Agricultural productsOne of the most important trends in recent years has been the increasing demand by consumers that the products they purchase do not exploit the people involved in their production. This has led to the development of labels and standards to provide consumer guarantees and assurances. Entering this sector is not as simple as it may appear, but Searce can provide insight and guidance to those companies and organisations wishing to look more closely in this sector. Fair trade predominantly relates to agricultural products while Ethical trade tends to relate more to textiles, handicrafts, jewellery, cosmetics and leather goods.
Fair trade sales appear to have gone from strength to strength during the recession, but ethical clothing sales have stagnated. However, ethical fashion continues to compete with mainstream designer and retail brands.
In many countries, buyers of some mainstream brands have recognised the importance of cleaner clothing production, fair prices and better rights for employees. The priority attached to product quality favours ethical fashion brands, although price remains important.
Ethical designers continue to struggle with an outdated consumer perception from the 1970s and 80s that ethical equates to poor design. Even if this cliché now is obsolete, they still have to work hard to overcome this reputation. Contact us to find out more.
The UK is the largest fair trade market in Europe, while the Czech Republic is the fastest growing. Banana is the largest product group, while wine and cocoa are the fastest growing.
On the other hand, sales of ethical clothing meanwhile have suffered during the recession in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, despite still being 70% higher than they were in 2007. Meanwhile there are still many markets for ethical clothing with untapped potential, particularly in Eastern Europe.
