Circular fashion won't work without consumers on board

Fashion United

2 days ago

Although European consumers might be ready for a circular economy, their wallets aren't.
Recent research carried out for the EU SOLSTICE project across four European territories—Catalonia, Berlin, Prato and Grenoble—found that price and convenience are major factors in driving engagement with circular clothing offerings: as long as circular offerings like second-hand, rental and repair remain expensive or inconvenient, fast fashion will continue to dominate.
Authors Written for FashionUnited by Hannah Beisel (Researcher, Circle Economy) and Ana Birliga Sutherland (Editor, Circle Economy)
Why consumer behaviour matters
The global textile industry is just 0.3 percent circular, according to the Circularity Gap Report Textiles : of the 3.25 billion tonnes of materials it consumes yearly, more than 99 percent are virgin in origin. Other environmental impacts are rife—from water pollution, carbon emissions to mountains of waste—and social injustices permeate the production chain. Although efforts to overhaul the textile industry have largely centred on production, consumers have an active role to play as well: their choices can nudge brands towards more circular choices, while opting for durable garments and embracing reuse and repair can have positive impacts in their own right.
We can't just wait for change to happen in Brussels or corporate boardrooms—consumers can also make a difference through their choices at the till. While system shifts in policy, industry and finance are vital, consumer behaviour remains a powerful lever: fast fashion isn't flooding the planet on its own, it's fuelled by our habits. As part of the EU SOLSTICE project, we set out to understand the people at the end of the supply chain: the wearers, buyers, menders, and throwers-away of textiles. By mapping behaviour patterns across the four territories, we're laying the groundwork for local pilot projects tailored to real-life contexts—that we hope will drive real change.
What drives (and blocks) circular habits?
Price is the biggest motivator—and the biggest barrier
Across all territories, consumers confirmed that price is the deciding factor when buying clothes—whether they're buying new, second-hand, or looking to repair a worn-but-loved item. And sometimes, even just the perception that circular options are too expensive is enough to turn people away. Circular alternatives such as second-hand shopping (in some cases), rental, or repair services are simply seen as less economical and convenient than fast fashion's rock-bottom prices—especially when the real costs of materials, labour and services like repair are hidden from view. Repairing a €20 pair of jeans can often cost as much as replacing them, making circular options a hard sell. If circular fashion is to compete, it needs to be both affordable and accessible.
Perceptions vary too: in higher-income neighborhoods, circular fashion is often seen as more exclusive or high-quality, often marketed as something aspirational. In lower-income areas, price is the bottom line. Circular solutions need to cater to these diverse demands by ensuring that offerings are both high-quality and affordable. Subsidies, alternative pricing models, or public investment could help close this gap—until sustainable fashion makes financial sense for everyone, it will remain a niche rather than the norm.
Access and convenience shape behaviour
Awareness alone isn't enough: even when shoppers knew about circular options, many didn't use them because they weren't easy to access or fit into their daily lives. Affordability is just one facet of access: location, lack of infrastructure, access to certain skills and even cultural accessibility are other important factors. In Berlin, where options like clothing swaps and rental schemes are more common, awareness and participation were far higher. In Catalonia, where such services are sparse, engagement was much lower. The pattern is clear: infrastructure enables behaviour. Circular solutions must be the easier choice—it's not enough that they're simply visible.
Different shoppers, different needs
We identified two broad consumer profiles. First, shoppers for fun, who are trend-driven, expressive, and are influenced by peers or social media. This type of shopping tends to be more common among younger people—but not exclusively so. To appeal to this type of shopper, circular fashion must feel fresh and stylish, aligning with shoppers' identities. Circular solutions such as rental and swapping can hit the mark—allowing for continuous wardrobe refreshes at no additional cost to the planet— if they offer the kind of variety shoppers for fun are looking for. In contrast, shoppers for purpose tend to be practical, price-conscious, and focused on value. They shop for necessity, prioritising durability, comfort and need over novelty. Straightforward, reliable, and affordable circular options may pique this group's interest.
Of course, these are just broad categorisations—and we must take care not to over-generalise. Decisions are shaped by numerous factors, from income and family needs to geography and access. But understanding these broad behaviours can help shape circular offerings that meet people where they are—making circular fashion the easier choice.
Awareness doesn't equal action
Even in areas where circular services were widely known—like repair shops—actual use was low. Reasons for this vary: for second-hand shopping, concerns related to hygiene, trust, convenience, and even social stigma were common. This demonstrates that knowledge alone won't shift behaviour: solutions must be easy, trusted, and embedded in daily life. Rental services, for example, need to be hassle-free, size-inclusive, and stylish enough to compete with fast fashion—not just exist in theory.
Context matters, from neighbourhood to nation
Cultural norms, economic status, urban/rural differences, and even specific neighbourhoods shape how shoppers engage, with some striking differences across territories. In Berlin, circular solutions are abundant—but decision fatigue can overwhelm shoppers. In Catalonia, fewer solutions exist, so awareness and usage are lower. In Prato and Grenoble, we saw strong links between clothing consumption and economic need—solutions must meet people where they are.
Even neighbourhoods within cities tell different stories: as noted, higher-income neighbourhoods may see circular initiatives as exclusive and high-quality, while for others, affordability is the primary motivator. That's why circular strategies must be hyper-local — tailored to the cultural, economic, and educational realities of each community.
One-size-fits-all won't work. We need tailor-made interventions based on local realities.
Where do we go from here?
These insights are already helping shape local pilot projects in all four territories, matching circular textile initiatives to real consumer habits and needs, targeting specific demographics, testing what works in practice, and focusing on making circular fashion more affordable and accessible. That might mean many different things: bringing movable repair services to rural areas, launching trend-conscious swap shops in urban centres, introducing affordability schemes for low-income communities, providing digital gamification platforms to enable citizens to connect with their local circular businesses, and even embedding circular education into school curriculums, for example.
As the global fashion industry continues to evolve, the need for circular solutions has never been more urgent. Our research across Berlin, Prato, Catalonia, and Grenoble highlights the complexity of consumer engagement and the barriers to circular textile solutions. However, it also underscores the immense potential that lies in community-driven initiatives, tailored strategies, and increased accessibility to circular alternatives.
Consumer behavior is often framed as the final hurdle to circular fashion—but it's also the key to unlocking demand. If circular choices can become the easy, affordable, and desirable option, people will follow. At every step, our aim is the same: to reduce textile waste by empowering people to buy less, buy better, and keep their clothes in use longer.
Systemic change in the fashion industry requires shifts at all levels—from global supply chains to local shopping habits. Behavioural change won't solve everything, but without it, no other solution will stick. Learn more This is just the beginning. These insights are now guiding circular pilot initiatives across Catalonia, Berlin, Prato, and Grenoble — aligning real-world interventions with consumer mindsets. The SOLSTICE project aims to accelerate the textile sector's shift to circular practices through regional demonstrations. Learn more about what our textiles team are working on our website. .