At the end of the day, everything we do and everything we buy, has a cost. Not just the cost associated with our bank accounts, but an environmental cost.
I'm personally guilty of not thoroughly questioning what I consume. For the most part, we are all quite comfortable living in ignorance and hoping that the supply chains that fuel our world are respectful to the environmental and human resources involved. Unfortunately, this is often not the case.
With the rise of horrifying documentaries, like David Attenborough's Netflix documentary, and realising that we only have one planet, comes the rise of the conscious shopper. In this episode, MindfulCommerce interviews Lucy Roberts, MD of Shopify Plus agency, Brave the Skies, and founder of luxury vegan boutique, Reverie about her experiences carving out a space and fulfilling a need for a luxe sustainable e-commerce destination.
"Be your brand, be honest, be authentic and it will be the easiest thing in the world"
Action
There are three main things on a consumer's mind before buying something and it's almost impossible to have all three:
- How quickly can it get to me
- How cheap is it
- How long will it last
Fast commerce is one the biggest catalysts destroying the planet. In order to meet our growing unrealistic expectations for the top two categories, we have embarked on a dangerous race to the bottom.
When we see a trend on the catwalks, it's normal now to expect to see it in our high-street retailer within the following week and pay next to nothing for it.
Given our impossible triangle, quality is also more than likely sacrificed. What this process means, is that not only are there questionable labour and testing practices taking place to speed things up, goods aren't made to last and will often end up in landfill, even if we give them away to charity.
With the rise of conscious commerce, it becomes the reponsiblity of brands to be more transparent about their supply chains.
One great resource Lucy mentions is crueltyfreekitty.com as a directory for cruelty-free goods.
Community
Small brands, like Reverie, have power. A trend I've certainly noticed is that most new/small businesses have sustainability at the forefront of their mission.
However, a barrier for growth is small teams don't necessarily have all specialist knowledge to grow their business as quickly as existing industry giants and often need to rely on other members of their communities. For example, Lucy mentions she isn't as clued up on Facebook/Instagram ads and was able to find a potential contact while on the podcast!
Consumers now long for more mindful and curated product selections, which is the edge that brands like Reverie bring.
Due to the growth barriers, it can't just be down to the small/new brands to teach consumers how to be sustainable.
As consumers slowly move their money to cleaner sources like Reverie, larger brands don't have much of a choice at this point. A recent case study is collapse of fast fashion giant, Arcadia Group. Consumers now long for more mindful and curated product selections, which is the edge that brands like Reverie bring.
Authenticity
Reverie was born out of not being able to find a hub for vegan, sustainable and luxury products. So Lucy, used her e-commerce experience to carve out a space of her own.
Lucy's tip for new brands to stay motivated while growing is to: ‘Be your brand, be honest, be authentic and it will be the easiest thing in the world”
Additionally, take the time to ask yourself "why", whether through mindmapping or creating mood boards, and your brand's voice will come naturally.
To bring up the case study of the Arcadia Group again, it's so refreshing to see brands like Reverie come onto the playing field. I'm definitly excited to see what the future of sustainable commerce holds.
By Frances Odera Matthews
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