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Hye-Shin Kim

Expert in textile and apparel industry applied research. Specialization include brand perceptions, consumer involvement and interests, online consumption behavior, and sustainability. Hye-Shin is committed to and enthusiastically supports the global agenda related to sustainability and the environment. Published in journals including the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, Behavior and Information Technology, and Journal of Brand Management.

1 article
Contributor Brief·Hye-Shin Kim · 1 article
Updated Oct 13, 2023

Consumer sustainability rhetoric collapses when convenience offers alternative

Kim argues that the Forever 21-Shein collaboration exposes a fundamental contradiction: consumers claim strong environmental commitments yet reliably abandon those values when presented with convenient, affordable alternatives. The partnership tests whether stated sustainability priorities are genuine convictions or performative gestures that evaporate at the point of purchase.

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collaboration between two major fast-fashion competitors testing consumer values

“Two fast-fashion powerhouses joining forces reveals whether consumers will prioritize convenience over environmental values.”

The Recent Forever 21-Shein Collaboration Tests Consumers' Sustainability Commitments

Consumer priority tension in fast-fashion decision-making

Stated sustainability commitment8
Actual convenience prioritization9
Price sensitivity override9
Environmental values at checkout3

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28%Stated sustainability
Stated sustainability commitment
Actual convenience prioritization
Price sensitivity override
Environmental values at checkout

2

major fast-fashion retailers testing market appetite for sustainability claims

Consumer behavior at scale reveals the gap between environmental rhetoric and purchasing reality.

The Recent Forever 21-Shein Collaboration Tests Consumers' Sustainability Commitments

This collaboration will determine whether sustainability is a dealbreaker or merely a preference.

The Recent Forever 21-Shein Collaboration Tests Consumers' Sustainability Commitments

“Convenience and price will ultimately trump environmental commitments for most consumers.”

Themes:Performative vs. authentic sustainability in consumer behaviorConvenience-price-values trade-off hierarchyFast-fashion industry as litmus test for stated consumer commitments

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