Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption in the Fashion Industry: Motivations, Strategies and Barriers for Circular Textile Companies

This thesis aims to increase knowledge about motivations, strategies and barriers of circular fashion companies. A qualitative study, following an abductive research approach is taken, which enables the use of existing theory as building blocks (Timmermans & Tavory, 2012). Through systematic combining of existing theory and new findings, new frameworks are created (Dubois & Gadde, 2002). A multiple case study is performed, including nine circular, B2C fashion companies from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Belgium. Their Instagram posts are studied to learn more about strategies for promoting sufficiency-oriented consumption. In addition, from all companies, one or multiple representatives are interviewed to increase understanding of perspectives on SOC, motives, barriers and choices for certain strategies. The data was coded through prescriptive coding combined with open coding.

This study finds new motivations, strategies and barriers that were not found in previous studies. This contributes to a better understanding of the field of SOC. In addition, more insight is created in the strategy of promoting consumption reduction, whose feasibility and desirability was debated in previous research. Prior studies described promoting consumption reduction either as radical and preferable (e.g. Niessen & Bocken) or as unrealistic, counteractive and therefore unsuitable for business (e.g. Freudenreich & Schaltegger, 2020). This study improves the insights on barriers for promoting consumption reduction, offers strategies to overcome these, and proposes alternatives to promote consumption reduction indirectly.