverse-based fashion stores. The experiments revealed that AI-driven art installations enhance engagement for both mass-market and luxury brands, with dynamic displays especially effective in stimulating online word-of-mouth responses and retail appeal.

Offshore e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu have quickly captured a significant share of South Africa’s clothing, textile, footwear and leather market. Their growth, powered by low-cost international supply chains and aggressive digital models, has displaced local manufacturing sales and jobs.

The retail industry is confronting a £64.5 billion waste crisis caused by rampant overproduction, with billions of garments and products never reaching consumers. A new report highlights the scale of the problem and explores the business case for degrowth, circular models, and sustainable production strategies as viable paths to reduce waste and protect long-term profitability.

Branded clothing retail generated €331.8 billion in economic activity and supported 4.5 million jobs across the EU27 in 2023, representing around 2% of both GDP and employment. Commissioned by the European Branded Clothing Association, the Oxford Economics study highlights the sector’s extensive impact through local supply chains, retail operations, and global trade engagement.

The Victoria’s Secret cyberattack during Memorial Day weekend was more than a business disruption—it was a wake-up call for retail cybersecurity. The incident revealed systemic digital weaknesses, disrupted key operations, and joined a growing pattern of attacks on major retailers. The implications for 2025’s retail infrastructure are both immediate and long-term.

Retail has become cybercrime’s favourite playground. From Target’s catastrophic 2013 breach to British Airways’ record GDPR fine, the past decade has been a brutal education in digital vulnerability. Yet, as this April’s M&S incident proves, many still haven’t learned their lesson.

Online retailers frequently use people’s personal information to set targeted, tailored prices for goods and services—from a person's location and demographics, down to their mouse movements on a web page, reveal initial findings from an ongoing surveillance pricing market study.

The 2024 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry report says returns represent a significant cost to retailers in the United States and there is an urgent need for retailers to adapt and evolve their strategies.