LH: Fabric production is one of the biggest polluters in the fashion industry, so we set goals around having 100% of our key fibers be sustainably sourced by 2025. Then we looked at our operations and set a carbon neutrality goal. Lastly, our sustainability goals are around people, as it's important to consider how the environment impacts people.

The Fashion Industry—A Case in Point. Globally, tens of billions of items of clothing are made each year—though precise numbers are not available. The environmental impact of apparel—including the volume of water used and CO2 generated in manufacturing―is also substantial, though again the facts are disputed. Used clothing is a massive issue, too.

Amazon has now turned its attention to the high-end market with Amazon Luxury Stores, which features luxury fashion and beauty brands—though the jury is still out on whether it’ll be able to crack that niche market. The endless aisle is also part of Amazon’s strategy.

Amazon's department stores will let it offer more categories under one roof: The model gives Amazon an advantage for in-store purchases like clothing and apparel.

While apparel, footwear, and accessories offer the most obvious use cases, others are exploring new ways of connecting with consumers online, even though the direct revenue opportunities are less evident. Read the full report on the metaverse.

As more retailers launch private label apparel lines, the notion that consumers are only open to more basic SKUs is debunked in our survey research for our “US Apparel Retail Features Benchmark 2022” report. Among US apparel buyers we polled in December 2021, denim/jeans was the No. 1 category where they would buy private label (41.2%).

Online fashion retailers have picked up some of that slack, though. UK-based online fashion retailer Boohoo, for example, reported annual revenue growth of 41% in February 2021 and acquired several high-street fashion retailer brands during its fiscal year 2021, including Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, and Burton.

We expect sales on online fashion resale platforms will represent 10.0% of all US ecommerce apparel and accessories sales by the end of 2025. Building the market: The growing number of retailers entering the space will build awareness and interest in secondhand goods.

The only categories that will not rebound to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 are furniture and home furnishings and apparel and accessories. However, apparel and accessories will see 9.6% growth, driven mostly by sales of gold, silver, and jewelry.

Apparel and Accessories Sales Lift, While Electronics Sales Lose Steam; Food and Beverage Continues to Perform. Online apparel and accessories sales will grow 23.1% YoY in 2021, the only category projected to outpace its 2020 growth.

The same factors causing apparel ecommerce sales to spike—the resumption of weddings and other formal events—will also drive growth in the beauty sector. Read the full report.