Is that new summer dress really 100% organic cotton?   It may be, but how can you prove it? What has happened during the weeks since the cotton was picked until the dress was delivered to the customer?  The same type of question can be asked for all types of apparel. We honestly don’t know if the product we are selling was ethically sourced and produced from end-to-end.  The information we normally get from our suppliers or on the labels is limited and can be misleading.  Consumers have questions and they are not getting answers.

 What the customer wants

 Customers want to know that the goods they buy are safe, sourced legally, ethically and manufactured without damaging the planet. Worldwide, cotton farming uses more toxic pesticides per acre than any other crop. These chemicals strip the land of nutrients, contaminate our water, and endanger the people who grow it. The e-retailer, Everlane, tells us this and has committed to all their cotton being fully organic by 2023.

It is not only about that dress.  It is about the food we eat, the shoes we wear and the furnishings in our house.  Retailers that want to retain the “thinking” consumer have realised that they need to offer greater transparency in their end-to-end supply chain.   Read more here

https://www.practicalecommerce.com/consumers-want-visibility-into-what-they-buy

This article was originally published in Practical Ecommerce.