Diversity & Inclusion in Fashion Retail

More and more, fashion retailers are grappling with the concept of diversity and inclusion, especially in an increasingly transparent world. Largely due to social media, customers are more vocal than ever about their expectations and needs. And because there are so many options to choose from—especially online—customers increasingly prefer to spend their money on a brand that shares their personal values. They won’t hesitate to leave a retailer they’ve spent their life shopping at, if they don’t feel heard. 

At the forefront of this shift are conversations about standardized sizes that all but dismiss a large part of the US population and are still firmly rooted in the gender binary. Companies that fail to offer services in more than English are simply not able to communicate effectively to a large swath of their customer base who speak Spanish and other languages. And brands that assume their customer is largely white, are increasingly missing out on offering products that customers are in need of from bras to make-up. 

Brands like “Victoria’s Secret” have experienced major push-back for their lack of diversity, ultimately leading to the cancellation of their annual fashion show, major organizational reshuffling, and then most recently to a private buy-out. By not paying attention or tackling issues of diversity and inclusion head-on, the future of that brand is now in the balance.