Pure play e-tailers typically have an overhead advantage over their physical store competitors. They have also held an edge when it comes to sales tax collection, although groups such as the Main Street Fairness Coalition have called on lawmakers to pass legislation addressing the disparity. Now, comes an op-ed piece on The Business of Fashion website calling on online fashion sites to disclose where clothing is made to level the playing field with physical stores that have that information on every clothing label they sell.
The piece, written by Madelin Newman, a freelance writer based in Australia, claims that in the wake of tragedies such as the building collapse at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh that killed 1,132 garment workers last year, consumers should have access to country of origin information online. This, she maintains, would help consumers make the same type of informed buying decisions online that they do in stores.
Ms. Newman offered People Tree, a seller of sustainable and Fair Trade fashion merchandise, which has a "How It's Made" section on its site, as an example for others to follow.
"We think it does positively impact sales and we're working now to add even more information about how our products are made to our website," Sara Brinton, digital marketing and e-commerce manager for People Tree, told Ms. Newman.