What It Means for Fast Fashion
We’re a quarter of the way into the 21st century, and shopping looks nothing like it did a few decades ago. Nowhere is that more obvious than in fashion, where trends come and go faster than ever. From TikTok hauls to #GRWM videos, the internet has turned style into a race, and fast fashion is the fuel. Trends like mob wife aesthetic, quiet luxury, and cowgirlcore aren’t just real… they’re everywhere. Surprised? You’re not alone.
Fast fashion giants like H&M and Zara dominate the industry, churning out new collections to keep pace with ever-changing trends. But as these brands pump out garments at breakneck speed, how do they maintain customer loyalty? In 1986, the term “greenwashing” began to popularize, describing how companies continue or expand their harmful environmental practices while profiting from well-intentioned, sustainability-minded consumers by making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of their products. This practice has emerged as a new marketing tool, evident in Zara’s Join Life line and H&M’s Conscious Choice line, both of which were publicly scrutinized in 2022 for making misleading sustainability claims.
As awareness of environmental issues grows, consumer responses to greenwashing in fast fashion increasingly hinge on the transparency and honesty of a brand’s sustainability claims. Younger generations, in particular, have given rise to prominent environmental activists like Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2019, Thunberg’s popularity sparked a global movement. In an “Ask Me Anything” style video for Elle UK posted back in 2022, Thunderg said:
“Most people know [fast fashion] is very harmful for the environment, but I think many people seem to think there are many in the fashion industry who are trying to become better and more sustainable, and so on. When, in fact, that’s very often not the case. They are using that in order to make people think that they’re doing something – they’re using ‘greenwashing,’ which is a common misconception.”
Despite the uproar of many young activists, these fast fashion giants continue to rake in impressive sales. Does this prove their marketing strategy of greenwashing effective, or are these sales due to a specific age or gender demographics? Or perhaps it all boils down to habitual shopping behavior? The data collected by Trendency – in addition to data sources through publicly available statistics – gives us some insight to answer these questions.
To better understand how consumers really shop, Trendency asked Americans in its national panel about their favorite brands. Shein is the most popular fashion retailer among those surveyed, with 35% of respondents saying they shop there. H&M (30%) and Forever 21 (27%) follow closely behind, showing strong competition among the larger fast fashion brands. Zara holds a smaller share at 20%, while Mango attracts just 9%. Interestingly, only 8% of respondents said they don’t shop at any of these stores. Clearly, fast fashion brands still dominate the market, likely due to their low prices and trendy styles. For example, on average, Shein’s prices can range from $5–$25 and H&M prices range from $10-$50 for similar items, making them highly affordable and sought after.
Generational Shopping Habits
To explore the relationship between sustainability concerns and fast fashion habits, Trendency examined shopping preferences across brands and age groups. Without a doubt, Gen Z leads in shopping at trendy and affordable retailers, with 35% shopping at Shein and 30% at H&M, while also showing strong interest in Forever 21. Millennials follow closely behind, showing almost equal preference for Shein, H&M, and Zara. In comparison, Gen X shows significantly lower engagement across all brands, with no more than 14% reporting that they shop at any of the listed fast fashion stores. These shopping habits are even lower among Boomers, of whom just 3-9% say they shop at these retailers. Not surprisingly, these results show how fast fashion is mainly driven by younger generations, who appear more responsive to trend-focused and low-cost retail options.
When it comes to caring about climate change and the planet’s sustainability, Millennials lead the way, with 71% of respondents from this generation stating that climate change should be a top priority for a sustainable future. Following closely behind are Gen Z, with 67% expressing the same belief. Gen X shows slightly less concern, with 63% in agreement, while Boomers trail with 57% supporting the idea that climate change should be prioritized.
Source: Pew Research Center
When thinking about what matters most to them when deciding where to shop, all generations tend to agree that price is the number one quality they consider, with Boomers prioritizing pricing the most at 73%. Despite younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z showing the highest interest in eco-friendly materials, labor practices, where products are made, and highly prioritizing climate in conversations, these concerns still rank below price overall. Therefore, although sustainability messaging may influence younger shoppers, cost remains the deciding factor, highlighting why greenwashing could remain an effective strategy in the fast fashion market.
When it comes to the use of eco-friendly materials, Millennials care the most with 2 out of 5 in this generation (37%) saying it is very important. Gen Z, Gen X, and Boomers are less likely to agree, and over half of Boomers say it’s not important at all (55%). Gen Z also has a high concentration of those who say it’s not important (50%). Despite the ongoing beliefs among Gen Z and Millennials about climate change and a desire for eco-friendly and sustainable products, there is a visible preference for prices. So, when fast fashion brands claim to be eco-friendly, customers may not be willing to take the extra step in verifying those claims if the price is right.
Competitive pricing is a different story. Boomers care about this the most, with almost 70% saying it is very important to them when considering where to shop. Gen X (60%) and Millennials (55%) also care a lot, but not as much. Gen Z is more split, with fewer saying low prices are very important (48%). This could mean younger people are more willing to consider other factors, such as the environment, when they shop, and when fast fashion brands say they are eco-friendly (even if they are not really), it might work on Gen Z and Millennials. But for older shoppers like Boomers, saving money is more important than a brand being green. Interestingly, despite price being top priority for most Boomers, they are the least frequent shoppers at these affordable fast fashion brands, nor do they seem to be a target audience for the stores.
While Millennials are the most likely to value eco-friendly materials, many Gen Z and Boomer shoppers do not see it as important, and more than half of Boomers say it does not matter at all. Instead, price continues to play a major role for all age groups, with Boomers placing the highest value on affordability. This suggests that greenwashing may still be an effective strategy, especially for younger shoppers who are open to sustainability messages about climate change and ethical practices, but many still make decisions based solely on cost. Thus, greenwashing remains an effective, if ethically questionable, marketing tool.
In Practice: Fast Fashion Sales Trends
H&M has released an eco-conscious line yearly since 2010, including 2010’s eco-fiber Garden Collection line, 2016’s Conscious Exclusive line, 2019’s Conscious Collection, and 2022’s Conscious Choice line, to name a few. However, they’ve also been sued for “misleading” sustainability marketing. According to data compiled by Statista, H&M sales have grown relatively steadily over the past 15 years regardless of any speculation of greenwashing, with a few periods of decline between 2016-2017 and 2019-2020. Sales took off starting in 2021, which can likely be attributed to consumer recovery following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s also worth noting that there was an increase in sales after each major “sustainable” collection was released.
Interestingly enough for H&M, increased revenue hasn’t exactly translated to an increase in stock prices. Looking at data from Investing.com going back to the 1990s shows that the brand’s stock prices peaked in 2015 before dropping sharply, and they have not truly recovered since. Additionally, it has slowly but steadily declined over the past 12 months. While the stock price of the company represents where investors think the company is headed in the future versus sales and increase in sales does not equal an increase in stock prices every time. That being said there is clearly a difference in the viewpoint of consumers and investors when it comes to H&M.
Similarly, Zara has released its “eco-conscious” lines since 2016, reflecting the brand’s efforts to align with growing sustainability trends. Similar to H&Ms rate of growth, there was a clear upward trend in sales for Zara from 2013 to 2019, despite a decline in 2019-2020 likely due to the pandemic. Although Zara was experiencing strong growth in these years regardless of eco-conscious marketing, these eco-friendly lines certainly did not inhibit growth and likely attributed to a strong post-pandemic recovery.
Shein, a Chinese online fast fashion retailer known for its vast inventory of low-cost, trend-driven clothing, is another brand mentioned often when it comes to greenwashing and ethical practices. Still, it’s a big player in the fast fashion market; according to Coresight Research numbers from 2023, Shein is the largest fast-fashion retailer worldwide with a market share of 18%, followed by Inditex (owner of Zara, Massimo Dutti, and other brands) with 17%, and H&M (5%). With more than 28% of sales coming from the United States, Shein’s also experienced positive growth in revenue in the billions. From 2016 to 2024, Shein went from less than $1B in revenue to $50B. This once more proves that, despite public speculation of a brand’s production practices and approach to eco-friendly practices, their competitively low prices have allowed constant upward growth in sales.
In Conclusion
Despite public skepticism and scrutiny, fast fashion brands continue to thrive, often showcasing a misleading green image. Even though the Trendency data showed that many Millennials and Gen Z say they care about the environment, most shoppers still choose clothes and products based on price and style. Brands like H&M, Zara, and Shein continue to experience revenue growth and reap impressive sales numbers, despite claims that their marketing is “misleading,” and how that may conflict with shoppers’ personal beliefs about the environment and ethical practices. This gap between what people believe and how they shop is what makes greenwashing work, in a market where affordability outweighs personal convictions.
Is the future forecasted as cloudy skies ahead for fast fashion? Probably not, at least not in the near future, as long as prices stay in a low range. However, with concerns growing for a more sustainable future for our planet amongst Gen Z and Millennials, we could see a shift in purchasing habits or even in fast fashion production and honesty in the long run else they may fall behind.
