Customer’s Understanding of Fast Fashion Firm’s Sustainability Work

Sammanfattning: In today's society, the levels of consumption are higher than ever, and we live in an era where sustainable development needs more attention. Fast fashion firms, in particular, have a negative impact on the situation, and customer’s consumption of clothes has resulted in several threats for the planet. However, since fast fashion firms also have a big impact on the environment, it can be valuable for them to establish sustainability reports. Sustainability reports are made for various stakeholders such as customers to understand firm’s sustainability work. To perceive these reports as a customer, it can affect the possibility to have more sustainable behaviour. However, we do not know if customers search for information in these reports. Thereby we neither know their perceptions of fast fashion firm’s sustainability work. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand if firm’s sustainability work impacts customer’s perception through sustainability reporting. To answer the purpose of this study, qualitative personal interviews with students and a web-based interview investigation with a survey were made. The collected data have been analysed with previous research and theories. Moreover, the theoretical framework describes relevant theories and terms that explain why it is important to work with sustainability, and what it implies to be a sustainable customer. The conclusion shows that customers are affected by sustainability regarding fast fashion. However, only to a certain extent. Hence, more awareness is needed from all parties to further understand sustainability from firm’s sustainability work. Nevertheless, customers perceptions are impacted by firm’s sustainability reports, but they do not know how to take advantage of it.