Sustainability is a long term trend at H&M and this April as part of the focus on sustainability H&M will introduce the Conscious Collection – The collection which is for women, men and children is made from 
enviromentally – adapted and greener materials such as organic cotton, Tencel® and recycled polyester. H&M’s designers have been inspired by different shades of white, one of the most important colours this Spring. A minimalist, tailored look is combined with romantic lace, Broderie Anglaise, frills and draping. The Conscious Collection will be on sale in all H&M stores from 14th April. 
“It’s not just about organic cotton any more, the possibilities for creating a complete fashion statement with eco smarter materials are huge now. By designing recurring Conscious Collections we have the opportunity to show in a variety of ways what’s possible using more sustainable fabrics,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M Head of design. “Shades of white are the season’s biggest fashion trend and it feels right for this collection. White creates a romantic feeling with lace and Broderie Anglaise, but is also the basic colour in a sporty, relaxed style and in a preppy tailored look for men.” Womenswear is inspired by an updated romantic style in which blouses, tunics and T-shirts with Broderie Anglaise are a key trend. Tiered dresses are perfect for day or more dramatic Grecian gowns for night. Long floaty skirts are key as are cut-off shorts. The collection also includes the perfect white blazer and pleated trousers for a more minimalist look as well as Broderie Anglaise and lace lingerie. Menswear takes on a preppy mood with a white two-button blazer, collarless shirts and T-shirts with Henley detailing at the neck. There are printed and striped T-shirts, as well as a tank top for layering and trousers are either five-pocket jeans or tailored. Meanwhile the Children’s collection is full of white pieces for both girls and boys. It’s all about tiered dresses, tops, skirts for girls, and for boys t-shirts and jeans. (Source: H&M press release, Photos: H&M)
Category Archives: sustainability
Green labels: are EU consumers confused about them?
It all started with an article about green packaging, where there was 
a sentence regarding the the Green Guides (US Federal Trade Commission): "65 percent of Americans would prefer just one seal for green products over the hundreds that are now causing confusion. They note that it is increasingly hard to determine if a product is "truly green" or not based on available information. They are presently overwhelmed with the 350 product certifications that currently exist".
In Europe, consumers for sure know about Ecolabel and EnergyStar and…what else? I have made a very quick search on the web about the online resources available to consumers willing to understand a little bit more about "green labels". I did not find anything that is both comprehensive and easy to understand – the best resource being this PDF which is only related to UK. I think that as long as there is so much confusion about labelling, product and process certification, together with a lack of communication, consumers will have a hard time in understanding the real value of sustainable/green products and greenwashing will still be consumers first word associated to sustainability.
I think that it would be of great interest for retail companies too to contribute to a sort of global database of green seals /certifications/labels in order to better communicate with consumers. Would you, as a product manufacturer, contribute?
Last Inditex step towards sustainability
We are following 
what Inditex – whose brands are Zara and PullandBear among the many – is doing about sustainability, and we always really like it! The last news is about their Tempe subsidiary (footwear), locate in Elche (ES), where they have installed a vertical garden, a growing trend in the cutting edge cities and capitals worldwide.
The project was designed by Urbanarbolismo, which made an impressive installation of 16 meters in height, with a total area of 80 m2 and an irrigation system controlled by computer. The vertical garden can be seen from all the company's plants, offices, meeting rooms, etc., making the whole building filled with an amazing natural light. (Source: www.jardiland.es)
Green Marketing 3.0: what is it about?
Marketing, as you all know, is what enables product to be seen and purchased by consumers. For those who are in the retail business, marketing is a science to master in order to reach success and profit – I add: for more than a year! 
Something I always read to those retailers that are entering the world of “green”, is a very interesting article about Green Marketing written by Jeff Dubin a couple of months ago. For those who are interested in reading the full version, you can find it at Jacquie Ottman’s Greenmarketing.com blog. Here a few key sentences by Jacquie: “To really succeed on a wide scale in America, green products either need to establish their superiority on conventional, non-green product features such as effectiveness or price, or make green more relevant to people’s everyday lives….
If green marketers can build the case for how their products are healthier for baby and Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and.., then the greenness of a product becomes a primary benefit rather than a secondary one and the higher hanging fruit now becomes more attainable. That’s Green Marketing 3.0.”
I do agree with that, and you?
When Zero is a great result
I suggest to everybody interested in what big corporations are doing about sustainability to download the State of Green Business report by Greenbiz.com available online.
For those of you who have little time and want to hear the good news first: many big co
rporations, from Xerox to Kraft, from Procter and Gamble to Coca-Cola, are working hard at reducing if not eliminating the waste originated by the manufacturing process. Companies learnt that cutting waste can yield multiple savings, together with a better image and a greener environment.
But -here's the bad news – there is no generally accepted definition of what "zero waste" means. For some companies zero waste might include also incinerations and other technologies that many "green professionals" will not define as sustainable and eco-friendly ones.
As we always stress, a standardization of sustainability practices is a need for a better and more efficient communication with consumers and with stakeholders, so that to avoid a word that we don't like at all: greenwashing.(Photo courtesy of naem.org)
Does sustainability pays? Yes
Whenever I talk with a client about sustainability, a question arises “Does sustainability pay?”. The answer is with no doubt YES! There are researches available online showing that when customers are offered a choice, they do prefer eco-friendly products and “punish” not so sustainable brands asking a much lower price. Obviously, what companies willing to invest in sustainability must understand is that a sustainable strategy goes hand in hand with a communication strategy – otherwise consumers will not perceive the added value during the purchasing process.
A recent survey conducted by the Uk consumer organisation “Which?” showed that between 74% and 96% of the people surveyed were unaware of the big names behind 10 popular ethical brands. And, once they found out, of those whose opinion changed, more had a negative reaction than a positive one. “Consumers are being misled,” said one respondent while another commented: “I feel conned.” One reason behind this negative reaction is that interviewed were worried about large companies being more concerned with profits than ethics.
What manufacturers must really understand is that consumers are willing to buy sustainable products but at the same time are going to punish any non-ethical behaviour by asking for a very reduced price. The future of retail and of sustainability lies in the ability of producers to understand this and to act accordingly.
The Ecoacquisti Trentino brand has finally born
The Ecoacquisti Trentino project aims to the reduction of the waste produced in Retail Stores and raises awareness on a more environmental friendly purchase in more than 100 outlets in the city of Trento area (Italy)
But what does it mean in practice "eco shopping?" Means that in the stores that have received this certification you can find canvas bags or other reusable materials, empty cartons to bring your purchases at home, rechargeable batteries, cold cuts and cheese in a ply-separable paper, fruits and vegetables packaged in compostable bags, bottles of water, wine or milk can be purchased in re-fillable containers.You can alsobuy food with special discounts in last-minute market or donate them to charitable organizations.
The project aims to the reduction of the amount of waste, the promotion of recycling practises, requires a constant audit of the POS and sustains educational projects through school and extracurricular activities. (Courtesy of Alternativa Sostenibile)
A consumer point of view on sustainable coffee
Food Retailers sometimes wonder why consumers should have to prefer orga
nic, sustainable coffee instead of the more “known and traditional” brands. We found this interesting article written by Johnathon D. Colman, a coffee snob, who explaines why he chooses sustainable coffee, and it can be summerized with his sentence: life is too short to drink bad caffeine!
Here are some other tips suggested by the Playgreen blog:
- Look for Organically Grown Coffee
- Buy Fair Trade Certified Coffee
- Purchase ‘Shade Grown’ Coffee
- Buy Locally Grown Coffee
We think these are all greats article to show to all Food Retailers who are not yet sure that the key to future success in this business is.
Fashion Retail: is Green cool? A IUM research insight
A new research carried out at IUM shows that “green fashion” is more appealing to North Americans than to Europeans. This is largely due to North Americans’ perception that green fashion consumers are young, trendy and self-confident and not unsophisticated, as Europeans see these same consumers.
Researchers found that environmental protection, health impact and ethical concerns most motivate consumers to purchase green fashion although the interest is merely moderate.
“Although consumers are ready to pay a premium to purchase organic food, they do not yet see the interest in organic fashion,” said Sandrine Ricard, Vice-President of IUM and part of the research team. “There is a need to better inform consumers about the nature of organic fashion and to continue ‘glamorizing’ both the communication and the products.”
Researchers found that North Americans perceive green fashion more favorably, in part because eco-clothing brands have been launched by celebrities, such as the brand, Edun, run by Bono and his wife. North Americans associate green fashion with a woman in her 20’s, simple but sexy, who wears organic shoes and clothing.
On the other hand, European respondents perceive organic fashion consumers as unglamorous. A typical consumer would be a simple woman in her 40’s, wealthy, having a healthy lifestyle but unsophisticated. Because organic products are more expensive, Europeans associate organic with social status and showing-off.
The research team also concluded that the concept of green fashion is not clear to the majority of respondents. Consumers seem lost in the exact meaning of green fashion and lack information on norms and processes. In Europe, green fashion must become more attractive to the young generation to be a viable consumer option. (Image courtesy of Gear Patrol blog)
The Green Key arrives in Italy, for more sustainable hospitality infrastructures
The Green Key is a Danish eco-label for all tourist accommodations (hotels, campsites, 
hostels, farmhouses, cottages and bed & breakfast) interested in reducing their environmental impact in the area .The hospitality structure that is interested in receiving the Green Key Certification must not only comply to a set of environmental, management (i.e. policies and impact assessment), food and product criteria, but also introduce a sustainable use of water and energy resources and waste management in its everyday workflow and operations.
We are sure that this is only the first step to raise the sustainability of Italy’s hospitality structures, which are now not really aligned to the eco-sustainable International standards.
normancescut.com 