Eladio Correa, brand marketing manager for Etnies, manufacturer of skate footwear and apparel, stated the obvious. Consumers want apparel and accessories that are "cool and trendy" while offering a new element. Consumers, it seems, are also looking for clothes that "mean something."
The "mean something" in this case are items that take the environment into account, namely organic clothing.
As with organic foods before it, organic clothing started out as items embraced by consumers outside of the mainstream. While today, that may largely still be true, there are signs organic clothing is starting to overcome some of the hurdles to purchase it has faced in the past.
Retailers such as Wal-Mart and Tesco have moved into the category, offering the prospects of lower prices for clothing that comes with an organic certification.
Tesco just announced it had partnered with environmental activist and designer Katharine Hamnett to create a line of organic clothing that will hit company stores next spring.
Terry Green, CEO of Tesco Clothing, said in a company press release, "This is a premium brand, reflecting the quality of Katharine's design and the organic production processes involved. But it will also be affordable because Tesco wants to make organics accessible to all."
Lee Rees-Oliviere, Tesco's head of design, added, "Just as more and more people are choosing organic foods, we know our customers are increasingly interested in clothing which is made using environmentally-sustainable processes."
Closer to home, Levi's announced back in July it would rollout 100 percent organic jeans as part of its Red Tab and Capital E lines. The jeans will be available in November with more items to be introduced next spring.
Sales of organic clothing are still relatively low with an estimated volume of $583 million last year. Of note, however, is that sales of organic apparel have grown at a 3 percent annual clip going back to 2001.
Discussion Questions: How more or less likely are consumers to purchase organic clothing now that mainstream retailers are selling these items? What must mainstream retailers do in product selection, merchandising, advertising, etc. to drive the sales of organic clothing?