Major Project: Discount culture

How has discount culture evolved within fashion retail and in what ways can it be managed successfully in the future?

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Anna Hall 18118711

ADM 6005 Major Project BA(Hons) Fashion Business and Promotion Birmingham City University

December 2020

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How has discount culture evolved within fashion retail and in what ways can it be managed successfully in the future?

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This study aims to explore the problems associated with the societal culture of excessive discounting that has evolved over recent decades. The research into this topic area has been prompted by the unprecedented events of the coronavirus pandemic that has brought focus to the issues facing fashion retail, and highlighted the reliance the industry has on discounting. In the approach to Black Friday 2020, discussions around the sustainability of discounting have been more prevalent than ever, following a year of ‘heavy discounting across retail’ (Sutherland, 2020). The methodology for this study included interviews which provided new industry insight into the promotional activity of fast fashion brands New Look, Missguided and PrettyLittleThing. Further research was gathered through a questionnaire that gained data on shopping habits, followed by a focus group to explore the behaviours of generation z in more detail in order to draw conclusions on the influence of price and promotions for these consumers. Secondary research was conducted via a range of sources including journals, online articles and books to gain further understanding of the current market and identify theories to support industry practices and consumer behaviours.

The research concludes that the issues with discounting have resulted from a change in the purpose of price reductions from purely dealing with excess end-of-season stock, to a competitive strategy to provide incentives in what has become a disloyal consumer society. This has caused an expectation for sales promotions and a reluctance to purchase clothing at full price which has resulted in a rise in overconsumption, highlighting the impact of discount culture on the environment. Further research identified that there are significant barriers to change within the industry, mainly due to a lack of co-operation between brands. There are some examples of fashion retailers beginning to challenge discount culture, however it was concluded that further legislation and/or a greater focus on adjusting the consumer mindset will be required in order for significant change to be seen within the fashion industry.

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Acknowledgements I would like to thank the people that contributed to the successful completion of this dissertation study.

Firstly, I would like to thank my dissertation tutor, Beth White for her guidance and advice throughout the research and writing processes. The direction she gave me enabled me to complete this study to the best of my ability.

I would also like to thank the module leader Nazli Alimen and additional module tutors Caroline Raybould, Juliet Teksnes and Sophie Johnson who provided valuable lecture content that aided me through the progression and completion of my project.

Finally, I would like to thank those who participated in my primary research.

The merchandisers at New Look, Missguided and PrettyLittleThing who participated in interviews that provided industry insight that was fundamental to this study. Thanks also goes to Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and insight director at IMRG for his interview contribution. Additionally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the focus group participants, and anyone who completed the survey.

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Abstract 4 Acknowledgements 6 List of tables 10 List of figures 10 Glossary 12 Introduction 14 Methodology 16 Chapter 1: History, Evolution and Context 1.1 Consumer Capitalism 22 1.2 Demand for Fashion 25 1.3 Legislation 26 Chapter 2: Key Drivers and Issues 2.1 Competition 30 2.2 Overbuying 31 2.3 Covid-19 33 2.4 Black Friday 34 2.5 Honest Practices 37 Chapter 3: Consumer Behaviour and Pricing Influences 3.1 Generation Z 42 3.2 The Power of Price 44

3.3 Impact of Covid-19 on Consumers 47 Chapter 4: The Future of Discount Culture 4.1 Barriers to Change 50 4.2 Resale Platforms 51 4.3 Technology 52 4.4 Everlane Case Study 54 Conclusion 56 Recommendations and Future Studies 60 Annotated References 62 Bibliography 70

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LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Coding of the focus group showing the number of times each topic was mentioned per participant Table 2: Coding of the interviews showing identified themes and sub-codes with supporting quotes Table 3: UK Pricing Legislations Table 4: Strategies being used by fashion brands to deal with Covid-19 Table 5: Boohoo Case Study Table 6: A comparison of primary and secondary data showing purchasing influences

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Neon sale sign. Source: https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/ neon-sale-sign-in-frame-with-arrow-in-red-color-vector-19133690 [Accessed 7 December 2020] Figure 2. Dressed in excess. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/ gallery/2018/mar/31/dressed-in-excess-people-put-on-all-their-clothes-inpictures#img-12 [Accessed 7 December 2020] Figure 3. Dressed in excess. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/ gallery/2018/mar/31/dressed-in-excess-people-put-on-all-their-clothes-inpictures#img-12 [Accessed 7 December 2020] Figure 4. Mini Trolley. Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/basket-bassinetbusiness-cart-264547/ [Accessed 7 December 2020] Figure 5. Boohoo Website. Source: https://www.boohoo.com/ [Accessed 25 November 2020] Figure 6. Pricing influences graph. Source: Authors primary research Figure 7: Figure 1. Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations Theory. Source: https:// extensionaus.com.au/extension-practice/diffusion-of-innovations-theory -case-studies-and-discussion/ [Accessed 2 December 2020] Figure 8: Abstract technology image. Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/ oZ61KFUQsus [Accessed 7 December 2020] Figure 9: Everlane Transparency Model. Source: https://collinfuncannon.com/csr-andtransparency/ [Accessed 7 December 2020]

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Cover levels = the number of units in stock combined with the

number of units currently on order, divided by the number of units being sold each week

Disposable income = the excess income a person has after paying for taxes, food and other basic needs

E-commerce = the buying and selling of goods online Economies of scale = the cost advantages gained per unit when buying or producing a product in greater quantities

Generation Z = a term used to describe people born between 1995 and 2009

Machine learning technology = an application of artificial intelligence that enable systems to automatically learn and improve from experience without being specifically programmed

Multi-channel distribution =

a structure where the business reaches their consumers through more than one method, for example having an online website as well as bricks-and-mortar stores.

Sell-through rates = the number of units sold divided by the number of units received from suppliers

Webinar = a seminar conducted via the internet

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INTRODUCTION Discount culture within mass market fashion is not a particularly new phenomenon, however its evolution in recent years has started drawing attention to issues surrounding it. The reliance consumers now have on retailers holding sales is becoming clearer, with 25% of people saying they never buy clothes at full-price (Chillman, 2017).

This study aims to establish the context of discounting within society through research into the background of consumerism and rise of fast fashion. Contextualisation of the discount sector will allow for greater understanding of shopping behaviours of modern consumers. The study will identify and examine the key drivers influencing the use of discount promotions within the fashion industry including issues surrounding overbuying, competitive rivalry and reflections on ethical behaviours. Another important element of the research paper will be evaluation of consumer behaviour and psychological factors that influence purchasing habits, including price sensitivity. According to Josephs and McGregor, ‘65% of generation Z globally say they want to get real value for their money’ so this demographic will provide the focus for consumer behaviour analysis. Finally, research into the future of the discount strategy will be presented, assessing the sustainability and longevity of using markdowns to deal with stock and remain competitive, as well as investigating innovative solutions. Throughout the study the effect of Covid-19 will be considered, including evaluating the impact of lockdown and economic decline on the fashion industry.

The influence for this study came primarily from previous investigation the researcher conducted surrounding the topic, which sparked an interest for further exploration and deeper evaluation of key influences driving the sector as well as investigating future strategies. More recently, observation of high street retailers and the implications of the coronavirus pandemic brought discounting to the forefront of retail (see appendix C). The researcher sought further inspiration from articles addressing the rise of discounting as a result of Covid-19 published by sources including LSN, Drapers and Business of Fashion, which highlighted the reliance the industry has on markdown strategies.

AIM To investigate the evolution of discount culture and its associated issues including its impact on consumer behaviour, and to consider its future as a successful competitive marketing strategy for mass market fashion brands OBJECTIVES • To establish the history of discount culture and its evolution up to pre Covid-19.

• To analyse the impact of Covid-19 on mass market fashion brands and the ways discount culture has changed as a result.

• To assess why mass market fashion retailers use discounting and the issues associated with using it as a promotional strategy • To explore consumer behaviour and evaluate the relationship between generation z and discount culture.

• To investigate innovations around dealing with discounting and conclude on how to manage it in the future.

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Both primary and secondary sources were used in order to provide the research required to complete this study on discount culture. The primary research is explained in this methodology.

Following the survey, purposive sampling was used to select 5 participants for a focus group to ‘better understand how people feel or think about an issue’ (Krueger and Casey, 2015) (see appendix B). Participants were chosen from the 1824 female bracket as the researcher felt it was important to explore this demographic further. The focus group was conducted via Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions, lasted approximately 30 minutes and was audio and video recorded with the participants permission to allow for thorough analysis.

A key benefit of focus groups is they ‘allow observations of how and why individuals accept or reject others ideas’ (Stewart et al, 2007) so analysis of interaction between participants was important, as well as the content of the discussion. Probe questions were used to prompt discussion and control the direction of the conversation, while allowing for freedom of expression (Horn, 2012). Participants discussed their shopping habits, the influence of price on purchases and their general opinions on discounting.

An online survey consisting of 10 questions was used to collect data on people’s shopping habits and attitudes towards discount culture ‘in larger numbers than would be possible using face-to-face research methods’ (Wright, 2017) (see appendix A).

The SurveyMonkey link was shared via the researchers Facebook and Instagram pages, resulting in 100 responses consisting of male and female, across all age groups from ‘under 18’ to ‘over 60’. The largest group of responses was from 18-24-year-olds, making up 60% of the sample size, as this age group are the most significant market to consider in this study. Closed questions were used mainly, providing easily comparable quantitative data (Rahman, 2019), however qualitative elements were incorporated through questions that required respondents to record how strongly they agreed or disagreed with several statements. The data was collected anonymously, resulting in greater completion rates (Rahman, 2019).

Table 1: Coding of the focus group showing the number of times each topic was mentioned per participant

Theme/ Participant

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3

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5

Clothing quality

0

1

0

2

0

Environmental concerns

1

3

1

3

2

Trends

2

1

1

3

0

Charity shopping

3

2

0

4

0

Depop

2

0

0

1

0

Fast fashion

1

2

0

2

0

Impulse purchasing

1

3

1

1

2

Saving money

3

4

3

1

1

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Observational research was conducted to give an overview of the current market. This form of research gathers reliable data that is not influenced by the opinions of individuals involved in other forms of research (Zoho, 2019). Observation of physical stores in the Birmingham Bull Ring Shopping Centre involved examination of promotional activity that was taking place in a range of mass market fashion stores on 28th October 2020. Data was recorded it in the form of notes and photographs (see appendix C).

In addition, observational research was undertaken online, where a screenshot was taken of the Boohoo website, every-day for 3 weeks from 4th to 25th November (see appendix D). This enabled the researcher to more closely follow the promotional activity of one retailer, and analyse the patterns of promotions in the lead up to Black Friday.

Interviews were conducted with merchandisers at PrettyLittleThing, Missguided and New Look. They were selected via purposive sampling to offer insight into the use of discounting at the brands they work for (see appendix E,F,G).

The interviews were semi-structured, using questions to prompt thought but allow for detailed, in depth answers to be given.

Using ‘precise and direct questions’ (Horn, 2012) ensured clarity for the interviewee, however also using unstructured elements allowed ‘respondents to express their view without the constraint of a predetermined list of questions’ (Horn, 2012). Two of the interviews were conducted by via email, and one by phone to best suit the interviewees.

The phone interview phone lasted 8 minutes 30 seconds, was audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. All interviewees were asked the same questions in order to draw comparisons between the brands. The questions focussed on the use of discounting by the brand they work for, the impact of Covid-19, and the future of retail.

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One final interview was conducted with Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and insight director at IMRG (see appendix H). He was contacted via LinkedIn after reading an article where he was quoted giving his opinions on Black Friday and discounting. After then attending a webinar hosted by Mulcahy, a short, structured interview was conducted, asking follow-up questions to the information gained from the webinar. This provided further specific qualitative data and insights that could be applied to the study.

A combination of data analysis techniques have been used to code primary research data (see tables 1 and 2). Content analysis identified common themes within focus group and interview data and information was organised into these categories to show patterns and allow a more objective stance (Horn, 2012 and Nyumba et al, 2018).

Further ethnographic analysis focused on qualitative elements, selecting relevant quotes for each theme (Nyumba et al, 2018).

Additionally, using triangulation throughout the study provided ‘a means of improving the validity of qualitative research’ (Horn, 2012) by synthesising information from multiple sources of primary and secondary research to identify similar and contrasting ideas.

Table 2: Coding of the interviews showing identified themes and sub-codes with supporting quotes Themes

Codes

Quotes from interviews with merchandisers at Missguided, New Look and PrettyLittleThing

Stock Control

Cover Levels

‘Our cover levels are calculated by combining how many units of a product we have in stock with how many units we have on order’ (PLT)

Slowing Sales

‘best selling product is already on low cover and a sale price will mean all stock will sell out’ (Missguided) ‘The main reason a product would be discounted is if we had a big amount of stock of it and sales had slowed down’ (Missguided)

Reactiveness

Seasonality

Competitors

Pressure

Competitive Rivalry

Consumer Behaviour

Expectation

‘if it’s something that’s slowing off like sales are starting to slow then you would want to like promo it to encourage sales’ (New Look) ‘we had to quickly adapt to ensure we had enough of these products in stock’ (PLT) ‘Normally we plan in certain trade pushes with markdowns in advance, because of Covid we have had to become more reac-tive’ (Missguided) ‘Products get discounted for a variety of reasons, mainly due to seasonality’ (PLT) ‘increasing pressure on brands to sell through old stock in order to bring out new and fresh styles to be ahead of competitors’ (PLT) ‘We also follow the normal sale periods to keep up with competitors’ (Missguided) ‘There does tend to be a lot of competition amongst brands dur-ing peak trading season, e.g. Black Friday’ (PLT) ‘The majority of shoppers now will shop around and shop with whoever offers them the best discount as opposed to being loy-al to their favourite companies’ (Missguided) ‘consumers definitely hold off making a purchase until they have secured some form of discount’ (PLT) ‘almost feel entitled to some form of discount with every pur-chase’ (PLT) ‘they aren’t becoming reliant, but greedy and expecting’ (Missguided)

‘you don’t want people expecting that everything’s always going to be in promo’ (New Look) Love for sales ‘We know our consumer loves a discount code’ (PLT) ‘Who doesn't love a good discount though’ (Missguided) Trends

Sustainability

Trend Influence

Recycling Circular Fashion

‘March at the beginning of the first UK lockdown we saw ‘stay at home’ product e.g. loungewear, active wear & self-care beauty grow massively’ (PLT) ‘if you’re on a trend driven department say like blouses or something like that then you’ll kind of see your markdown stock will be impacting your sales’ (New Look) ‘Reselling platforms such as Depop/Ebay and clothing rental services have become a popular way to dispose of unwanted items’ (PLT) ‘shopping for a more sustainable capsule wardrobe with great basics’ (Missguided)

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History, Evolution and Context.

This chapter will contextualise discount culture in modern society through exploring key historical events that shaped consumerist values and investigating the evolution of fast fashion. This will establish the origins of discounting for it to be further explored in subsequent chapters.

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1.1 Consumer Capitalism In order to establish the origins of discount culture, it is important to first consider the development of consumer capitalism. The middle of the seventeenth century saw the world’s first consumer revolution where people could first afford luxury products.

As the concept spread worldwide, by the eighteenth century people began to believe money should be spent with care (SchoolofLife, 2020). As a result, in the early 1900s, marketing agencies and brands in America began looking at ways to boost consumerism and encourage people to buy more (Kellner, 2013). They wanted to make people feel as though they needed to buy new things to be happy. According to Kellner (2013) ‘The advertising and fashion industries thus had to persuade consumers to throw away old products and continually buy new ones’.

Both the Great Depression and World War II slowed the progress of a global consumer society, but the consumer boom following the end of the war saw the desire for new and in-fashion products encouraged by the industry, finally take off (Kellner, 2013). This accelerated through the rest of the century and into the 2000s where, combined with the rise in social media, it finally became a way of life for consumers.

As the focus on greater consumption continued to grow, so did the availability of products. This was particularly prominent in the fashion industry where newness and trends are significant. Where previously the fashion sector had been very supply-led, the development of the internet and social media throughout the early 2000s began to cause this to change.

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Figure 3

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1.2 Demand for Fashion In the 1960s when mass clothing production began to boom, fashion consumers became more trend driven and desire for affordable clothing increased considerably (Idacavage, 2018). Demand for newness was greater, so the traditional 2-4 collections per year was not satisfying the modern consumer.

Consequently, the concept of fast fashion emerged. This term described fashion retailers that were producing high volumes of trend-driven product based around catwalk collections in a short period of time, and for a low cost (Edology ,n.d.). As early as 1990, Zara claimed ‘it would only take 15 days for a garment to go from a designer’s brain to being sold on the racks’ (Idacavage, 2018), and they now manufacture around 18,000 designs per year (Edology, n.d.). The rise in volume of product and increasingly trend driven society means the turnover of stock is more frequent than it has been previously. Retailers have found themselves with large amounts of unsold stock: at onepoint last year H&M had $4 billion worth of unsold clothes (Bain, 2019). In recent years, ‘brands have leaned on markdowns to clear that extra stuff. But in doing so they’ve led shoppers to expect regular sales’ (Bain, 2019).

Fashion requirements of consumers have traditionally been split into seasons where appropriate clothing is sold at different times of the year to reflect the weather. This meant that towards the end of each season (typically Spring/Summer and Autumn/ Winter) any remaining unsold stock would need to be disposed of to allow for new product for the next season. Reducing the price of end of season products provided a purchasing incentive for customers and allow brands to clear the items without damaging profit margins excessively.

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1.3 Legislation

Another key aspect to consider is the legalities of advertising and pricing, particularly laws surrounding sales promotions and markdowns. Currently laws in the UK surrounding sales promotions are rather vague. Table 3 details the sets of legislations brands are required to follow. Research conducted for this study made it clear it is difficult to find exactly which legislations businesses must comply with. Furthermore, this information is challenging to understand, and the ambiguity of the laws means that the regulation of sales promotion in the UK is minimal.

Table 3: UK Pricing Legislations Legislation

Description

Price Marking Order 2004

This sets out requirements to clearly state the price, quantity and unit price of product (CTSI, 2018).

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008

This is the other main source of legality for pricing. It comprises of a set of ambiguous statements that focus on the principles of fair practices and misleading actions (GovUK, 2008)

"Clear laws should be passed to restrict when retailers can go on Sale" - McGregor, 2016

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More user-friendly and specific guidance is given by organisations like the Chartered Trading Standards Institute who create documentation advising businesses of practices that would likely be considered fair/unfair. For example, applying caution when using statements such as ‘all’ or ‘everything’ when describing discounts (CTSI, 2018). Walker (2018) provides further advice for businesses, stating that ‘staying on the right side of the law is a judgement call based on experience’. He also addresses the inflation of prices ahead of a reduction/ sale. He explains that, while there are no definitive rules, in order for the price promotion to be considered fair, ‘the product should have been on sale at the higher price for at least as long as the sale period and preferably longer’ (Walker, 2018).

In contrast, many European countries have strict laws. In France there are ‘two set sale periods for a maximum of four weeks twice a year’ (Sutherland, 2020). Additionally, items in the sale must have been available to customers for at least a month prior (Sutherland, 2020). This creates greater structure within retail and sets consistent expectations for customers. However, it could be argued that this level of legislation is too restrictive on brands.

The concept of greater discounting legislation in the UK is controversial. A Drapers survey of brands/retailers found some respondents thought ‘clear laws should be passed to restrict when retailers can go on Sale, as in Europe’ (McGregor, 2016). However, a more recent Drapers study found 55% of people did not agree that government legislation should dictate when retailers can discount, taking the view that ‘it is not the government’s place to regulate this issue’ (Sutherland, 2020). It is important to consider differing needs of businesses, and the fact that the use of discounting by some retailers could be considered a point of differentiation, or even an essential part of the operational model for some brands.

This chapter identified the consumer revolution, the actions of the US in the early 1900s, and the post-war consumer boom as key turning points in the development of consumerism. The research suggested that the growth in fast fashion and trends contributed to the development of discount culture, and began to identify problems within the industry that will be further evaluated in the next chapter.

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Key Drivers and Issues.

As discussed previously, a need to get rid of out of season/ excess stock is one of the main reasons that retailers began using discounting strategies. However, there are a variety of other key drivers fuelling discount culture that will be explored in this chapter.

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2.1 Competition The influence of competition on discounting is difficult to define and varies between businesses. Insight gained from interviews conducted with merchandisers at New Look, PrettyLittleThing and Missguided suggested they do not conduct sales purely based on competitors’ actions (See appendix E,F,G), yet New Look said they usually end up offering similar promotions as competitors, where they have alike trend-driven stock. The PrettyLittleThing merchandiser indicated that promotions are based on the needs of the business, stating: ‘it wouldn’t make sense for us to heavily discount products that are best sellers at full price just because a competitor has’.

This suggests that as the bigger players in the mass market sector, these brands are in a stronger position to hold firm on their prices. She did, however, acknowledge that peak trading season (e.g. Black Friday) does encourage more competition between brands of ‘who can offer the most shocking and enticing discount’.

In contrast, a survey of 220 fashion businesses conducted by Drapers concluded that following competitors’ actions was the most significant reason for discounting.

37% of respondents selected competition, ahead of the 35% who said too much stock (Sutherland, 2020). One boutique owner shared that they are struggling with other independents stocking the same brands but using heavy discounts, meaning they are forced to do the same to attract customers (Sutherland, 2020). It is important to be aware that the demographic of the survey respondents could mean that this data is less representative of the mass market sector, as 35% was made up of independent retailers, 25% fashion brands, and the rest department store chains, manufacturers and suppliers. It is, therefore, possible that it may be the independent retailers that are more influenced by competitors’ markdowns, compared to large brands.

" There does tend to be a lot of competition amongst brands during peak trading season, e.g. Black Friday of who can offer the most shocking and enticing discount" - PrettyLittleThing merchandiser, 2020

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2.2 Overbuying A key factor driving the discount sector is the operational basis of mass market fashion brands. They rely on high volumes of production to take advantage of economies of scale (Savant, 2019). Buying in bulk reduces the price per unit meaning products can be sold for a more affordable price. However, this often results in issues with overstock, where brands are trying to sell too much too frequently meaning ‘there’s not enough time to achieve good sell-through rates before the next collection arrives’ (Lewis, 2020, cited in Sutherland, 2020). Not only does this result in discounts being needed to deal with excess of stock as a result of overbuying; but the price reductions are becoming more premature, meaning products are being discounted when they have not had long enough to sell at full price.

Retailers are being encouraged against this buying structure to address the overconsumption that is being fuelled by the high levels of product produced. It is argued that overbuying for the benefit of lower prices means that the margin that will be lost in the probable event of having to discount, will most likely be more than the margin saved through bulk purchasing (Sutherland, 2020). Therefore, brands are unlikely to receive significant financial gain from this way of operating, and it seems that unsustainable elements of these practices are becoming more prevalent.

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Figure 4

2.3 Covid-19 The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on retail, with stores being forced to close and economic uncertainty high. As a result, retail sales of clothing fell 43.5% in April- June 2020, compared to the same period the previous year (Wunsch, 2020). This meant that retailers had to find ways to drive sales and clear the estimated £15bn of unsold stock (Pinnok, 2020).

Table 4: Strategies being used by fashion brands to deal with Covid-19 Strategy

Explanation

Online retailing

Online retailing became the focus for retailers, with online sales increasing 20% year on year in the two weeks from 20th May to 2nd June (Nazir, 2020).

An interview with a merchandiser at New Look found that the brand had seen growth in e-commerce throughout the pandemic (see appendix G). In contrast, Primark saw sales drop from £650 million a month to zero as a result of relying solely on in store sales (Nazir, 2020). This highlights the importance of using multi-channel distribution for fashion brands in order to spread risk and adapt to changes in the environment more quickly.

Discounting

UK retailers cut prices in May this year – ‘the most in a single month since 2006’ (Josephs and McGregor, 2020). The week up to 17th May saw a increase of 43% in fashion discounts compared to the previous year (Whelen, 2020). Cutting prices has been used as a strategy to encourage spending to maintain steady sales during a time of economic uncertainty. The pandemic and consequent need for discounting has highlighted the already existing issue of overbuying.

One high street head of retail said ‘the virus and subsequent lockdown has just shown this up for the risky approach that it is’ (Anon 2020, cited in Whelen, 2020).

Focus on categories

The change in lifestyle for a large proportion of the population during 2020 caused a change in consumer demands in the apparel sector. Loungewear, activewear and lingerie are among the categories that witnessed a spike in demand during the lockdown period. Searches for loungewear were up 411% in April compared to the previous year (Gilliland, 2020). In contrast, searches for dresses fell 33%, and playsuits 54% (Gilliland, 2020). This data highlights the close relationship between lifestyle and apparel demand and therefore how performance within the fashion industry is so affected by changes within the economy and wider society. The change in demand of products is identified as one of the many issues retailers are facing due to the pandemic and therefore why discounting has been necessary to deal with the levels of stock that would have been bought in anticipation of ‘normal’ demand for categories like dresses. However, a merchandiser at Missguided explained how they also used discounts on the most popular categories like loungewear to provide incentives for customers to purchase these types of product at Missguided. This insight supports the idea that discounting is much more of a competitive promotional strategy for some brands and explains why the use of pricing reductions has spiralled in recent years as fast fashion players such as Missguided have entered the market.

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2.4 Black Friday Black Friday originated in the US in the 1960s as a day of discounting on the first Friday after thanksgiving, to kickstart Christmas shopping and drive sales (ZDTECH, 2020).

The event first took place in the UK in 2013 via Walmart owned Asda, and has continued to grow, with £8.75 billion spent online on Black Friday in the UK in 2019, a 16.5% increase on the previous year (Charlton, 2019; Sabanoglu 2020). While the discounting event undoubtedly drives sales for many retailers, recent claims suggest it has ‘led to an unhealthy overconsumption of consumer goods and has caused increased carbon emissions’ (Lockyer, 2020). As a result, many brands now boycott the event.

In 2019 more than 300 clothing brands asked shoppers to refrain from participating in the sales (Lockyer, 2019). However, Andy Mulcahy addressed the fact that ‘despite the negative stories about it every year it still gets massive uptake’ (see appendix H). Black Friday has become a significant part of the discounting calendar, but the conversations around it’s unsustainability continue to grow.

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Figure 5

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"Working in fashion myself I have started to spot some companies when approaching sale periods whacking their black price up" -Missguided merchandiser, 2020

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2.5 Honest Practices One of the major issues surrounding discount culture is deceptive pricing, which, as discussed in chapter one, is poorly regulated due to current UK pricing laws. Many brands have been accused of inflating prices ahead of sales so reductions look more impressive, yet customers actually save little/no money.

A merchandiser at Missguided reported noticing more brands increasing ‘original’ prices ahead of promotions (see appendix F). There have been instances online where customers have called out brands for suspicious ‘discounts’. One customer tweeted PrettyLittleThing about a coat that was previously available for £50, but in the Black Friday Sale was reduced from £60 to £54 (Corner, 2018). In recent months, Boohoo have faced an $100 lawsuit in the US over deceptive prices (Santamaria, 2020) (refer to table 5). It is important for brands to be mindful of ethical behaviours, despite the lack of laws in place or they risk damaging their brand reputation.

While most brands would argue there is no point using sales promotions on stock that is selling successfully, primary research revealed that during sale periods, Missguided ensure some of the ‘best sellers feature so the customer doesn’t think we are just getting rid of old stock’ (see appendix F). While this is not an issue that directly negatively impacts the customer, it could be argued that it is manipulative and further encourages overconsumption.

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Table 5: Boohoo Case Study About Boohoo Boohoo is a fast fashion brand that has been operating exclusively online since 2006. They focus on regular releases of trend led fashion at an affordable price, and are a significant player in the discount sector A study found than in a single week, Boohoo uploaded 772 new products: an average of 116 every day (O’Neill, 2020).

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Primary source 1 (see appendix D) Observational primary research conducted studied the promotional activity by Boohoo over a 3-week period in the lead up to Black Friday.

The research found that the front page of the Boohoo website advertised some form of blanket sale of at least up to 25% off everything, every single day. One third of these days (7 in total) offered a discount of up 70% sitewide.

This highlights the true extent to which Boohoo rely on reducing prices to entice customers.

Primary source 2 (see appendix A) In a survey conducted by the researcher, respondents were asked to identify the brands they most associate with discounting from a list of given options.

59% of people indicated that Boohoo was one of the top 5 brands they would associate with holding discounts and promotions, making it the most frequently selected brand in this category. This data can help draw conclusions on the brand image of Boohoo in terms of the way customers/ potential customers perceive the brand.

Secondary source 1 Earlier this year boohoo faced a $100m lawsuit over alleged fake promotions.

They were accused of having false and misleading reference prices when holding price reductions, therefore immorally luring customers in. A boohoo spokesperson said ‘We are focused on bringing our customers designs that they love at affordable prices, and running promotions is just one of the ways that we invest in our customer proposition’(Santamaria, 2020). It is clear that Boohoo acknowledge the prevalence of pricing discounts in their strategies, but the lack of authenticity in their prices may damage their brand image. However, as addressed previously, Boohoo are not the only mass market brand using deceptive pricing and as the laws are still rather ambiguous perhaps they believe they can get away with it more easily.

Secondary source 2 Boohoo claim to have very little postproduction waste, as they ‘order very small quantities of each item, and then only re-order the lines that are selling well’ (Boohoo, 2020). According to research quoted on their website, only 2% of fast fashion shoppers buy an item and only wear it once, and boohoo aim to encourage extended wear of their product through influencers, and promote recycling initiatives (Boohoo, 2020). This research would suggest that Boohoo do not suffer with overstock issues due to the way they order their product and therefore it could be argued that they should not require such excessive discounting. The philosophy described on their website does not match their actions and while they use research to support the idea that consumers do re-wear items, it cannot be denied that offering the level of discount they do will contribute to overconsumption through encouraging unnecessary purchases.

Analysis The research clearly portrays Boohoo as a price focussed retailer. The excessive extent to which Boohoo use discounting can be identified through the primary research, yet the information sourced from the Boohoo website suggests that they do not suffer with issues of overstock, which would suggest that the use of price related promotional strategies are for the competitive purposes more primarily. This could be considered controversial due to the issues of sustainability associated with excess discounting, and therefore the idea that Boohoo are doing so unnecessarily could be damaging to their brand image. Additionally, their promotion of sustainable and ethical practices through their website could be considered undermined by the extreme volume of new product they release each week, arguably fuelling and encouraging overconsumption and unnecessary purchasing. Overall, this research suggests that the way the brand portrays themselves is quite contradictory to their actions in practice, and therefore suggests that are not a particularly honest or transparent brand.

This chapter concluded that there are many contributing factors to the problems associated with discount culture. The research identified that reasons for using promotions now extend far beyond the traditional end of season stock clearance, and now exist to satisfy the needs of consumers, which will be explored further in the next chapter.

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Consumer Behaviour and Pricing Influences.

The behaviours of consumers have significant influence on discount culture and the operations of businesses. This chapter will further explore the complicated relationship between brand and consumer that was identified previously and evaluate generation z as a key market within the discount sector.

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3.1 Generation Z The generation z consumer group is an important focus of this study due to their characteristics and behaviours, particularly their shopping habits. There is debate over the exact bounds of this generation, but according to McCrindle research it covers those born between 1995 and 2009 (Posner, 2015). By 2020, generation z were set to account for 40% of global consumers, making them a significant demographic for retail (Drapers, 2020). Different studies have shown that the diversity within this generation makes it complex to understand and thus difficult to target. In a McKinsey podcast that discusses Generation Z and the future of shopping; Spagnuolo proposes a three-part segmentation of the consumer group. The first is value customers who are spending cautious and price sensitive, second are quality customers who seek high quality primarily; and finally the image cluster who’s focus is more on self-expression (Spagnuolo, 2020).

Table 6 shows research that suggests there are two main factors influencing generation z when making clothing purchases. These sets of data support the argument that price is a strongly influencing factor for young people, hence making them a key market for retailers to consider in pricing strategies and promotions. However, it also reiterates that the needs/behaviours of generation Z are difficult to define.

Table 6: A comparison of primary and secondary data showing purchasing influences Source

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Primary survey (appendix A)

Drapers survey (Moran, 2020)

Overall

Generation Z

Overall

Generation Z

Price

68%

71%

N/A

73%

Quality

68%

65%

N/A

47%

Generation Z are a very technological group, being described as ‘digital natives’ (Posner, 2015). Growth in e-commerce has driven consumers to develop behaviours ‘based on the ability to easily and quickly compare prices, product features, reviews and order facilities’ (Varley et al, 2019). This is particularly relevant for generation Z as their relationship with technology and the online world is, overall, more sophisticated than other generations. Almost half (48.5%) of gen z survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that when shopping for clothes they compare prices before purchasing (see appendix A).

The wealth of information and ability for comparison that the internet has provided has resulted in increased consumer power. Using Porter’s five forces model of competitive rivalry, it is possible to conclude that the vast options available to fashion consumers mean the bargaining power of customers is high, contributing to the overall competitiveness of the industry (Varley et al, 2019).

Figure 6

Alongside the internet, the rise of social media has impacted generation z and their shopping habits. Platforms like Instagram focus on fashion trends, with hashtags like #OOTD (outfit of the day) posted over 323 million times (Briggs, 2020). Such hashtags, along with influencer content have contributed to the development of a ‘wear it once culture’ of not wanting to be seen in the same outfit twice (Briggs, 2020). One focus group participant said the newest trends and people tagging their outfits on Instagram influence her shopping (see appendix B). These attitudes that have stemmed from social media are a significant factor in the contribution this generation make to unsustainable consumption, as it encourages shopping at fast fashion brands to get a good deal on trend items that they may never wear again.

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3.2 The Power of Price

It is difficult to generalise consumer behaviour, because some people are more price sensitive than others. While it could easily be assumed that consumers will always look for the lowest possible price when making a purchase, research shows consumers actually have a zone of acceptance which encompasses the range of prices considered acceptable for a particular product (Hoyer et al, 2018). Further research shows products on sale at 36%40% were more successful than products with a discount in excess of 50% (Smith, 2015). Together, these pieces of evidence clearly indicate that pricing considerations are far more complex than lowest always being best.

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Sales promotions can be difficult for retailers to get right due to the differences in how consumers view and respond to price, so it is important to carefully consider how they conduct sales. Research suggests that too frequent use of pricing deals means ‘consumers will perceive the special price as the regular price and will not buy unless the brand is on sale’ (Hoyer et al, 2018). Constant promotions have become normalised, so consumer spending has completely changed, now forming a reluctancy to pay full price for products (RTT, 2015). Furthermore, heavy discounting has encouraged less brand loyalty (Hoyer et al, 2018) where spending has become more deal focussed, consumers are drawn to different brands based on price incentives. Similarly, excessive use of discounting can negatively impact the way consumers perceive the value of a product or brand. Lockyer (2019) believes unnecessary discounting ‘is devaluing both the product and the brand’. Decreasing the price of a product can leave the consumer feeling that they overpaid originally and can cheapen the perceived worth of a product.

"shoppers have become accustomed to bagging a bargain and this expectation is devaluing both the product and the brand" -Lockyer, 2019

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Figure 7

Consumer behaviour theories such as Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations which identifies the way that consumers adopt a trend, can help retailers target price promotions (Posner, 2015) (see figure 1).

People who are more price sensitive and cautious of spending are likely to be late majority and laggards, waiting until the trend becomes older and prices fall as it hits the mass market (Posner, 2015). They may even wait for the trend product to hit a sales promotion. It is important for fashion retailers to identify this type of consumer as a key group to target with price reductions.

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Primary research suggested that generation z are more influenced by price than older consumers. 87% of gen z respondents said they look for a discount code or student discount before purchasing clothing, compared to only 47% of respondents from all other age groups (see appendix A).

Further discussion with generation z in the focus group found one respondent said that she liked shopping anywhere with a student discount, ‘just to get that bit of money off’, while another revealed that she will always look in the sale first to see if there is anything she likes at a reduced price (see appendix B).

Both these sources of research support the idea that price is a big purchasing influence for generation z.

3.3 Imapact of Covid-19 on Consumers 3.3 Impact of Covid-19 on consumers The coronavirus pandemic has had an extremely significant impact on the retail industry, specifically apparel due to changes in consumer behaviour as a result of economic uncertainty. In the three months to September 2020, unemployment rates in the UK reached 4.8%, an increase of 0.9% year-on-year (Trading Economics, 2020). Increased levels of unemployment result in lower disposable income, forcing consumers to reduce spending on nonessential items. People will become more rationally motivated than they may have been previously (Diamond, 2015). BBC news reported that people aged 16-24 have been most severely impacted by job cuts, as so many work in the retail, tourism and hospitality industries that have been most affected by the lockdown (King, 2020). This is relevant for the fast fashion sector because, as established previously, this age group are a key audience for these brands. With a greater proportion of them unemployed, they will have less disposable income to spend on clothing.

However, for people who are still buying apparel, the lower prices of fast fashion brands may be more attractive. ‘Sale rails and deadstock discounting’ will also entice consumers ‘as the world enters an economic downturn’ (Briggs, 2020). Primary research found that nearly one quarter (24%) of people were encouraged to buy more clothes due to sales and discounts during lockdown (see appendix A). Similarly, Business of Fashion reported that 56% said the main reason for purchasing clothing during Covid-19 was special promotions (Josephs and McGregor, 2020). As a result, experts predicted that the Black Friday 2020 discount period would be significant with the uncertain economic outlook causing consumers to be looking for the best deals and spending more cautiously (Cristofoli, 2020 cited in Sutherland, 2020).

This chapter concluded that consumers have varying needs that make promotional activity difficult to get right, and this is particularly true for generation z. The research also highlighted the significance of price as an influencing factor, especially in times of economic uncertainty, but acknowledged that the lowest price was not always most successful.

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The Future of Discount Culture.

The previous chapters have established the reliance consumers have on discounts, and the subsequent concerns over the sustainability of discounting as a strategy. One survey of retailers suggested 90% believe the industry is not doing enough to tackle the problem (Sutherland, 2020). This chapter will explore how discounting is likely to evolve in the future, and how it can be managed sustainably moving forward.

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4.1 Barriers to Change

A significant barrier to change within the industry is a lack of clarity on where the responsibility lies. In a Drapers survey, an owner of a premium knitwear brand said ‘the industry needs to readdress the stock issue by encouraging consumers to buy less but better quality’ (Sutherland, 2020) suggesting it was the responsibility of the industry to take action. However, a merchandiser at Missguided argued that until consumer habits change, retailers buying will not change either. In her opinion, ‘until sustainable shopping becomes mainstream then discounting will continue the way it is doing’ (see Appendix F). This highlights the issue within the industry that retailers won’t change until consumers do, yet while consumers still have the abundance of price choices that they currently do, they also are unlikely to change their purchasing habits.

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Opinions within the luxury sector suggest problems with excessive discounting should be addressed by the fashion retail industry.

Players within the luxury sector recently urged fashion brands to ‘delay end-ofseason promotions to January for autumn/ winter collections and to July for spring/ summer’, as well as adjusting the seasonality and flow of products throughout the year (Nazir, 2020). With the world entering a period of extreme economic uncertainty following Brexit and Covid-19, it could be believed to be poor timing to begin moving away from discount retailing. However, the luxury sector argues the coronavirus crisis has brought focus to issues within the industry, providing an ideal time to initiate a reset in the calendar (Adegeest, 2020).

With full industry agreement, adjustment to the release of collections throughout the year would force consumers to adjust their shopping behaviours, but as the article by Adegeest suggests, ‘changes in fashion are often short-lived and cooperation between brands, retailers and independent players is rarely synchronized’ (Adegeest, 2020).

4.2 Resale Platforms

During an interview with a PrettyLittleThing merchandiser, reselling platforms such as Depop were discussed. She recognised the benefits of these platforms for the wearit-once consumer to sustainably deal with the fast turnover of fashion (see appendix E). The focus group also identified interests in shopping via charity shops and online selling apps like Depop. Two participants discussed that it can be a good way to shop more sustainably while still getting trenddriven items at a lower price. However, one participant also acknowledged the problems beginning to arise with Depop as the popularity in re-selling grows: ‘because it’s got more and more popular, everything is more expensive and a lot of the time I see stuff on Depop and I’m like I may as well just get this new – cause I know its cheaper’ (See appendix B). Since launching in 2011, Depop has gained over 15m users, proving to be a successful platform to recycle fashion and prevent further waste (Townsend, 2020).

However, it seems the purpose of the app is already evolving from somewhere the average consumer can pass on clothes they no longer need, to a place of business where individuals specifically buy items to re-sell at a higher price on Depop. It is clear there are benefits of resale platforms, but for them to work as part of the solution longterm, they need to be managed carefully.

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4.3 Technology

New technological developments have been suggested as a potential solution to overstock issues. Companies like Intuendi work alongside brands, using machine learning technology to provide automated demand forecasting and inventory optimization (Capterra, 2020). This involves extensive data analysis using sophisticated software to create a more accurate forecast, enabling retailers to order quantities of stock that will better fit the demand (Intuendi, 2020). This is particularly useful for fashion retailers as the software uses data on existing products to make predictions about new ones (Intuendi, 2020). This technology can help reduce the problem of overstock, which, as discussed previously, is one of the most significant causes of discounting. The more accurately brands can buy product, the less excess stock they will have and therefore less reason to discount. Another advantage of this method is that technology is continually developing and becoming more efficient, so it is likely inventory management and sales forecasting technologies will become more sophisticated in the future. However, this strategy does focus on the issue of overstock, which is not the only factor driving discount culture.

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Figure 8

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4.4 Everlane Case Study

Everlane are an example of a clothing brand that are successfully challenging discount culture. They operate on a model of radical transparency, which involves breaking down the true cost of their products to customers.

They believe ‘customers have a right to know how much their clothes cost to make’ (Everlane, 2020). The honesty they offer customers allows fair justification of their prices and highlights they are as low as possible, therefore validating their approach towards discounting. Everlane rarely use markdowns, however to deal with overstock

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of certain products, they hold ‘choose what you pay sales’ (Baldwin, 2020). This approach involves giving customers three prices to choose from, explaining that ‘the lowest one lets Everlane recoup its costs, while paying more allows it to invest in future product development’ (Segran, 2018).

According to Segran (2018), 12% of people opt to pay a higher price. Everlane has shown that alternative approaches to pricing and discounting can be successful, and that consumers value transparency.

Figure 9

There is clearly some progress beginning to be made in addressing the problems of excessive discounting, working towards finding strategies to avoid resorting to cutting prices to deal with overstock. However, while excess stock seems to be the most significant reason for price reductions, the industry is failing to acknowledge the poor consumer attitudes and competitiveness that are also playing a part in the existence of discount culture.

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The aim of this study was to establish the origins of discount culture within society, evaluate the key forces driving the discount sector and the impact on consumers, and explore future strategies. The unprecedented events of the year 2020 put a spotlight on discounting, which brought a new focus to the long-term problems being caused by fashion retailers using excessive markdowns. The economic crisis following the pandemic provided an opportunity for the discussion around the viability of discounting strategies to be re-visited, thus requiring further research to be conducted in order to assess the current state of the market and attitudes of both businesses and consumers.

Covid-19 was an important focus of this study, providing the motivation to further explore the topic. The study identified that lockdown had a significant impact on fashion retailing due to the closure of stores and low consumer confidence, which intensified the reliance on holding sales to manage the £15bn of unsold inventory (Pinnock, 2020). The research supported the value of discounting in such scenarios of economic crisis and dealing with a sudden drop in consumer spending. Sutherland’s report particularly argued that pricereduction strategies were essential for the survival of some businesses during the pandemic. Interviews with merchandisers also highlighted the volatility of consumer demands and the consequential requirement for fashion brands to be reactive and use multi-channel operations.

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The findings from this study suggest that retailers and advertisers are ultimately responsible for the consumer mindset that exists today. The concept of consumerism and the mentality that ‘stuff’ makes us happy has been continually integrated into society since the seventeenth century (SchoolofLife, 2020). This claim was further supported by observation of Boohoo’s website which found a discount of at least 25% off across their website every-day, encouraging unnecessary purchasing. Collectively, this data, along with insights gathered through interviews suggest that fashion retailers’ actions are training consumers to feel they need to buy more. Furthermore, the volume of sales being offered means consumers feel entitled to discounts, and now 25% of people never purchase at fullprice (Chillman, 2017). It can be concluded that there will be significant difficulties in changing the behaviours of consumers due to the longstanding actions of retailers. The focus for these brands is now to meet the self-generated needs of consumers to have frequent new fashion items, as suggested in interviews with merchandisers. As such, the stubbornness of these major players within the industry (namely fast fashion brands) to implement any changes to their operations in an aim to reduce overconsumption, is resulting in further growth of the ‘more is better’ attitude in consumer society.

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Another significant conclusion of this study was the importance of pricing strategies for retailers. Surveys conducted by both the researcher and Drapers found price to be the most significant influence on purchasing decisions, particularly for generation z.

Focus group participants agreed that as a student price strongly influences their purchases. The findings from the study do also suggest that despite pricing being a significant purchasing influence, this does not mean the lowest price is necessarily best.

Research obtained by Hoyer et al, 2018 and Smith, 2015 indicates that having the lowest prices or offering the deepest discounts will not necessarily result directly in more sales. Furthermore, the case study on Everlane presented an example of a brand who do not offer the lowest prices in their sector, but still operate successfully as a result of other factors including their focus on sustainability, transparency and brand image that can be lost through excessive price reductions. This case study also highlighted the value of honesty, which supported other research within the study that addressed the prevalence of deceptive pricing within the discount sector.

Overall the study concluded that discounting is useful for most fashion brands in some capacity, primarily in the context of dealing with small amounts of inevitable excess stock. The problem, however, lies more significantly with retailers who are abusing the strategy, using it for competitive purposes and to entice customers. This is where discounting has a deeper impact on fuelling overconsumption and unnecessary impulse purchasing that is brand damaging and results in greater waste. While research found that there are strategies beginning to side-step the need for excessive markdowns; the barriers to change are significant and thus implementation of these strategies has not currently been widespread enough to make significant change within the industry.

Research suggests that further cross industry co-operation will be required in order to get customers onboard with fullprice shopping and reposition discounting as a sustainable way to sell off end-ofseason stock. A Missguided merchandiser summarised ‘discounting will always be around’ and the study concludes it is unnecessary to attempt to eradicate it completely, but further management strategies are required to ensure it can exist sustainably.

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The study concluded that the lack of legislation in place to control discounting was a significant influence in the way it has spiralled to the extreme level it has now reached. While many retailers argue that strict laws on discounting is not the right solution to the problem (Sutherland, 2020), the evident lack of cooperation between mass market fashion brands suggests that legal intervention may be the only way real change will ever be seen. Whilst laws that dictate at what point during the year retailers can discount may not be well received; laws that address other issues such as the length of time a product must be available at a certain price before it can be discounted, or that regulate the ability of retailers to promote a product as discounted when it has previously been available at a lower price, would at least solve some of the issues with honesty and transparency in the industry.

The findings of this study highlight Generation Z as an influential and prominent market for high street fashion retailers, and therefore a focus should be placed on educating their purchasing habits. The research suggested that this age group are beginning to see the importance in sustainable and ethical considerations (see appendix A). The openmindedness of this generation is likely to mean that building awareness of the sustainability issues surrounding brands that excessively discount would result in noticeable changes in their

shopping habits, albeit gradual. As a consumer group with strong influence and high purchasing power, this change would be significant for retailers, and may force them to evaluate the way they operate.

As highlighted in the interview with a merchandiser at Missguided, fast-fashion brands will not change their practices while consumer attitudes remain the way they are.

Thus it is imperative the focus to overcome discount culture be placed on the consumer, rather than the retailer.

The research for this study was limited to the mass market where the issue of excessive discounting is most prevalent. However, further research into other markets such as the luxury sector would provide a more holistic view of the industry and could help identify ways that markdowns are being handled in other sectors or industries.

Analysing the strategies being used elsewhere in retail could inspire approaches that may be suitable to apply within mass market fashion. Additional limitations of this study lie within the primary research used to inform it. The data gained from focus group participants and interviewees, while insightful, provided a limited range of viewpoints and opinions to analyse and evaluate. In a further study, conducting additional interviews and focus groups with industry experts and different consumer groups would help achieve a deeper understanding of the topic.

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Adegeest, D. (2020) Fashion’s emergency: Designers and retail executives sign open letter to transform industry practices. Available at: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/fashion-s-emergency-designers-and-retail-executives-sign-open-letter-to-transform-industry-practices/2020051348903 [Accessed 10 November 2020]

This article addressed the perspective of the luxury sector on the discount problem, fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic. The issues it raises about the lack of co-operation between brands was useful for my study to explain the barriers to change within the industry.

Bain, M (2019) Fashion Retailers are Trapped in a Vicious Cycle. Available at: https://qz.com/1559218/how-fashiongot-trapped-in-a-cycle-of-overstock-and-discounts/ [Accessed 20 October 2020]

While this article focussed predominantly on retail in the United States, the insights it provided included references to information given by a WGSN forecaster which gave the article credibility. The article addresses, in detail, reasons for the rise in discounting and acknowledges the issues this is causing within the industry. This article provided significant key research for chapter two of this study.

Baldwin, C. (2020) Everlane’s ‘Choose What You Pay’ Sale Is Full Of Things You Want Right Now. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2020/05/13/everlane-choose-what-you-pay-sale-is-fullof-perfect-summer-basics/?sh=22f5d5545cb0 [Accessed 27 November 2020]

This article discussed the Everlane ‘choose what you pay’ sale in more detail, explaining how the three price tiers work. This gave me a better understanding of how they operate successfully without excessive discounting. I was then more informed to be able to write confidently about the brand within my own study.

Boohoo (2020) Product Sustainability. Available at: https://www.boohooplc.com/sustainability/planet/product [Accessed 26 November 2020]

This page of the Boohoo website covers areas on sustainability that I found to be very interesting due to

the contrast they seem to have with the actions of the brand. This information was a valuable asset to the

case study about Boohoo, providing information that was quite contradictory to that gained from other sources.

Briggs, F. (2020) How Retail is Creating Poor Consumer Patterns with Dead Stock Discounting. Retail Times, 14 September. Available at: https://www.retailtimes.co.uk/how-retail-is-creating-poor-consumer-patterns-withdead-stock-discounting/ [Accessed 10 October 2020]

There is a clear focus on the negative side to discounting within this article, which addresses profitability, sustainability and reputation. The additional discussion surrounding the key drivers behind discounting includes some interesting points on social media. This was useful research for me when writing about the influence of social media within my study.

Capterra. (2020) Intuendi. Available at: https://www.capterra.co.uk/software/163139/intuendi [Accessed 10 November 2020]

This website gives clear and concise information about Intuendi and the technology they use to aid stock management. I found it easier to understand and process the information given here compared to the Intuendi website, so it was a useful source to consult in addition to enable me to better explain the company within my study.

Charlton, G. (2019) 11 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Online Retail Stats. Available at: https://www.salecycle.com/ blog/featured/11-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-online-retail-stats/ [Accessed 18 November 2020]

The statistics within this article helped me provide evidence in the discussion around the growth of the Black Friday discounting event. The predominant use of quantitative information meant that it was easy to identify the relevant information for my study. The article covers data on both the UK and US markets, as well as trends and patterns in buying habits and categories.

Chillman, I. (2017) How fashion retailers can beat the discount culture. Available at: https://www.retail-week. com/fashion/how-fashion-retailers-can-beat-the-discounting-culture/7021411.article?authent=1 [Accessed 27 November 2020]

This article discusses the findings of a paper about the discounting and the complications associated with it. The article presents some key statistics on the attitudes of customers that were valuable to provide background and context to my study and establish its purpose.

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Corner, N. (2018) PrettyLittleThing customer claims a ‘discounted’ coat marked down to £54 during Black Friday sales has been available for £50 ‘a few weeks’ earlier. Mail Online, 26 November. Available at: https://www. dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6426275/PrettyLittleThing-accused-making-coat-expensive-Black-Friday-sale.html [Accessed 18 November 2020]

Corner reported in depth on a scenario of dishonest price promotions by a popular fast fashion retailer.

I was able to triangulate this information with primary interview data provided by a merchandiser at a rival fast fashion brand to further explore the issue of inflated prices.

CTSI (2018) Guidance for Traders on Pricing Practices. [pdf] The Chartered Trading Institutes. Available at: https:// www.businesscompanion.info/sites/default/files/Guidance-for-Traders-on-Pricing-Practices-Apr-2018.pdf [Accessed 10 November 2020]

I found this document to be really useful because it explained the legislations and guidance around pricing laws in a much simpler way compared to the government website. It covers a huge number of different promotional scenarios and gives clear guidance for businesses on fair practices.

Diamond, J., Diamond, E., Diamond Litt, S. (2015) Fashion Retailing: A Multi-Channel Approach. 3rd edn. New York: Fairchild Books

The fourth chapter of this book discuses consumer behaviour in the context of fashion retailing. It uses

theories to explain different types of motivations for purchasing and explores models that address

the needs of consumers such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. These theories allowed me to synthesis

with quantitative data collected from other sources to explain economic impact and its affect on consumer behaviour.

Edology (n.d.) Find out how this unique business practice has benefited consumers and taken the fashion industry by storm. Available at: https://www.edology.com/blog/fashion-media/rise-of-fast-fashion/ [Accessed 10 November 2020]

This article was helpful to establish context behind fast fashion and understand its business practices in more detail. The use of the Zara case study enabled me to apply the theory to a real example, and the data used here was useful to back up the ideas I was writing about within my own project.

Everlane (2020) About Everlane. Available at: https://www.everlane.com/about [Accessed 27 November 2020]

Everlane was the focus for a mini case study within my study, as a brand that are operating more innovatively when it comes to discounting. Their website provided reliable and in depth information about their concept of ‘radical transparency’ and the way they communicate their prices with their customers.

Gilliland, N. (2020) Discounts, marketplaces, advertising: how are fashion retailers reacting to coronavirus?

Available at: https://econsultancy.com/discounts-marketplaces-advertising-how-are-fashion-retailers-reactingto-coronavirus/ [Accessed 10 October 2020]

This was a key article that explored the impact of coronavirus on fashion retail, and consequently

discounting. It gave a holistic view of the market, acknowledging the actions of the luxury sector

too. The section that I found most interesting was about the changes in demands within different

categories, and the shocking statistics given in support of these claims.

GovUK (2008) The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Available at: https://www. legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/regulation/5/made [Accessed 10 November 2020]

This section of the government website was vital in writing about the legislations affecting brands in chapter one. It was important for me to consult the official government website in order to ensure I had reliable and accurate information, however I found it necessary to consult a number of other sources in order to understand what the legislations actually mean within the context of businesses.

Horn, R. (2012) Researching and Writing Dissertations. 2nd edn. London: Chartered Institute pf Personnel and Development.

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I found this book to be a helpful guide for the dissertation writing process. The sections on research methods and analysing primary data were particularly useful and helped me understand the theories of coding and triangulation to then apply them within my writing. Horn writes in a simplistic and easy-to- understand manner which is why I found it such a helpful tool.

Hoyer, W., MacInnis, D., Pieters, R. (2018) Consumer Behaviour. 7th edn. Australia: Cengage Learning

This book was a very key source in writing chapter three of my work. The detail in which it explained consumer behaviours and influences on purchasing habits provided the necessary theory to analyse the relevance of the consumer in depth. The specific sections of this book that were most useful were those that covered price perceptions, special pricing and price sensitivity, however I found that reading additional chapters provided further context and background information.

Idacavage, S. (2018) Fashion History Lesson: The Origins Of Fast Fashion. Available at: ttps://fashionista. com/2016/06/what-is-fast-fashion [Accessed 9 November 2020].

This was a key article to bridge the gap between the historical context established at the beginning of chapter one, and the current fashion industry. It gave me a good understanding of the more recent history of fashion including the origins of fast fashion, which helped identify and explain the background of discount culture.

Intuendi (2020) Intuendi. Available at: https://intuendi.com/industries/fashion/ [Accessed 10 November 2020]

This website was used within the last section of my study that addressed future strategies within the dis count sector. I came across this company when researching innovative solutions, and their website pro vided me with more detail about the way they utilise technology in stock management to help reduce waste across different industries, including fashion.

Josephs, R and McGregor, R. (2020) Off-Price Retail Strategies. Available at: https://www-lsnglobal-com.ezproxy. bcu.ac.uk/markets/article/25971/off-price-retail-strategies [Accessed 20 October 2020]

This report by LSN Global was one of the initial articles I read that sparked interest in the topic for my dissertation study. It identifies the issues created by Covid-19 but also acknowledges the wider problem and explores future strategies. The article was useful for all areas of my study, particularly in the identification of generation z as a key market. This influenced my further research into this demographic.

Kellner, D. 2014. ‘Fashion, Advertising and Identity in the Consumer Society.’ In: N. Mathur, ed. Consumer Culture, Modernity and Identity. India: Sage, pp. 168-203.

A section of this chapter discussed some interesting points about the evolution of consumer demand post World War II and the impact on advertising practices. This was a useful addition to my research to deepen my understanding further after previously reading the article by School of Life.

King, B. (2020) Unemployment rate: How many people are out of work? BBC News, 10 November. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52660591 [Accessed 16 November]

The main takeaway from this article for me was the fact that rising unemployment is currently affecting young people the most significantly. I found this to be relevant within my study due to the focus on the generation z age group as a key market for discounting.

Krueger, R. and Casey, M. (2015) Focus Groups. A Practical Guide for Applied Research. 5th edn. SAGE publications.

Kueger and Casey are experts in the field of focus groups, meaning this book was a valuable source of in formation for me when conducting and analysing my focus group. The book also provides insightful con text behind the origins of this research method. The information is presented in a way that is easy to understand, interpret and apply to a research project.

Lockyer, R. (2019) Delta Global CEO warns against the ‘unsustainability’ of Black Friday. Available at: https://packagingeurope.com/delta-global-ceo-warns-against-the-%E2%80%9Cunsustainability%E2%80%9D-of-bla/ [Accessed 11 October 2020]

This article focuses heavily on the opinions of Robert Lockyer, CEO of Delta Global, addressing the negative impacts of the Black Friday discounting event. Though biased, this article was useful for my writing as my study aimed to highlight the unsustainable aspects of excessive discounting.

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McGregor, K. (2016) Exclusive Drapers Research: Has Discounting Gone Too Far? Drapers, 7 June. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/companies/exclusive-drapers-research-has-discounting-gone-too-far?search=https%3a%2f%2fwww.drapersonline.com%2fsearcharticles%3fparamet-rics%3d%26keywords%3ddis counting%26pagesize%3d10%26from_d%3d06%25-26from_m%3d6%26from_y%3d2016%26to_d%3d08%26to_m%3d6%26to_y%3d2016 [Accessed 28 October 2020]

Although a few years old, the research in this report by Drapers offers some interesting insights into different opinions surrounding discount culture. The report uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative data that highlights the differences in opinions of individuals. The wealth of different viewpoints within this research meant it was useful for identifying arguments that both support and contrast other sources of primary and secondary data.

Moran, G (2020) Gen Z and Millenials Report 2020. Drapers, 9 September. Available at: https://www.drapersonline. com/insight/drapers-bespoke/gen-z-and-millennials-2020-report [Accessed 29 October 2020]

The data given in this research report focussed on comparing behaviours and attitudes of generation z and millennial consumers. I found it valuable to highlight the key characteristics of gen z that set them apart from other generations and cause them to be the main market for discount retail. The scope of the data in this report was wide, with Drapers having interview 2000 consumers, asking a significant number of questions.

Nazir, S. (2020) French Connection tops list of biggest discounters during lockdown. Retail Gazette, 3 June.

Available at: https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/06/french-connection-tops-list-of-biggest-discountersduring-lockdown/ [Accessed 22 October 2020]

In this article, Nazir discusses online retailing throughout the pandemic, supported by a range of statistics.

Data on which retailers have discounted the most is also given. The statistics on online sales were most useful for me in the discussion of the role of online retail during lockdown in chapter two.

Nazir, S. (2020) Luxury retailers urge businesses to delay end-of-season discounting. Retail Gazette, 14 May. Available at: https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/05/luxury-retailers-urge-businesses-to-delay-end-ofseason-discounting/ [Accessed 28 October 2020]

While the majority of this study focuses on the mass market, this article gave some interesting insight into the luxury sector and their attitudes towards discounting. It helped me identify and explain the lack of co-operation that exists in the fashion industry and therefore justify the difficulty in solving the problems associated with discounting.

Nyumba, T., Wilson, K, Derrick, K., Mukherjee, N. (2018) The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conversation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9(1). Available at: https:// besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/2041-210X.12860 [Accessed 24 November 2020]

This journal article focuses predominantly on the use of focus groups within conservation science, however it offered me some interesting theory and insights into the benefits of using focus groups that I was able to apply to the research in my own study.

O’Neill, L. (2020) This Is How Many New Items Boohoo.com Uploads Every Day. Available at: https://www.vice.com/ en/article/n7j43m/boohoocom-uploads-every-day-fast-fashion [Accessed 26 November 2020]

This article presented some research into the actions of Boohoo that was a useful addition to my case study on the brand. The research undertaken by Vice looked into the number of products uploaded to the Boohoo website each day, and the statistics they produced were rather dramatic.

Pinnock, O. (2020) Online Discounting reaches Black Friday Levels. Drapers, 11 June. Available at: https://www. drapersonline.com/news/online-discounting-reaches-black-friday-levels [Accessed 10 October 2020]

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This article is brief but focusses on online retail specifically and contains valuable statistics about online discounting and promotions. The data within the article supported discussions withing my study around the growth in online retail as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Posner, H. (2015) Marketing in Fashion: Strategy, Branding and Promotion. [e-book] 2nd edn. London: Laurence King Publishing

This book contained useful insights into the generation z consumer group that provided the foundation for chapter 3 of my study. The diffusion of innovation theory discussed in this book was also a particularly useful addition to this chapter in order to provide an academic approach to consumer behaviour.

Rahman, M. (2020) Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires. Available at: https://howandwhat.net/ advantages-disadvantages-questionnaires/ [Accessed 23 November 2020]

This article helped me identify advantages and disadvantages of using questionnaires and allowed me to justify the use of conducting one as part of my primary research methods. In this article Rahman offers a balanced approach to the topic, providing equal points for either side. Therefore, the article appears unbiased and purely informative for researchers considering the value in undertaking a questionnaire.

Retail Think Tank (2015) Is discounting a current necessity or is it simply a race to the bottom? Available at: http:// www.retailthinktank.co.uk/whitepaper/is-discounting-a-current-necessity-or-is-it-simply-a-race-to-the-bottom/ [Accessed 12 November 2020]

This paper provides a balanced debate on discounting, concluding that while it provides some benefits, it cannot be a long term strategy. The points raised throughout this paper highlight the fact that there is not a straightforward opinion on whether discounting is bad, as there are many factors that have to be considered on both sides.

Sabanoglu, T. (2020) Black Friday in the United Kingdom (UK) – Statistics and Facts. Available at: https://www. statista.com/topics/5849/black-friday-in-the-uk/#:~:text=The%20United%20Kingdom%20takes%20Black,many%20 other%20countries%20in%20Europe. [Accessed 18 November]

This article by Statista discusses the significance of Black Friday for retailers as well as offering predications for the 2020 event, taking into consideration the unprecedented discounting that has already taken place throughput the year. The article is littered with facts and figures that were useful to add context to my work.

Santamaria, B. (2020) Boohoo hit with $100 lawsuit over ‘fake promotions’. Available at: https://uk.fashionnetwork. com/news/Boohoo-hit-with-100m-lawsuit-over-fake-promotions-,1220148.html [Accessed 18 November 2020]

This article provided a case study to highlight the issues surrounding the legalities of sales promotions and give weighting to my points about the ambiguity of pricing laws. It also highlighted issues of transparency and honesty between retailers and consumers.

Savant. (2019) Fake Bargains: The real reasons why fashion brands are always on sale. Available at: https://sanvt. com/journal/why-fashion-brands-are-always-on-sale/ [Accessed 22 October 2020]

Savant are a sustainable clothing brand, and I came across this article in the journal section of their website. It addresses some of the key drivers behind the use of discounting including reward behaviours and psychology. Reading this article inspired me to further investigate the psychological aspect of consumer behaviour in greater detail. The article comes across biased in the sense that there is a clear negative opinion on discounts behind the author/brand writing the article, and it ends by highlighting how their brand operates differently to be more sustainable.

SchoolOfLife. (2020) On Consumer Capitalism. Available at: https://www.theschooloflife.com/thebookoflife/onconsumer-capitalism/ [Accessed 8 November 2020].

This article was a significant source for establishing the history and context within the first chapter. It discussed the evolution of consumerism from the 17th century to the present day, covering key periods of time that were crucial for me to understand and write about in order to form the basis of the study. I found this article really interesting to read because it broadened my knowledge on something I did not previously know too much about.

Segran, E. (2018) How Everlane is Building the Next-Gen Clothing Brand. Available at: https://www.fastcompany. com/40525607/how-everlane-is-building-the-next-gen-clothing-brand [Accessed 27 November 2020]

This article gave me further insight into the operations of Everlane in addition to that found on the brands own website. This contributed to my case study on the brand, including statistics on the success of their ‘choose what you pay sale’.

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Smith, K. (2015) Finding your discounting sweet spot. Available at: https://edited.com/resources/finding-yourdiscounting-sweet-spot/ [Accessed 12 November 2020]

Edited have published a large number of articles on the topic of discounting that I found helpful to read to gain further background on the topic. This article in particular offered fascinating statistics on the optimum discounting percentage to maximise sales. I thought these statistics were important to include in my work due to the surprising nature of them.

Spagnuolo, E. (2020) Meet Generation Z: Shaping the future of shopping. [podcast] Available at: https://www. mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-ofshopping# [Accessed 29 October]

I enjoyed listening to this podcast as a different way to gather research. The industry proffesionals interviewed in this episode gave an interesting perspective on generation z, offering new insights that built on quantitate data I had gathered from other sources. They made interesting points about the shift in values of these consumers and ideas on consumer segmentation.

Stewart, D., Shamdasani, P. and Rook, D. (2007) Focus Groups. Theory and Practice. 2nd edn. SAGE publications.

This book was useful in identifying benefits of conducting focus groups, and providing theory to justify the

use of this research method within my study. The information in this book is written primarily in

the context of social science research and theory, making it most useful for research practitioners in this field.

Sutherland, E. (2020) Drapers Investigates: the impact of promotions in a pandemic. Drapers, 19 June. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/drapers-investigates-the-impact-of-promotions-in-a-pandemic [Accessed 11 October 2020]

This was one of the first articles I came across in my research for this study. It reports on data gathered

by Drapers from people who work within the fashion industry. The topic of their research was

really relevant for my project, and I used statistics from this report to support my arguments throughout.

Their research highlighted some interesting viewpoints, particularly surrounding legislations, that I used

to triangulate with interviews I conducted as part of my primary research, as well as other secondary sources.

Sutherland, E. (2020) Is Christmas 2020 cancelled for fashion retailers? Drapers, 7 September. Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/is-christmas-2020-cancelled-for-fashion-retailers [Accessed 10 October 2020]

This article addressed the impact that prolonged discounting throughout the year would have on Black Friday 2020. Several industry professionals are quoted throughout the article, giving further relevant insight into the opinions directly within retail. The predictions they make on the behaviours on consumers approaching this event were useful for me to evaluate.

Townsend, A. (2020) Depop Resellers Aren’t The Enemy- Fast Fashion Is. Available at: https:// theeverydaymagazine.co.uk/opinion/depop-resellers-arent-the-enemy-fast-fashion-is [Accessed 19 November 2020]

This article is very opinionated; however it offers a contrasting viewpoint on Depop sellers. I was able to triangulate the opinions given within this article with those gained through my primary research focus group, to address both sides of the argument surrounding re-selling platforms such as Depop, and provide a balanced argument within my writing.

Trading Economics (2020) United Kingdom Unemployment Rate. Available at: https://tradingeconomics.com/ united-kingdom/unemployment-rate [Accessed 16 November 2020]

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I accessed the trading economics website in search of reliable data on unemployment rates and insight into the economic impact of covid-19. The data highlights the rise in unemployment and graphs are used to show the trends throughout the year.

Varley, R., Roncha, A., Radclyffe-Thomas, N., Gee, L. (2019) Fashion Management: A strategic approach. London: Red Globe Press.

This book was another valuable source of information throughout writing my dissertation. The chapter that covered consumers was most useful as it detailed academic theories such as Porter’s five forces, that enabled me to more effectively explain the purchasing power of generation z in the context of discounting.

Walker, D. (2018) How to Keep Your Price Promotions and Discounting Strategies Within the Law. Available at https://businessadvice.co.uk/business-development/sales-marketing/keep-price-promotions-discountingstrategies-legal/ [Accessed 11 November 2020]

This article was written with the aim to give advice to small businesses on ensure their promotions follow fair practices. It focuses on blanket sales and price comparisons both with previous prices and those of your competitors. It was useful for my study because it provided clarity on ideas that are addressed with ambiguity in official government documents.

Whelan, G. (2020) Retailers resort to discounting to shift SS20 stock. Drapers, 20 May. Available at: https://www. drapersonline.com/news/retailers-resort-to-discounting-to-shift-ss20-stock [Accessed 11 October 2020]

Quotes from industry experts contribute heavily to this article, providing insight that was valuable for analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on fashion discounting within my study. These quotes added context to information read in other sources by giving specific examples of impacts on brands. Additional statistics given within this report contributed further evidence to the claims made by people in industry.

Wright, K. (2017) Researching Internet-Based Populations: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Survey Research, Online Questionnaire Authoring Software Packages, and Web Survey Services. Journal of ComputerMediated Communication, 10(3). Available at: https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/10/3/JCMC1034/4614509 [Accessed 23 November 2020]

This journal article aims to guide researchers in conducting surveys online, through discussion of the value of online research methods including the benefits of technological developments as well as addressing the limitations of conducting research online. It helped me justify the use of using a survey as part of my primary research.

Wunsch, N. (2020) Statista: Coronavirus Impact on Clothing Industry in Europe Q2 2020. Available at: https://www. statista.com/statistics/1131181/coronavirus-impact-on-clothing-industry-europe/#statisticContainer [Accessed 4 November 2020]

This website provided reliable statistics that were important in analysing the impact of Covid-19 on fashion discounting in the second chapter. This data really highlighted the scale of the impact of the pandemic and provided evidence for the discussion around the topic.

ZDTECH (2020) A look back at how Black Friday began in the UK, how it’s become so popular and how much shoppers are spending. Available at: https://www.blackfriday.co.uk/news/32/black-friday-history-and-statistics [Accessed 18 November 2020]

This website was useful in providing background information on Black Friday including its origins and development within the UK. It is written in a neutral tone and does not offer any opinionated comments on the discounting event. The statistics cited within the writing provided useful evidence to include within the section of my writing that addressed Black Friday.

Zoho (2019) Conducting Observational Research for Your Business. Available at: https://www.zoho.com/academy/ marketing/market-research/conducting-observational-research-for-your-business.html [Accessed 26 November 2020]

This source contained useful theory that helped me underpin the observational research conducted as part of this study. It addressed different observational research methods, and provided reflection on the advantages and disadvantages of them, using examples to provide context and enable deeper understanding of the ideas being discussed.

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Aqiba, D (2020) Why Seasonal Sales Are Great For E-Commerce. Available at: https://www.referralcandy.com/ blog/seasonal-sales/ [Accessed 28 October 2020] Berezhna, V. (2017) The Art of the Markdown. Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/newsanalysis/the-art-of-the-markdown [Accessed 14 October 2020] Bezzant, E. (2020) To reduce or not? The effect of coronavirus on discounting strategies. Available at: https:// edited.com/resources/the-effect-of-coronavirus-on-discounting-strategy/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Biondi, A. (2020) Fashion’s alternatives to the discounting trap. Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/ consumers/fashion-discounting-alternatives-supply-chain-overhaul [Accessed 12 November 2020] Business of Fashion (2020) Micky Drexler on How to Make Things People Will Buy. [podcast] Available at: https:// www.businessoffashion.com/podcasts/retail/the-bof-podcast-mickey-drexlers-formula-for-turning-retail-around [Accessed 3 November 2020] Campbell, P. (2020) Is a discount pricing strategy killing your business. Available at: https://www.priceintelligently. com/blog/bid/170106/how-discounting-is-killing-your-pricing-strategy [Accessed 12 November 2020] Chen, C. (2020) The Off-Price War Heats Up. Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/offprice-coronavirus-tjmaxx-resale [Accessed 28 October 2020] Dillon, J. (2017) 8 profitable discount pricing alternatives to stop you making deals with the devil. Available at: https://www.gorilla360.com.au/blog/discount-pricing-alternatives [Accessed 23 November 2020] Elazary, L. (2018) The Unsustainability of Black Friday and Cyber Monday for E-Commerce. Available at: https:// www.ecommercetimes.com/story/85704.html [Accessed 10 October 2020] Fashion Revolution (2020) Fashion Transparency Index [pdf] Available at: https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/ transparency/ [Accessed 12 October] Fletcher, K. (2018) Usership: fashion beyond consumerism. [video] Youtube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=iHIHvHsTmSA [Accessed 30 October 2020] Garel, J. (2020) Managing unsold products: what happens to surplus stock? Available at: https://fashionunited.uk/ news/retail/managing-unsold-products-what-happens-to-surplus-stock/2020042148583 [Accessed 16 November 2020] Gerards, F., Goodin, C., Logan, B. and Schmidt, J. (2018) Powerful Pricing: The next frontier in apparel and fashion advanced analytics. [pdf] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Retail/Our%20 Insights/Powerful%20pricing%20The%20next%20frontier%20in%20apparel%20and%20fashion%20advanced%20 analytics/Powerful-pricing-The-next-frontier-in-apparel-and-fashion-advanced-analytics.pdf?shouldIndex=false [Accessed 12 November 2020] INTURN (2020) Off-Price Retail Landscape Explained. Available at: https://www.inturn.com/off-price/ [Accessed 17 November 2020] Jahshan, E. (2020) Lack of fashion discounts drives inflation. Retail Gazette, 19 August. Available at: https://www. retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/08/lack-of-fashion-discounts-drives-inflation/ [Accessed 20 October 2020] Klerk, A. (2020) Are we seeing the end of seasonality in fashion? Available at: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/ fashion/a31255947/end-of-fashion-seasons/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Kumar, R. (2011) Research Methodology: a step-by-step guide for beginners. 3rd edn. London: Sage Publications Lange, B. (2020) If you’re discounting to keep customers, you’ve already failed. Available at: https:// futurecommerce.fm/posts/insiders-023-if-youre-discounting-to-keep-customers-youve-already-failed [Accessed 17 November 2020] Marci, K. (2020) How fashion retailers squared up to Amazon’s Prime Days. Available at: https://edited.com/ resources/amazon-prime-day-insights/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Marci, K. (2020) How to recession proof your discounting strategy. Available at: https://edited.com/resources/howto-recession-proof-your-discounting-strategy/ [Accessed 9 November 2020]

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Marci, K. (2020) Will Black Friday exist in 5 years? Available at: https://edited.com/resources/will-black-fridayexist-in-5-years/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Mau, D. (2015) How Boohoo.com releases up to 300 new products a day. Available at: https://fashionista. com/2015/12/boohoo [Accessed 10 November 2020] McKinsey & Co (2019) The State of Fashion 2019 [pdf] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/ Industries/Retail/Our%20Insights/The%20influence%20of%20woke%20consumers%20on%20fashion/The-State-ofFashion-2019.ashx [Accessed 27 October 2020] Mintel (2020) Consumers and the Economic Outlook: Inc Impact of Covid-19 – UK – August 2020. Available at: https://reports.mintel.com/display/988954/?fromSearch=%3Ffilters.region%3D10%26last_filter%3Dregion [Accessed 22 October 2020] Nazir, S. (2020) The challenge of surplus stock in the time of coronavirus. Retail Gazette, 28 April. Available at: https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/04/the-challenge-of-surplus-stock-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/ [Accessed 20 October 2020] ONS. (2020) Retail Sales, Great Britain: July 2020. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/ retailindustry/bulletins/retailsales/july2020 [Accessed 27 October 2020] Pryor, G. and Breen, N. (2017) New guidance on pricing practices ‘reduced’ to a set of common sense principles.

Available at: https://www.reedsmith.com/en/perspectives/2017/03/50-off--new-guidance-on-pricing-practicesreduced [Accessed 10 November 2020] Retail Think Tank. (2008) Discounting, promotions and sales are now a normal part of retailing practice but their widespread use is determined to the health of the sector. Available at: http://www.retailthinktank.co.uk/ whitepaper/discounting-promotions-and-sales-are-now-a-normal-part-of-retailing-practice-but-theirwidespread-use-is-detrimental-to-the-health-of-the-sector/ [Accessed 12 November 2020] Shahbandeh, M. (2020) Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on key structural indicators in the clothing sector in Europe in the 2nd quarter 2020. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1131181/coronavirus-impact-onclothing-industry-europe/#statisticContainer [Accessed 10 November 2020] Sherwood, J. (2019) Depop: Can pre-loved clothes make fast fashion sustainable? BBC News, 25 October. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49677383 [Accessed 16 November 2020] Smith, K. (2013) Summer Sales: Are they earlier than ever? Available at: https://edited.com/resources/summersales-are-they-earlier-than-ever/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Smith, K. (2014) Summer sales: the discounting lowdown. Available at: https://edited.com/resources/summersales-the-discounting-lowdown/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Smith, K. (2017) Are we in for a bumper discounting season? Avaialble at: https://edited.com/resources/holidaydiscounting-season/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Solomon, L. (2019) Fast Fashion is Changing Online Discounting. Available at: https://www.lovethesales.com/press/ articles/is-fast-fashion-changing-online-discounting [Accessed 21 October 2020] Stevens, B. (2020) Black Friday 2020 could see 22% drop in sales after discount ‘mega peak’ sparked by Amazon Prime Day. Available at: https://www.chargedretail.co.uk/2020/10/08/black-friday-2020-could-see-22-drop-insales-after-discount-mega-peak-sparked-by-amazon-prime-day/ [Accessed 21 October 2020] Stibel, J. (2008) In a Downturn, Discounts Can Be Dangerous. Available at: https://hbr.org/2008/08/in-a-downturndiscounts-can-be [Accessed 9 November 2020] Striker, T. (2016) The high cost of cheap clothing. [video] Youtube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ni9gQn5rsLA [Accessed 30 October 2020] Sutherland, E. (2020) Luxury retailers urge industry to rethink discounting. Drapers, 13 May. Available at: https:// www.drapersonline.com/news/luxury-retailers-urge-industry-to-rethink-discounting [Accessed 10 October 2020] Whelan, G. (2020) Online Discounting up 18% in August. Drapers, 13 August. Available at: https://www. drapersonline.com/news/online-discounting-up-20-in-august [Accessed 10 October 2020]

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