Från Skiss till Diss
Over the past decade, the fashion industry has experienced a relatively high rate of consumption with material and clothing becoming increasingly subject to waste and disposal. As a result of the increased awareness within the industry the interest in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) amongst retailers has increased substantially in an attempt to shy away from the critically amplified media attention. In addition the underlying demand from external stakeholders has forced companies to ensure they focus and act upon each stage of the product life cycle.This study provides a further in depth analysis of the fashion industry and conveys the key messages and steps that firms are taking in response to the external pressures and requirements based on four different merged process areas. This research paper examines the impact of CSR on two Swedish fashion retailers Åhléns and JC and shows how accountability relates to the external expectations and norms that prevail in society. The result shows that the firms do meet the demands within each sub category as a response to market demands. Although a proactive approach is preferred results show that full responsibility is taken on by the firms during each stage of the product life cycle. An interesting observation which indicated a clear variance between the two firms was the approach taken to being socially responsible. JC's initiative to meet the demand took a top down approach whereas Åhléns took a bottom up approach. Both approaches conclude that the firms are willing to meet external demands and are contributing to the society through CSR.