Corporate social responsibility as an emerging business model in fashion marketing

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important part of many firms’ customer relationship management programs and can be a source of competitive advantage. Many firms have reaped competitive advantage by making CSR a central part of their corporate mission, rather than an afterthought, since this ensures sustained commitment to CSR. Sustainability can be an important CSR target for firms in the fashion industry, though the adoption of sustainability initiatives has been slower than in other industries such as food production. This article explores the reasons why fashion manufacturers and retailers have been reluctant to take action to increase the production of sustainable fashion products, and why consumers have generally been reluctant to purchase sustainable fashion products. We present an agenda for the future, which details several concrete steps for fashion manufacturers and retailers to overcome the barriers to customer adoption. The central idea is for firms in the fashion industry to recognize the long-term benefits of adopting a business model which includes CSR, and specifically sustainability, as an integral part of the corporate mission. We conclude with managerial implications.