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TheIndustry.fashion LIVE! LK Bennett and Jigsaw on how to make sustainability accessible

Tom Shearsmith
01 March 2023

Reporting from TheIndustry.fashion LIVE! Resale, rental and repair, speakers from LK Bennett and Jigsaw joined a host of guests from the fashion industry to discuss topics including the rise of second hand fashion and how to implement sustainable practises into businesses.

According to global retail strategist Roland Berger, by the mid-part of this decade (in 2025) most of the growth in the mainstream fashion market will be generated by circular business models with the second hand market growing 11 times faster than traditional retail. If that growth rate continues, second hand fashion will be bigger than fast fashion by 2030.

With this in mind, it is clear that fashion businesses who are serious about generating growth need to be serious about integrating circular models into the heart of their business strategies.

Hosted in partnership with Bleckmann, sponsored by eBay and Shoosmiths, Claudia Nappo, COO at LK Bennett, was joined by Jigsaw's Jessica Franklin, Head of Marketing & Customer, and John Cossey, Global Head of Operations & Logistics, as part of the 'Taking control of your Rental & Resale channels' panel.

LK Bennett

Claudia Nappo, COO at LK Bennett, said: "Everybody has the part to play. It’s something we’re all thinking about, both in a business sense and in our personal lives. You look at what’s going on in the world and listen to customers and employees for the best answer to improving sustainability.

"It was very clear that resale, rental and repair were all things that needed to consider, and we wanted to engage with our customers to find out what they wanted. Any expansion of the business is essentially another way of communicating with consumers - new and old.

"For a flat fee, customers receive 2 items in their first box and can make unlimited exchanges with free shipping and complimentary eco-friendly laundering. This rental offering helps attract a new customer base to LK Bennett, giving them an endless stream of quality products to wear, whilst limiting the environmental impact of fashion.

"We've found it's better to do something and then build it - the customer and team will come on the journey with you if they believe your heart is in the right place."

Jigsaw

John Cossey, Global Head of Operations at Jigsaw, said: "Sustainability is just something we couldn’t ignore. We’ve also done a lot of customer research and something that came up consistently was the possibility of offering a rental service.

"Rental provides a big opportunity to welcome new and younger customers, allowing them to engage with the brand at a more manageable price point, and that became a real driver.

"Our newly launched Repair Rewear service allows a customer to send pieces to us for professional repair at a low fee, or for free if it was purchased within a year. We've also launched a monthly subscription where customers can loan and swap styles for new and pre-loved pieces, constantly refreshing a wardrobe.

"We've also accepted items back and used them as shop fittings - which is super exciting. We send the items to be broken down and they are put into a sustainable mould, helping build office walls and even shop displays."

Jessica Franklin, Head of Marketing & Customer at Jigsaw, added: "Repair is no longer an add on to our business - it's a core part of what we do and sustainability is key to the future of success. We're exploring B Corp status and it's allowing us to look at all areas of the business and assess where we can improve - from customer to product and delivery.

"We need to be profitable and we won't go down a vanity project - we want to deliver luxury clothing in the best way to our customer."

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