“fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to open my eyes ... · marketing ideas like the ......

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“Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to open my eyes to the enormous impact that our company can have on the environment. And it didn’t take much longer for my interest in the environment to grow into a full-blown passion. Environmental sustainability may well be the most important initiative we undertake at Wal-Mart this decade, maybe even this century. It will have huge impacts on the way things are made, farmed, packaged, transported, displayed and sold worldwide.” –Lee Scott, former Wal-Mart President and CEO BY DANIELLE TESTA LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION MA FASHION AND THE ENVIRONMENT DECEMBER 2010 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE APPAREL MASS MARKET

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“Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to open my eyes to the enormous impact that our company can have on the environment. And it didn’t take much longer for my interest in the environment to grow into a full-blown passion. Environmental sustainability may well be the most important initiative we undertake at Wal-Mart this decade, maybe even this century. It will have huge impacts on the way things are made, farmed, packaged, transported, displayed and sold worldwide.” –Lee Scott, former Wal-Mart President and CEO

BYDANIELLETESTALONDONCOLLEGEOFFASHIONMAFASHIONANDTHEENVIRONMENTDECEMBER2010

ENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITYINTHEAPPARELMASSMARKET

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ENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITYINTHEAPPARELMASSMARKET

BYDANIELLETESTA

TABLEOFCONTENTSINTRODUCTION.........................................................................PAGE3CHAPTER1:THEBEGINNING(OREND)OFMASSPRODUCTIONSAFFAIRWITHSUSTAINABILITY THETECHNICALIMPACTSOFTHEINDUSTRIALREVOLUTION........................PAGE4 THEEMOTIONALIMPACTSOFTHEINDUSTRIALREVOLUTION.......................PAGE5CHAPTER2:INTRODUCINGAGREENMASSMARKET EARLYGREENWASHINGANDHIPPIECHIC.........................................PAGE7 THENEWMILLENNIUMOFGREEN................................................PAGE8CHAPTER3:CASESTUDY–CANWAL­MARTPACKAGEGREEN?...........................PAGE10CHAPTER4:ANOPPORTUNITYFORMASSRETAILERSTOINSTIGATECHANGE

PROOFOFFUTUREOPPORTUNITIES:GREENJOBSAREHERETOSTAY..............PAGE14MARKETINGTOTHEMASSES:POWEROVERCONSUMERS..........................PAGE14

CONCLUSION......................................................................... PAGE16REFERENCELIST...................................................................... PAGE17COVERART:(CUNNALLY,2009)

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INTRODUCTION

InHot,Flat,andCrowded,ThomasFreidmansaysthatwhilewespeakofa‘greenrevolution’therehavebeennoprotestorpetitionsshowingatruefightforchange,ratherithasbeenmoreofagreenpartywherethewords‘green’‘eco’and‘environmentallyfriendly’arethrownaroundwithoutanyquantitativeunderstandingofthechangesthatneedstobemade(2009:251).Untilrecently,‘green’seemstohaverevolvedaroundmarketingideaslikethe’10easystepstogoinggreen’(Friedman,2009:249),buttheneededchangerequireslifestylemodificationsfromdeepwithinoursocietalparadigms.Isitpossibletobeginthissustainablerevolutionatacorporatelevel?Oristhismovementdoomedtobeamarketingploy?

Thisreportwillanalyzetherelationshipbetweenmassretailandsustainabilityinordertoprovideinsightintothefutureofsustainabilityasmorethanamarketingtool.ItwillfirstlookatsustainabilityinthebeginningofmassproductionduringtheIndustrialRevolutionandthecontrastthatexistedbetweenthetwo,thenitwillleadintotheemergenceofsustainabilityintothesupplychainwhichhasbeenunseensincebeforetheIndustrialRevolution.Itwillincludeabriefoverviewofcompanies’initiativesinsustainabilityandtheextenttowhichithasbeenintegratedfromthetimethe‘greenrevolution’beganuntilpresent.UtilizingWal‐Mart,thelargestsupplierofclothingintheUnitedStatesandlargestretailerintheworld(Fishman,2006:29),thereportwilldiscusstheslowintegrationofsustainabilitythroughouttheirbusinesspractices.Finally,thereportwilldiscussthepotentialimpactmassretailerscanhaveinpromotingenvironmentalawarenessandsustainableactions.

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CHAPTER1:THEBEGINNING(OREND)OFMASSPRODUCTIONSAFFAIRWITHSUSTAINABILITYTheTechnicalImpactsoftheIndustrialRevolution

Lookingbackintime,fashionhashadvaryingextentsofsustainability.ForcenturiesbeforetheIndustrialRevolutionasinglegarmentwouldmeettheneedofanindividualthroughouthisorherlife,andoftenmeettheneedofseveralbybeingremadeforachild,beforeeventuallybecomingscrapfabric(Cunnally,2009).Withthedevelopmentsofthespinningjenny,spinningmull,andothertextileinnovationsduringtheIndustrialRevolutionindividualswerenolongerexpectedtomakeandmendtheirgarments;itwaseasiertobuynewproducts(HowellandCostilow,2010:48).By1950homesewingdwindledandpeoplewerereliantonmassproducedgarments(Black,2008:8).Thiswasthebeginningoffastfashion;itwaseasiertobuyanewdressthantomendtheoneyouowned.Inthisway,itcouldbesaidthatun‐sustainabilityhasbeenaninherentaspectofmassproductionandthegrowthofglobalretailthroughitspushtosellmorequicklyandpromoterapidfashionchange.

TextilemanufacturingwasakeydriveroftheIndustrialRevolution(Rivoli,2009:92)andwasseenaspureeconomicgrowth,buttheeffectsithadontheenvironmentwerestillunknown(Evans,1997:5).Theearlytextileindustryreleasedgrowingamountsofpollutionintotheairthroughtheuseofcoal,oilandnaturalgasaswellasadditionalchemicalsbyburningofproductsandscraps.Peopledidnotunderstandthatthesameparticlesthatcausedfactoryfireswouldalsodamagetheenvironmentandworkers’health.Image1showslifeinatextilefactoryandafactoryfirelikelycausedbylintpieces.DuringtheIndustrialRevolutiontherewasagreat

Image1:Spinningmule,womenworkinginatextilefactoryandafactoryfire–acommonalityduringtheindustrialrevolution(Cunnally2009).

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dependenceonwaterinmassproduction(Evans,1997:6).Itwasusedforpowerthroughwaterwheelsandalsoinwashinganddying.Afterprocessingthechemicalswerereleasedintothewaterwayswheretheywouldflowdownstreamandmixinwithdrinkingwaterandirrigationwaterways(OlsonandRejeski,2004:1).

Allunethicalandun‐environmentalaspectsofthemass‐producedtextilesandappareleitheroriginatedorweremagnifiedthroughtheIndustrialRevolution.Fromsweatshopandchildlabortoair,water,andlandpollutiontheincreaseddemandforproductscreatedincreaseddamagetotheenvironment(OlsonandRejeski,2004:2).Regulationshavebeenpassedtocreatecleanerprocessesandreducepollution,butthishasbeenaslowprocessasmanytoxicchemicalshavebeenusedintextileandapparelproductionthroughouthistory(OlsonandRejeski,2004:3).Theindustryhasremainedonebasedonexcess–theantithesisofsustainability.TheEmotionalImpactsoftheIndustrialRevolution

SomepeoplesaytheIndustrialRevolutionchangedsociety,butothersbelievethatitwasthedesireforsocietalchangethatdrovetheIndustrialRevolution.Whicheverwayitoccurred,duringthe18thcenturytherewasagreatshiftinlifestylesofwesterncivilizationsinwhichthetextileindustryplayedakeyrole(Cunnally,2009).Thedevelopmentoftextilemanufacturersandlengtheninginthesupplychaincreatedadistancebetweentheconsumerandthegarment(Ehrenfeld,2009:31).

ThedistancebetweenconsumersandthegarmentwasmagnifiedbythegrowthofcapitalismduringtheIndustrialRevolution.AdamSmith,ThomasMalthus,andDavidRicardopublishedvariouswritingsspurringculturalacceptanceofcapitalisminthewesternworld(Cunnally,2009).InTheWealthofNationsbyAdamSmith,headdressedtheeconomicsofcapitalismexplainedthroughtheinvisiblehandthatwouldguidesystemstoworkoutcomplexitiesontheirown.Smithexpressedhisbeliefthatinafreemarket,itcannotbeexpectedthateveryonewillbepaidequallyorwell.Meanwhile,Malthusdiscussedthelawsofnatureandbroughtforththeconceptthatpopulationwillalwaysgrowfasterthanthefoodsupplyandthereforeitcannotbeavoidedthatpeoplewillstarveanddie;war,famine,anddiseasearenaturalpartsoflife(Cunnally,2009).AtthistimeDavidRicardodiscussedtheironlawofwages,whichstatesthatwageswillreflectthecostsofproduction(Cunnally,2009).Thesewritingsandotherscreatedanunderstandingandacceptanceofcapitalismandallowedconsumerstofurtherdistancethemselvesfromtheirresponsibilitiesinregardstolaborandresourcesthatwentintothegarments(Ehrenfeld,2009:23). InSustainabilitybyDesign,professorandindustrialecologistJohnEhrenfeld(2009:31)discussedtheeffectsthathumans’distancingfromtheenvironmenthashadonouractionstowardsothersandtheenvironment.TechnologiessuchasthosedevelopedintheIndustrialRevolutionandmoremoderntechnologiesliketheInternet,mobilephones,andremotetrackingdeviceshaveallowedustolosesightofourdeeperneeds.BeforetheIndustrialRevolutionmakingandmendinggarmentswasaheartfelttaskthatconnectedapersontotheirbelongings,butafterlivinginaworldofmassproductionitisnotguaranteedthatthesignificanceofasingleitemcanreturnthroughhandconstruction.Economicandtechnologicaldevelopmentchangelifeinawaythatcannotsimplybeundone.Inordertoreverseourunsustainableimpactswemustcreatenewmodesofsustainability(Ehrenfeld,2009:31).

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Image 2: Chevron: People Do Many companies outside of fashion have historically been subject to great criticism. Since 1985 Chevron has been running their ‘People Do’ Campaign, which has been called a highly successful greenwashing campaign. In this advertisement they promote the ponds for wildlife that exist within their oil refineries (Romero, 2008). Image: (EnviroWatch, 1996)

Image 3: Katharine Hamnett In 1985 designer Katharine Hamnett received much attention for her political and social activism. Her clothing line is made out of organic cotton and has a strong environmental focus (Katharine Hamnett, n.d., Biography). Images: (West, 2008)

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CHAPTER2:INTRODUCINGAGREENMASSMARKETEarlyGreenwashingandHippieChic

Asfarbackashistoryhasallowedustosee,streetfashionhasbeeninfluencedbythe‘trickledown’offashionfromthewealthy(HowellandCostilow,2010:158).Inthe1980sand1990s,majorcorporationsbegan‘coolhunting’togetfashionandtrendideasfromthestreetsthatwouldthentrickleuptothemasses.Thiscameatatimeofanexplosionofspendingonmarketingandadvertisingastheirbenefitswerebeingrealized.Thisupsurgeallowedbrandnamestoinfiltrateeveryaspectofconsumers’lives(Klein,2000:72‐73).Withtheproliferationoffashioninfluencesandgrowingavailabilityofmarketingresources,fastfashionspiraledinmassretail,emphasizingtheassociationoffashionwithdisposability.

Atthesametimeasconsumerswerebrandingeverypartoftheirlifeandtransitioningtheconceptoffastfashiontoanythingfromtheirlunchestosocialevents,asustainabilitymovementwasstrugglingtoblossom(Klein,2000:29).

Whileapparelcompaniesconcernedabouttheenvironmentexistedbeforethe1990s,theywereoftenconcentratedinnichemarketsegments,suchastheenvironmentaloutdoorswearcompanyPatagonia.Patagoniasellstopeoplethatinteractwiththeearthintheirdailylives.Thecompanywasstartedin1970;adecadebeforegreenadvertisingexplodedandcorporatedeceptionofenvironmentalactionwasapopularissue(Patagonia,n.d.).In1972advertisingexecutiveJerryManderwrotethearticle,“Ecopornography:OneYearandNearlyaBillionDollarsLater,AdvertisingOwnsEcology,"aboutthedeceptiveuseofenvironmentalbenefitsinadvertising.Thegrowingawarenessofenvironmentalconcernsandactionswereconcentratedamongcompanieswitharelativelydirectimpactontheenvironmentsuchasoilcompaniesandcarcompanies.Itisgenerallythoughtthatthesecampaignswerenotgenuinesincetheadvertisingbudgetwashigherthanthatforwasteandpollutionreduction.Nonetheless,companiesutilizingsuchmethodssawincreasedconsumertrust(TheGreenLife,n.d.). Itwasn’tuntilthe1980sand1990sthatfashiongotinvolvedinthecruxofthesustainabilitydebate.KatharineHamnettisawell‐knownUKdesignerwhocreatedalinewithaheavyfocusonpolitical,social,andenvironmentalissuesin1979(KatharineHamnett,n.d.).Themajorityofenvironmentallyfocusedapparelcompaniesstartedenteringthesceneinthe90swiththelikesofPeopleTree,IndigenousDesigns,andJunkyStyling.Nichedesignerinvolvementinsustainabilityexistedinthe‘90s,butasisthecasewithmostfashion,itcouldreducetheideatoaseason’strend.WhatcreatedtheopportunityforalastingmovementwastheinvolvementoflargeretailerssuchasEsprit,Nike,andLeviStrauss.Nikeintroducedtheideafor‘ReuseAShoe’in1991andlaidthefirstbasketballcourtmadeoutofrecycledshoesin1993(Nike,2008).In1991LeviStrausswasthefirstUScompanytocreateandenforceaCodeofConductfortheir

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suppliers(Karpova,2009),integratingethicalandenvironmentalcare.In1992EspritmadeheadlinebylaunchingEcollection(Black,22)(Image3).

Adifferenceexistsbetweentheintegrationofsustainabilityinthe‘90sandthatoftoday.Whilemanysmallercompaniesinvolvedsustainabilityinthecoreoftheirbusinesses,thelargercompanieshadasegmentedconnectionthatcouldbecutoffatanytime.Withturbulenttimesandassociationsto‘hippiechic’hinderinggrowth,companieslikeEspritgotridoftheirecolinesorblendedtheminwithothers.TheNewMillenniumofGreen

Asweenteredthesecondmillenniumgrowingconcernssurroundingglobal

warmingandpollutioncreatedconsumerdemandforaccountabilityfromretailers.Inthebeginningpeopleweredebatingwhetherornotglobalwarmingwasrealandif,infact,thearcticiceshelfreallycouldmelt.Sowhile‘eco’wasahottopic,itwasstillacatchphraseanddubioustopic.Theawarenessofchangeinourenvironmentledtotheexplosionof‘eco’clothingcompanieswiththeintroductionofEdun,Enamore,BeyondSkin,Dosa,andMoralFervorallwithinthefirstseveralyearsofthe2000s.By2005theideaofenvironmentalismandsustainabilitywascatchingoninmassretail.Whensuchlargeglobalissuesariseitisimportantforcompaniestoproactivelyaddresstheirpartintheproblem,somanyretailersbegandoinglittlethingsinordertosavetheplanet,butlookingback,mostmassretailershavetheissueofgettingsidetrackedbycostcuttingandmarketingtechniques. Astimeprogressedandindividualshaverealizedthatglobalwarmingisnotadebateandthatgreenhousegases,pollution,andclimatechangeareallrealissues,companiesstartingseeingcriticismforgreenwashing(Romero,2008).Image2showsoneofthefirstcampaignscriticizedforsuccessfulgreenwashing.Manycompanieswerechangingpackagingandlabelstoadvertisehow‘good’theirproductswere,buttheywoulddosowithoutchangingtheproductitselforhowitwasmade.Changinglabelsandpackagingandcreatingadvertisementsallgeneratewaste,sowithoutcuttingwasteoremissionsinotherareasthiscanbecounterproductive(TheGreenLife,n.d.).Whetheritwasduetofearofcustomerrepercussionsortothegoodintentionsofpeoplewithinthecompaniesthough,thereseemedtoemergeashifttowardsdeep‐rootedsustainableactions.ThecasestudyofWal‐Martthatfollowsisarepresentationofchangethatmanymassretailershavebeguninthelasttenyears.Wal‐Martwaschosenasanexamplebecausetheyaretheworld’slargestretailerandhavethepowertopersuadeconsumers,suppliers,legislators,andcompetitors.

Image4:Esprit1992Ecollection(West,2008)

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VISUALIZATIONOFTHEPROGRESSIVEAWARENESSOF‘GREEN’INRETAIL.

Images:Patagonia(Patagonia,n.d.),KatharineHamnett(KatharineHamnett,n.d.),Greenwashing,(GreenEcoCommunities,2009),LeviStrauss(MonsterVintage.com,2010)Nike(Nike,2008),SecretandWalmart(drugstore.com,2010),Esprit(Esprit,2010),MarksandSpencer(FreeFoto.com,n.d.),Walmartlogo(Walmart,n.d.),H&Mtag(Grady,2010).

H&Mlaunchesenvironmental

initiatives

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CHAPTER3:CASESTUDYCANWAL‐MARTPACKAGE‘GREEN’?

Wal‐Marthasalonghistoryofreducingpackagingandcuttingenergyuseinordertocutcosts.SamWaltonopenedhisfirstWal‐Martstorein1962withagoaltosellproductsthatpeopleneededeverydayatalowerpricethananyoneelseandkeepitatthatpriceallthetime(Fishman,2006:8).InthiswayonecouldsaythatSamWaltonhasmasteredtheracetothebottom(Rivoli,2009:92).AccordingtoCharlesFishmaninTheWal­MartEffect(2006:3),“Wal‐Martchangestheworld…everyday,andhasbeenforfortyyears.Awastefulroutine,oftenlongentrenched,isdetectedandeliminated,establishinganewstandardofefficiency,loweringcostsforeveryone,especiallyordinarycustomers.”Whenthisstatementisfirstreaditsoundsliketheepitomeofcreatingasustainablesystem,butitleadstotheever‐presentquestionof,atwhoseexpenseisthishappening?AphraseknownastheWal‐Marteconomydescribestheharassingsensethattheremightbesomehiddenbuthorrifyingcosttobepaidfor‘alwayslowprices’(Fishman,2006:9).

WhileWal‐Marthasbeenaroundsincethe1960sitwasnotuntilthe1990sthatitbecamelargerthanotherAmericanretailerssuchasKmartandSearsandobtaineditsstatusasagloballeader(Fishman,2006:29).Sincethe1990sWal‐MarthasfacednumerouslawsuitsregardingfairlaborpracticesandhasbeencitedinmajorpublicationssuchasTimefortheirpoorandunlawfultreatment(Gregory,2010).SuchissueshaveoftenbeencurtailedbecauseretailersmaynotknowhowsuppliersmaketheirproductsandWal‐Mart’sretailwagesarewellabovetheminimumwage(Fishman,2006:13).Beyondthis,ifWal‐Martweretodrasticallyraisethepayoftheirretailemployeesitwouldnotbeabletomaintainits‘alwayslowprices.’ItisevidentthatthehistoryofWal‐Marthasnothadastrongfocusonensuringfairworkingconditionsforitsemployees,butwhataboutitsenvironmentalimpacts?

Asanindustryleaderineliminatingunnecessarycosts,Wal‐Marthasbeenaprincipalcompanyinreducingwasteandenergyconsumptionthroughoutthesupplychaininordertocutcosts.Intheearly1990s,alongwithotherretailers,Wal‐Martpushedfortheeliminationofthecardboardpackagingofroll‐ondeodorant.TherationalebehindthiscanbeappliedtomanyoftherequestsWal‐Marthasmadetoavarietyofglobalsuppliers.ItisexplainedinTheWal­MartEffect(2006:1)asfollows:

“Itaddednothingtothecustomer’sdeodorantexperience.Theproductalreadycameinacanoraplasticcontainerthatwasatleastastoughasthebox,ifnottougher.Theboxtookupshelfspace.Itwastedcardboard.Shippingtheweightofthecardboardwastedfuel.Theboxitselfcostmoneytodesign,toproduce–itevencostmoneytoputthedeodorantinsidethebox,justsothecustomercouldtakeitout.”

Whilethecostsavingsofthiswasminusculeperbox,Waltonconstantlypushedforthemostbasiclevelofaproductthatstillprovidedthenecessaryservicetothecustomer.Inthiscaseitendedupsavingmillionsoftreesandreducingacresofwastedmaterials

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(Fishman,2006:2).Wal‐Martsinfluenceovercompaniesissuchthatifacompanydoesn’tbendtoWal‐Mart,chancesaretheywillgooutofbusiness(Fishman,2006:3).EvenProcterandGamble,theworld’slargestconsumergoodscompany,hasaworkingpartnershipwithWal‐Martandworkswiththemconsistentlytocutcosts,improveefficiency,andreducedwaste(TheEconomist,2007).In2008,alongwithWal‐Martsannouncementthattheywouldonlysellconcentratedlaundrydetergents,ProcterandGamblere‐launchedtheirlaundrydetergentsinmorecompacthigh‐concentrationbottles.Thischangeallowedbothretaileranddistributortohavesmallerpackagesusingfewerrawmaterialsandlessshelfspacewhileofferingthesamevaluetocustomersandreducingproductionandtransportationcosts(Neff,2007).AccordingtoaWal‐Martpressrelease(2007),“Thecommitmentwillsavemorethan400milliongallonsofwater,morethan95millionpoundsofplasticresinandmorethan125millionpoundsofcardboard.Forwateralone,thisistheequivalentof100millionindividualshowers.Sinceapproximately25percentoftheliquidlaundrydetergentsoldintheUnitedStatesissoldthroughWal‐Martstores,thepotentialsavingsinnaturalresourcesthroughtheentireretailindustrycouldbefourtimesasmuch.”

OfcoursewecanseetheenvironmentaladvantageofWal‐Martspushforlowercostsandlesspackaging,buttheyconsistentlyseemtobeabi‐productofadriveforincreasedsalesandlowercosts,whichoftenleadsbacktopoorlaborpractices;butbetween2005and2010Wal‐Martlaunchedinitiativesmoredirectlybasedonsustainablepractices.

Wal‐MartbeganasubtlecampaignofenvironmentalawarenessbypartneringwithWorldwiseInc.inApril2000tocelebrateEarthDay(Walmart,n.d.,Pressreleases).Thispartnershipcreatedincreasedopportunityforthealreadyleadingbrand,Worldwise,andalsodrewattentiontoEarthDay,butthelaunchofthiscelebrationwasasmuchaPRopportunityforWal‐Marttotakeadvantageofanewsupplierasitwasaseriousstridetowardssustainableprocesses.SincethefirstEarthDayin1970companieshaveoftenutilizedmorematerialsandenergytopromoteitthantheproductstheywerepromotingwouldsave(Romero,2008).Leadingintothefirstdecadeofthe2000sWal‐Martmadesurfacechangesforenvironmentalsustainability,butdidnotmakechangestotheircorebusiness(Walmart,n.d.,Pressreleases).

In2005Wal‐MartcontinuedlaunchingcampaignstoprotectAmerica’swilderness,butrealenvironmentalismseepedinduringMay2005.Wal‐Martbeganenvironmentalandenergyefficientprogramssuchasbagrecyclingprogramsandhydrogenfuelcelltrialsfortheirtruckfleets.Thecompanyalsounveiledtwogreensupercentersthathousedenvironmentalexperimentsoperatingalternativeformsofenergyandconservingresources.Thiswasthebeginningofimplementingsustainablestrategiestothecoreofthebusiness.Mostsignificantlyin2005,Wal‐Martpublished

ThisbagwasgivenoutbyWal‐MartforEarthDayin2008.

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theirplantoreducewasteby25percent,increasethefuelefficiencyofitstruckingfleetsby25percentoverthreeyears,andinvest$500millionannuallyintechnologyforgreenhousegasreduction(Walmart,2005).

Meanwhile,asthelargestapparelvendorintheUnitedStates,Wal‐Marthadbeguntointegrateorganiccottonintotheirclothinglines.ItbeganwithanorganicyogaoutfitthatwassowellreceivedbythepublicthatCEOLeeScottbeganintegratingorganiccottonintootherclothinglines.In2001theworldproductionoforganiccottontotaled6.4millionmetrictons;in2006Wal‐Martusedbetween8and10millionmetrictonsaloneandbecametheworld’slargestorganiccottonpurchaser(Walmart,2006).

InJuly2009,Wal‐MartannouncedthelaunchoftheirSustainableProductIndex(2009c),whichwillworkwithsuppliers,retailers,non‐governmentalorganizations,governmentandacademicinstitutionstodevelopaglobaldatabaseofinformationonproductlifecyclesfromrawmaterialstodisposal.ThisindexwasdevelopedwiththeguidanceofPatagoniaandisfocusedonWal‐Mart’sglobalsupplychain(O’Reilly,2010).

Itisanunlikelypartnershipbetweenanenvironmentalpioneerandtheworld’slargestretailer,butwhatisevenmoreshockingisPatagoniaofferingsuchguidancefreeofcharge,justsimplywiththehopethat‘wecandogoodforourplanet’(Chouinard,2009).Having

suchapartnershipallowsWal‐MarttomovebeyondthePRgamesurroundingsustainabilityintotherealmwhererealchangescanoccur.Patagoniahassharedinsightsintotheirowngreenmetrics,theirsourcingprotocols,andideasofthespecificthingsWal‐Martshoulddodifferentlygiventheirsizeandpower.Forexample,oneofPatagonia’swell‐knownimpactshasbeentouseonlyorganiccotton.WhileitmakessensethattheywouldlikeWal‐Marttocontinueputtingastrongbackinginorganiccotton,YvonChouinard,theCEOandFounderofPatagonia,suggestedtheyinvestinalternativesyntheticfabrics.Thedemandbysuchaglobalforcecreatesareasonforfarmerstoswitchtoorganicproductionandprovidesanopportunitytobuyforamuchwidervarietyofconsumersthanhadpreviouslybeentargetedwithsustainableapparel.However,thereisnotenoughlandintheworldtomeetmassretailsdemandfororganicfibers,butwithYvonChouinard’ssuggestiontoWal‐Mart,massretailerscaninstigatenewdevelopment(Chouinard,2009).InnovativefabricsareaneededtechnologyofthefutureandWal‐Marthasthemoneyandinfluencetoinvestinitsdevelopment.

HistoricallyWal‐Marthasmadesustainabledecisionsinordertocutcostsandtakeadvantageofmarketingopportunities.Throughcollaborationwithothercompaniesthathavesustainabilityasadrivingforce,Wal‐Marthastheopportunityto

(TheAssociatedPress,2010)

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combinetheirambitionforcuttingcostswithsustainableinitiativesofcuttingwaste,increasingefficiency,andmakingbetterproductstocreateanewtypeofindustry.AsauthorJosephO’Reillysaidinatrendsarticleforinboundlogistics.com(2010),“Patagoniacanmatchgreendemand;Walmartmanufacturesit.”Inretailitisalwayssaidthattheconsumermakesthedecisionintheend,andinthemediacrazeofsustainabilityitappearsthatretailerslikeWal‐Mart,MarksandSpencerintheUK,andTargetintheUSA,areallactingtothedemandsofmediaandconsumersbeforelegislationorresourcedepletionforcesthem.

ThisisatimelineofsupplychainintegrationatWal‐Martbasedonthereadingscitedthroughouttheabovetext.

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CHAPTER4:ANOPPORTUNITYFORMASSRETAILERSTOINSTIGATECHANGE

Theattentionpaidtothe‘greenmovement’bymassretailersmayfinallyleadconsumersandbusinessestorealizethatthisisnotjustafad,butachangetobemadethatisheretostay.Asmassretailerscontinuetointegrateprocessesthatrequirestandardstobefollowedbysuppliersandencouragebetterproductionmethods,itcreatesanopportunityforcorporationstoleadthewayforgovernmentallegislationandchangeintheconsumermindset.PROOFOFFUTUREOPPORTUNITIES:GREENJOBSAREHERETOSTAY

Duringtherecentglobalrecessiontherehasbeenworryoverwhatwouldhappentothegreeningofmassretail.Whilesome‘green’professionalswereintrinsicinthecompanies’abilitiestocutcostthroughwastereductionandenvironmentalmeasures,othercompanieswerestillutilizing‘green’mainlyasacompetitivemarketingadvantage(Makower,2010).Surprisingly,greenprofessionalsweren’tthefirsttobecut;whiletheydidfacebudgetcutsandhiringfreezes,overallgreenjobshavesurvivedthroughtherecession(Makower,2010).Realizingthatenvironmentalsustainabilityisnotatrendbutachangethatcanstick,itisimportantthatmassretailerstaketherightactionsinimplementationgoingforward.MARKETINGTOTHEMASSES:POWEROVERCONSUMERS

Marketingsustainableactionisanecessaryprocessofeducationsincemostconsumerscurrentlyhaveaminimalunderstandingoftheconsequencesoftheiractionsandarenotaffectedbynicheenvironmentallabels.Withtheextensivesupplychainsandavailabilityoftechnologyitisoftendifficultforindividualstounderstandproductlifecyclesandwhatorwhomtheyareimpacting.Individualsmayhavesomeunderstandingofsweatshoplaborduetopopularpress,butwhataboutthecottonfarmersinthirdworldcountriesbecomingillduetoexposuretopesticidesandthefactoryworkerswhoingestdustintotheirlungs?Areconsumersexpectedtoknowaboutthem?Theonlywaytocreateconsumer‐drivendemandformoreenvironmentalcompaniesisthrougheducation.Aprimeopportunityliesinmarketing.Inthepastmarketinghasbeenuseddishonestly,butbecausethereissuchwideawarenessofgreenwashingandalreadygrowingenvironmentalconsciousnessamongcoreconsumergroups,thesemethodsofsellingwillnotbeabletosurvivegoingforward. Twolargeconcernsofthepasttobeawareofgoingforwardwillbetransparencyandmisrepresentationthroughadvertising.Eventhoughconsumersareawareofgreenwashinginthepast,itisdifficulttodeterminewhoisproperlycreatingawarenessfortheiractionsandwhoisusing‘green’onlyasacatchphrasetoboostsales.

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MassretailerssuchasWal‐Mart,Target,MarksandSpencer,andH&Mhavethepowertoeducatethemasspopulationquickerthannicheretailerscan.Inthelast5yearsmanymassretailersandsuppliersandotherlargeinfluentialcompanieshavesetspecificgoalstogreentheirbusinesses.Theseactionswillundeniablytrickledowntootherretailersandhaveaneducationaleffectonconsumers,creatingdesireformoreenvironmentalproducts.

Makingsustainablechangetomassretailcaninfluenceotherinstitutionsandleadtoamoresustainablelifestylewherepeopleareawareoftheirimpacts.IfmassretailerslikeWal‐Martcontinuetobuyorganicandnaturalfibersandbegininvestinginenvironmentalsynthetics,theycancreatedemandfromsuppliersthatwillcreateeconomiesofscaleandthereforemakesustainablefibersaffordable.

Businesshasbecomethemostpowerfulglobalinstitution,morethanreligionorgovernmentwiththepowertoinfluenceglobalconsumers(Ehrenfeld,2009:197).Whilethisisanoptimisticoutlook,influencewillhaveitslimits;blackmarketsanddealsunder‐the‐tablewillalwaysexist.Nonetheless,passingguidelinesfortransparencyandcleanpackagingcanforcealotoftheworld’slargestsupplierstogoalittlegreen.

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CONCLUSION

TheformerheadofGreenpeace,PaulGilding,stated(inFriedman,2009:27),“Thechallengeofsustainability,particularlyclimatechange,hascharacteristicsthatmakeournormalresistancetochangebothdeeperandlongerlasting.Itisanenormoussystem‐widechallengethataffectseverypersonandeverycountry.Itrequiressweepingchangeineveryaspectofourlivesandoursociety.Italsoquestionsmanyfundamentalbeliefsaboutgrowthandthemarketeconomyandthreatenssomeverypowerfulinterest.”Thereisopportunityformassretailerstoimplementguidelinesforsuppliers,transporters,andconsumersthatcouldinstigategovernmentregulationandactiontostartsociety‐widechangebeforeacrisismakesitnecessary.

Throughoutthehistoryofmassretailithashadanegativerelationshipwiththeenvironment,theveryconceptofmassproductionhadunsustainableprocessesingrainedwithinit.Whileitisnotpossibletoreturntoapre‐IndustrialRevolutionlifestylewithlimitedresourceavailability,itispossibletoutilizethetechnologyandsciencesnowavailabletoadvancemassretailintoaenvironmentallyconsciousindustry.TheactionstakenbyWal‐Martinthelastfiveyearswouldhaveseemedabsurdtenyearsago,butthechangingeconomicandnaturalenvironmentshavepromptedasenseofpurposeintocompaniesofallsizes.Soisitpossibletobeginagreenrevolutionatthecorporatelevelorisitjustamarketingploy?Giventherecentactivitiesofmassretailersacrosstheworld,Ibelievethatchangeispossible.Goingforwarditisthepossibilityofretailerstocreateanewbusinessmodelintegratingfashion,affordability,responsibility,andsustainability.

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