Nowadays, sustainability and circularity have become interchangeable buzzwords which has created confusion in determining which brands are and aren’t greenwashing. In the fourth season of Retail Revolution, author and educator, Sass Brown added, “Sustainability and circularity are so grossly misunderstood and misused now... There's a real loss of the complexity and the diversity and the real meaning of the issue.”

In every industry, diversity and inclusion bring different people, talents, experiences, and ideas together in order to create the best possible products and services. However, demographic trends in retail and the fashion industry suggest that it’s not as diverse as we may think, or want it to be. In 2018, total US employment was 155.76 million, and all of fashion and retail employment accounted for 1.5% of that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. White people account for more than 72% of employees in clothing, shoe, jewelry, and leather goods stores, and women account for more than 64% of total retail employees. Meanwhile, Latinx employee statistics range from 18-26% (depending on clothing, shoe, or jewelry retail), African Americans or Black employees range from 9-14%, and Asian employees are roughly between 4 to 7%.

The COVID-19 pandemic created shifts and changes in retail that were experienced and felt around the world. There are now new ways for consumers to interact with retail that have really shaken the marketplace. The rise of digital commerce, online shopping, and online brand exposure are among them. They have made retailers globally face incredible challenges - store closures, being one of them.

AJ Lacouette, Creative Strategist and Trend Forecaster, discussed some of the findings from her recent culture report, entitled “LIFE, POST-PANDEMIC.”