Clothing and Behavioural Insights During Covid-19 Restrictions

CITIZENS INSIGHTS CLOTHING AND BEHAVIOURAL INSIGHTS DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

Research date: October 2020 Project code: BCV122-003 Publication Date: November 2020 Citizens Insights, Covid-19 and Clothing

About WRAP WRAP is not-for-profit, working with governments, businesses and citizens to create a world in which we use resources sustainably. Our experts generate the evidence-based solutions we need to protect the environment, build stronger economies and support more sustainable societies. Our impact spans the entire life cycle of the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the products we buy, from production to consumption and beyond.

Document reference: (please use this reference when citing WRAP’s work): [WRAP, 2020, Banbury, Clothing and Behavioural Insights During Covid-19 Restrictions]

Written by: Phil Downing, Sarah Gray

Front cover photography: ENTER cover image description here

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Citizens Insights, Covid-19 and Clothing

Executive summary Behavioural insights support WRAP’s work, providing information for communicators to encourage sustainable behaviours. This research was carried out to find out what shoppers look for and what happens to textiles once they are no longer wanted, as Covid-19 restrictions in the UK continue. Insights are offered into the effects of an ongoing global pandemic on the way people think and act when it comes to acquiring and disposing of clothing and textiles. This short report supports messages and communications materials for a sustainable recovery.

Background and method

WRAP undertook an initial phase of research in May 2020 to understand consumer disposal behaviour for clothing and other textile products during the first nation-wide lockdown. This follow up phase of research in October 2020 was designed to find out about textiles purchasing and disposal behaviours once the first nation-wide lockdown had eased over the summer. It has two core objectives:

• To support collections and help textile recyclers and charity organisations with up-to-date information about consumer attitudes and behaviours.

• To inform SCAP signatories about their customers’ priorities since the first Covid-19 lockdown easing, including how their buying and disposal behaviours are changing.

The research was undertaken with 2,091 UK adults aged 18+, from 02-04 October 2020. The profile of the survey sample reflects the known profile of the UK population (according to age, gender, region, work status and social economic status). The survey was undertaken within the context of local lockdowns before the re-introduction of new nation-wide restrictions which took effect on 5th November 2020. Key findings

Clothing outlooks and attitudes

• UK consumers increasingly recognise the environmental impact of clothing (Figure 1). Over half (55%) now consider the impact of clothing on the environment is severe, a significant increase from 2017 when that proportion was 35%. Likewise, fewer agree with the statement ‘what I do in my life does not make any real difference to the environment’ (18%, down from 25% in 2019).

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Citizens Insights, Covid-19 and Clothing

Figure 1: Attitudes towards clothing and the environment

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

• Being fashionable is less likely to be prioritised at the expense of comfort now than it was - the proportion of UK consumers who associate themselves with the statement ‘I buy items that are fashionable, even if they're a bit uncomfortable or not quite me’ has fallen from 23% in 2017 to 16% now (Figure 2). Likewise, just over one in five (21%) consumers associate with the statement ‘I buy items that are fashionable that I don’t expect to keep wearing for long’. By contrast, over eight in ten (82%) associate with ‘My clothes always wear out; I don’t stop wearing them before this’. Figure 2: Clothing outlooks Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

Sustainable clothing behaviours during the first lockdown

• Almost half (47%) of UK consumers have undertaken a “sustainable” clothing behaviour since lockdown began (Figure 3). Just over one in four (27%) say they repaired/altered clothing since the

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Citizens Insights, Covid-19 and Clothing

lockdown started, while close to one in five (19%) decided to keep a clothing item for longer than they would normally. Just over one in ten (11%) acquired an item second hand or vintage.

• There is also a strong commitment to continuing these behaviours post the Covid-19 lockdown. For example, over nine in ten (93%) of those who repaired or altered an item say they will ‘definitely’ or ‘likely’ continue to do this post Covid-19, as do 91% who acquired items second hand or vintage.

Figure 3: Sustainable clothing behaviours since the first lockdown

Q. Since the Covid-19 lockdown started in March 2020, have you done any of the following? Select all that apply Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

Clothing purchasing behaviours

• Clothes shopping habits are in a state of flux. Over half of UK consumers (54%) say their clothing shopping habits changed during lockdown and - since then - just 7% say their habits have returned to how they were before Covid-19 (Figure 4). This compares to almost half (46%) who say their shopping habits remain different to how they were before. Figure 4: Clothing purchasing habits in the first lockdown Q. Thinking about how your clothes shopping habits have changed as a result of the main lockdown between March-June 2020, which of the following best applies? Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

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Citizens Insights, Covid-19 and Clothing

• Over the summer, a higher proportion of consumers purchased clothing online compared to in- store. Over one in four (28%) said they purchased clothing online at least monthly or more often over the summer, compared to 15% who purchased in store with the same frequency. The latter is down from 40% purchasing in store at least monthly in April 2019.

• The right fit and price are the two main purchase considerations, cited by 86% and 84%, respectively, as things they very often look out for when making a clothing purchase. This is followed by the quality of the fabric/material (71%) and clothing that will look good and last for longer (63%). Fewer consumers say they very often look out for organic or recycled material (28%) or clothes that have a low environmental impact (24%).

Clear out behaviours during the first lockdown

• Disposal of clothing increased over the summer compared to the main lockdown: three in five (60%) UK consumers disposed of clothing and textiles over the summer since June 2020, up from 41% who did so from March-May 2020.

• The most frequently disposed item was clothing (cited by 52%), followed by shoes/footwear (35%), bedding (19%), household textiles such as towels and cushions (19%), bags/handbags (16%) and other accessories such as hats, scarfs and purses (16%).

• Over two in five (45%) donated one or more of the items they disposed of to a charity shop – lower than pre Covid-19 in 2019 (50%) but higher than May 2020 during main lockdown (40%). Almost one in four (23%) put one or more items in the general rubbish - down from 28% in 2019.

• Two in five (40%) of those disposing items say they had some difficulty accessing their preferred disposal routes, e.g. because they were shut/not accepting items (Figure 5). This includes one in ten who said it was very difficult.

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Citizens Insights, Covid-19 and Clothing

Figure 5: Ease of clothing disposal over the summer since June 2020

Q. When disposing of the items of clothing over the summer, which of the following statements best applies how easy or difficult it was? Base: 1,072 UK adults aged 18+ who disposed of clothing over the summer. October 2020

Implications

UK consumers are increasingly acknowledging the environmental impact of clothing and, in parallel, the appetite to appear fashionable at the expense of comfort appears to have waned. The challenge (and opportunity) is to ensure that this latent environmental consciousness is mobilised and directed towards specific behaviours. While the survey indicates progress on some emergent behaviours (e.g. buying second hand/vintage), it also shows that consumers in 2020 are no more likely to consider the environmental attributes of clothing at the point of purchase than they were in 2017.

On disposal, the majority of UK consumers continue to look for positive disposal routes for clothing as opposed to disposing clothing in general/black bin rubbish. However, the survey indicates that many have experienced difficulty since June 2020 in disposing of clothing through their preferred routes. Therefore, and while restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic continue to be imposed, messaging promoting donating and/or reuse disposal routes needs to offer clear advice while at the same time, treading carefully to ensure that consumers are not asked to do something that is not possible at the current time in their area.

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Citizens Insights, Covid-19 and Clothing

Contents

1.0 Background and introduction 1

2.0 Clothing attitudes and identities 3

3.0 Acquiring clothes 6

4.0 Disposing of clothes 10

5.0 Implications and concluding remarks 13

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1.0 Background and introduction . This research was carried out to find out what shoppers look for and what happens to textiles once they are no longer wanted, as the Covid-19 restrictions continue. The findings support messages and communications materials for a sustainable recovery.

Background and introduction

WRAP undertook an initial phase of research in May 2020 to understand consumer disposal behaviour during the first nation-wide lockdown. This follow up phase of research, undertaken in October 2020, was designed to find out about textiles purchasing and disposal behaviours once the first nation-wide lockdown had eased over the summer. It has two core objectives:

• To support collections and help textile recyclers and charity organisations with up-to-date information about consumer attitudes and behaviours.

• To inform SCAP signatories about their customers priorities since Covid-19 lockdown easing, including how their buying and disposal behaviours are changing.

The research first presents findings about clothing identities and attitudes. This is followed by findings related to shopping and acquisition behaviours, including whether shoppers are trying to find more sustainable ways to acquire clothing and whether they expect those behaviours to continue. A further section deals with clothing disposal and what happens to items that are discarded, before finally reflecting on the implications of the research and a short conclusion. Method

The survey was undertaken within the context of local lockdowns. A second wave of the pandemic was anticipated, and restrictions were in place in some areas when the fieldwork was carried out. This was also before the re-introduction of new nation-wide restrictions which took effect on 5th November 2020.

The survey involves a large and robust sample of UK citizens. Nonetheless, because a sample of households has completed the survey (rather than a census), the results are subject to statistical

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margins of error1. For the results as a whole, the maximum margin of error in the results is ±2.6% (i.e. if the survey gives a result of 50% then the real result, if all households in the country were interviewed, would be somewhere in the range 47.4% - 52.6%).

Comparisons are made to previous surveys (e.g. May 2020, 2019, etc.) using statistical tests to determine if differences are statistically significant or not. These tests have been undertaken to the 99% confidence level (i.e. 99 times out of 100 the observed difference will be real vs. 1 time out of 100 it will have happened by chance).

1 Statistical tests are only valid when the survey method has used random probability sampling. While the market research industry routinely applies the same logic to non-probability samples, this must be done with appropriate caveats. For example, if the data reported throughout this report was generated from a random probability sample then the confidence intervals discussed in the report would apply.

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2.0 Clothing attitudes and identities

UK consumers are increasingly recognising the environmental impact of clothing (Figure 1). Over half (55%) now consider the impact of clothing on the environment is severe, a significant increase from 2017 when that proportion was 35%. Likewise, fewer agree with the statement ‘what I do in my life does not make any real difference to the environment’ (18%, down from 25% in 2019).

Figure 1: Attitudes towards clothing and the environment

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

However, recognition is lower among some key audiences, including high frequency shoppers (31%) and men aged 18-34 (43%). Figure 2 shows the proportion of each sub-group who agree with the statement: ‘The impact of clothing on the environment is not that severe’. When you look at responses to this question from different audiences, men aged 18-34 (29%) and high frequency shoppers (44%) - that is people who shop for clothes at least weekly - were more likely to think clothing does not have a severe impact on the environment. Young people (aged 18-34; male/female), and men, generally were more likely to agree with the statement.

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Figure 2: Environmental impact of clothing for different audiences

Q. To what extent do you agree with the statement ‘the impact of clothing on the environment is not that severe’ Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

The appetite to buy items because they are fashionable has declined. Only a minority purchase clothes they don’t intend to wear for long. The proportion of UK consumers who associate themselves with the statement ‘I buy items that are fashionable, even if they're a bit uncomfortable or not quite me’ has fallen from 23% in 2017 and now only 16% agree with this statement (Figure 3). Likewise, just over one in five (21%) consumers associate with the statement ‘I buy items that are fashionable that I don’t expect to keep wearing for long’. This increases to 36% among 18-34s.

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Figure 3: Clothing outlooks

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

There are certainly people who like to shop frequently and enjoy being fashionable, but the findings suggest that comfort and fit have been more important when it comes to shopping and choosing clothes, at least during the first nation-wide lockdown. Figure 3 also shows two in five (42%) say that they ‘enjoy browsing to keep up with the latest clothing trends’.

Not all shoppers prefer to have a high turnover of clothes in their wardrobes. By contrast to the 21% of consumers who say they are somewhat likely to make purchases that are fashionable and they don’t expect to keep for very long, over eight in ten (82%) identifies with the statement ‘My clothes always wear out; I don’t stop wearing them before this’.

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3.0 Acquiring clothes

Sustainable clothing behaviours during the first lockdown

Almost half (47%) of UK consumers have undertaken a “sustainable” clothing behaviour since the first nation-wide lockdown began (Figure 4). Just over one in four (27%) say they repaired/altered clothing since the lockdown started, while close to one in five (19%) decided to keep a clothing item for longer than they would do normally. Just over one in ten (11%) acquired an item second hand or vintage and a small proportion of consumers (1%) have used a clothing rental or subscription service.

Figure 4: Sustainable clothing behaviours since the first lockdown

Q. Since the Covid-19 lockdown started in March 2020, have you done any of the following? Select all that apply Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

There is a strong commitment to continuing sustainable behaviours once the Covid-19 pandemic is no longer an issue (Figure 5). For example, over nine in ten (93%) of those who repaired or altered an item say they will ‘definitely’ or ‘likely’ continue to do this post Covid-19. Likewise, 91% who acquired items second hand or vintage will ‘definitely’ or ‘likely’ continue to shop for second hand or vintage garments in the future.

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Figure 5: Predicted longevity of sustainable behaviours after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions lift

Q. How likely or unlikely are you to carry on doing these things once Covid-19 is no longer an issue? Base: UK adults 18+ who have done one of the behaviours (bases in brackets). October 2020

Clothing purchasing behaviours

Clothes shopping habits are in a state of flux due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Over half of UK consumers (54%) say their clothing shopping habits changed during lockdown and less than one in ten (7%) of consumers say their habits changed but have since returned to how they were before Covid-19 (Figure 6). Another 46% changed their shopping habits during the first nation-wide lockdown and remain different to how they were before.

Figure 6: Clothing purchasing habits in the first lockdown

Q. Thinking about how your clothes shopping habits have changed as a result of the main lockdown between March-June 2020, which of the following best applies?

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Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

Over the summer, a higher proportion of consumers purchased clothing online compared to in-store. Over one in four (26%) said they purchased clothing online at least monthly or more often. By comparison, those who purchased in store during the summer made up only 15% (Figure 7) and over half (55%) had not made any purchases in store during this time at all.

Figure 7: Shopping frequency by channel

Q. Over the summer (i.e. since June 2020), how frequently did you purchase clothes for yourself…? Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

In-store Online

1% 2% Several times a week 1% 4% 3% 8% About once a week 9%

A few times a month 37% 13% About once a month 55% 30% Once or twice

Not at all 37%

Quality, durability and fit are key purchase influences. Consumers were most likely to be motivated by finding clothes with the right fit and at the right price (Figure 8). Finding a fit that looks/feels good or comfortable and price were cited by 86% and 84%, respectively, as things they often or always look out for when making a clothing purchase.

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Figure 8: Clothing characteristics that are important when deciding which clothes to buy

Q. How often do you look out for each of the following, if at all, when deciding which clothes to buy for yourself or others in your household? Base: 2,091 UK adults 18+. October 2020

Quality of the fabric/material is the next most important consideration after fit and price, when it comes to deciding which clothes to buy (71%) and another important consideration is whether clothing will look good and last for longer (63%). Style / fashion are considered when shopping, and these aspects are important to nearly two in five (39%) shoppers. Fewer consumers say they look out for organic or recycled material (28%) or clothes that have a low environmental impact (24%).

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4.0 Disposing of clothes

Clear out behaviours during the first lockdown

Three in five (60%) UK consumers have cleared out clothing/textiles since June 2020, significantly up from 41% who did so from March-May 2020.

The most frequently disposed items were clothing (cited by 52%), followed by shoes/footwear (35%), bedding (19%), household textiles such as towels and cushions (19%), bags/handbags (16%) and other accessories such as hats, scarfs and purses (16%) (Figure 9).

Figure 9: Clear out behaviour and disposal of clothing and textiles items

Q. During the Covid-19 lockdown have you had a clear out/spring clean of any of the following? Select all that apply Q. Over the summer (i.e. since June 2020) have you had a clear out of any of the following items? Select all that apply Base: 2,091 UK adults aged 18+ October 2020

Clothing items being disposed of when there was a clear out did not change much from during lockdown, with t-shirts and tops (80%), jumpers and hoodies (53%), and trousers and jumpsuits (43%) among the items most likely to be disposed of. Sportswear and leisure wear (16%), kids clothing (16%), and nightwear (22%) were less likely to be part of a clear out (Figure 10).

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Figure 10: Clothing items disposed of

Q. You said that you have had a clear out of clothing items. Which of the following specific types of clothing did you clear out? Select all that apply Base: UK adults aged 18+ who have had a clear out of clothing items during the lockdown (June 2020 = 1,066; October 2020 = 1,072)

Over two in five (45%) donated one or more of the items they disposed of to a charity shop (Figure 11). This was lower than pre Covid-19 in 2019 (50%)2 but higher than May 2020 during main lockdown (40%). Almost one in four (23%) put one or more items in the general rubbish - down from 28% in 2019.

One in ten sold clothing items they were clearing out online and 12% had given items of clothing to family or friends (Figure 11). Bring back collection sites and retailer take back schemes remain rarely used, with 8% and 2% respectively using these disposal routes since June 2020.

2 WRAP (2020) SCAP results technical report

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Figure 11: Disposal routes used for clothing items

Q. And what did you do/will you do with each of these items that you have cleared out? Base: UK adults aged 18+ who have had a clear out during lockdown (May 2020), since June 2020 (October 2020) or most recently (December 2019)

Clothing disposal and donation has been challenging during the pandemic. Two in five (40%) of those disposing items say they had at least some difficulty in accessing their preferred disposal routes, e.g. because they were shut/not accepting items (Figure 12). This includes one in ten who said it was very difficult.

Figure 12: Ease of clothing disposal over the summer since June 2020

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5.0 Implications and concluding remarks

The findings from the survey indicate progress on some emergent behaviours that go hand in hand with improving sustainability (e.g. buying second hand/vintage, and repairing or altering clothes). On the other hand, the survey also shows that consumers in 2020 are no more likely to consider the environmental attributes of clothing at the point of purchase than they were in 2017. Getting the right fit to look and feel good, finding comfortable clothes, and getting clothes at the right price, are the main characteristics that people relate to when shopping.

On disposal, the majority of UK consumers feel that they continue wearing clothes until they are worn out. They are willing to go out of their way to make sure that clothes that can still be worn are put to good use. When asked about specific disposal routes, UK consumers look for positive choices as opposed to using the general waste bin to dispose of their clothes and their responses show a preference for donating clothes to charity. However, the survey indicates that many have experienced difficulty since June 2020 in disposing of clothing through their preferred routes. While restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic continue to be imposed, messaging promoting donating and/or reuse disposal routes needs to offer clear advice while at the same time, treading carefully to ensure that consumers are not asked to do something that is not possible at the current time in their area.

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