Research Methods: Data Collection and Analysis

Research Methods: Data Collection and Analysis

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Introduction

Background to Research

The UK fashion industry is gradually incorporating sustainable sourcing strategies to reduce the effects on the environment and customer preferences for environmentally friendly products. Burberry, a famous fashion brand has also embarked on the use of sustainable fabric and ethical practices in the supply chain with an eye on profitability. However, it is particularly challenging to define sustainability and quantify it in the context of fashion, which has ambiguous characteristics such as ‘recycled’ and ‘organic’ materials (Statista, 2023). Despite consumers being easily misled on the sustainability of apparels, their increasing consciousness in eco-responsibility is propelling the market. This research seeks to establish how a sustainable sourcing practice of Burberry has boosted its competitiveness in this new era.

Research Aim and objectives

Aim:

The aim of this research is to analyse the impact of Sustainable Sourcing Practices on Competitive Advantage in the UK Fashion Industry: A Case Study of Burberry

Research Objectives:

• To evaluate the influence of Burberry’s sustainable sourcing practices on its competitive advantage in the UK fashion industry.

• To analyse consumer perceptions of sustainability in fashion and its impact on purchasing decisions through a survey.

• To recommend strategies for enhancing Burberry’s competitive advantage through improved sustainable sourcing initiatives.

Research Questions

1. How do Burberry’s sustainable sourcing practices contribute to its competitive advantage in the UK fashion industry?

2. What are consumer perceptions of sustainability in fashion, and how do these perceptions influence their purchasing decisions?

3. What strategies can be recommended to improve Burberry’s competitive advantage through enhanced sustainable sourcing practices?

Research Rationale

This research is critical as it seeks to understand how sustainable sourcing can create a competitive advantage in the fashion industry, a sector in which sustainability is becoming a vital driver of consumer choices. In general, the study has given a detailed understanding of Burberry as one of the leading luxury brands that balance sustainability and business outcomes.

Literature review

The UK fashion industry has been challenged immensely due to the COVID-19 outbreak and other issues such as inflation and increasing energy costs for the retail and manufacturing businesses. Despite these challenges, the UK apparel market is projected to recover, with revenues expected to exceed £75 billion by 2026 (Statista, 2023). In this recovery, sustainable sourcing strategies are gradually shifting towards the heart of corporate strategies in many fashion corporations, including Burberry, aiming at rendering sustainability a firm fundamental to the new adjusting fashion consumption system.

A review of existing literature identifies a number of major trends in sustainable sourcing within the TAF markets. Abbate et al. (2024) identified five key areas of research related to sustainability: consumer behaviour, circular economy, corporate social responsibility (CSR), business models, and supply chain. They indicate the scope and interdisciplinary of sustainability subject areas and highlight the challenges of developing sustainability in the context of fashion. Key insights obtained from this study include the fact that there has been a rising trend in consumer knowledge and desire for sustainable fashion, especially among groups like the Millennials and Gen Z who are the key consumers of sustainable apparel. This trend is interesting for brands such as Burberry that need to balance between sustainability initiatives and the customers’ demand.

Nevertheless, despite this development, the industry is struggling in several aspects presently. For instance, Dissanayake and Weerasinghe (2021) highlight the challenges to implementing CE in the fashion industry. Textile recycling is still a problem because clothes are made of numerous kinds of fabrics and different components, and this prevents recycling effectively. Furthermore, Tang (2023) argue that most of the textile waste is still separated manually, meaning that there is need for technology advancement when it comes to sustainable textile supply chain. The current literature on CBM points out that while they are potentially sustainable business models they cannot be a one-stop solution and need to be complemented with other strategies including reduction in the use and development of sustainable material.

However, fast fashion plays a crucial part in sustainability discussions. Based on Arrigo (2020), fast fashion brands’ drawbacks include their exploitation of labor and resources and the negative impact on the environment that has been seen as their hallmark. Nevertheless, certain types of fast fashion brands are gradually shifting towards the consideration of sustainability elements in materials and suppliers. However, sustainability is rarely viewed as primary selection criteria, but as one that can be used to fine-tune the choice. For instance, Arrigo found that sustainability represented only 15.62% of decision-making content for fast fashion retailers, compared to 1.79% for cost and 0.77% for time. This shows that as sustainability increases its relevancy, it takes the backstage to more conventional factors such as price and time, especially in the case of fast fashion.

On the other hand, luxury brands such as Burberry who claim to be champions of sustainable fashion are likely to have sustainability issues deeply infused in their sourcing propositions. According to Ekechukwu (2021), sustainable sourcing entails sourcing suppliers on their social, ethical, and environmental standards, which are critical in the overall business sustainability. Burberry’s plan to shift towards sustainable fabric sourcing through recycle material and choosing ethical supplier, is clear example of the growing trends towards sustainability in luxury fashion industry.

The existing literature also notes that digital technologies can improve sustainability. Tang (2023) share insights on how the fashion industry will benefit from the application of block-chain and other digital technologies in making supply chain more transparent and thus sustainable. These technologies help brands like Burberry to oversee their supply chains and guarantee that they meet environmental and ethical standards.

In conclusion, it is possible to state that sustainable sourcing are the key to the fashion industry success in the UK despite various challenges it encounters on its way. However, the literature shows that challenges persist especially with textile recycling and sustainability as a top consideration when sourcing for products. This means that managing digital technology and synchronizing sustainability objectives with customer preferences will be critical for fashion brands such as Burberry to navigate their future competitive environment.

Findings

1. How important is sustainable sourcing to you when choosing a fashion brand like Burberry?

Options	Response Frequency	Percentage Frequency
A) Very important	9	45%
B) Somewhat important	5	25%
C) Not very important	3	15%
D) Not important at all	3	15%

45% of respondents consider sustainable sourcing to be very important when choosing a brand like Burberry, while 25% find it somewhat important. However, 30% feel that it holds little to no importance in their purchasing decisions.

2. How do you perceive Burberry’s commitment to sustainability compared to other luxury fashion brands?

Options	Response Frequency	Percentage Frequency
A) Significantly better	7	35%
B) Slightly better	6	30%
C) About the same	4	20%
D) Worse	3	15%

35% of participants perceive Burberry's sustainability commitment to be significantly better than other luxury brands, with 30% considering it slightly better. Meanwhile, 20% believe it’s about the same, and 15% view it as worse.

3. In your opinion, how does Burberry’s focus on sustainable sourcing influence your likelihood to purchase their products?

Options	Response Frequency	Percentage Frequency
A) Increases my likelihood significantly	8	40%
B) Increases my likelihood somewhat	6	30%
C) Has no influence on my decision	4	20%
D) Decreases my likelihood to purchase	2	10%

40% of respondents are significantly more likely to purchase Burberry products due to its sustainable sourcing, while 30% report a moderate increase in likelihood. Only 20% claim it has no impact, and 10% are less likely to buy.

4. Do you believe that Burberry’s sustainable sourcing practices give the brand a competitive edge in the UK fashion industry?

Options	Response Frequency	Percentage Frequency
A) Strong competitive advantage	9	45%
B) A slight advantage	4	20%
C) Doesn’t give any advantage	4	20%
D) Harm their competitiveness	3	15%

45% of participants believe Burberry’s sustainable sourcing provides a strong competitive advantage, while 20% think it offers only a slight edge. Interestingly, 20% say it offers no advantage, and 15% believe it harms their competitiveness.

5. Which of the following do you think Burberry should focus on the most to further enhance its sustainable sourcing practices?

Options	Response Frequency	Percentage Frequency
A) Increasing transparency in the supply chain	9	45%
B) Using more eco-friendly materials	5	25%
C) Improving ethical labor practices	4	20%
D) Reducing overall carbon footprint	2	10%

45% of respondents think Burberry should focus on increasing supply chain transparency, while 25% suggest using more eco-friendly materials. Ethical labor practices are favored by 20%, and 10% emphasize reducing Burberry's carbon footprint as a priority.

Discussion

• To evaluate the influence of Burberry’s sustainable sourcing practices on its competitive advantage in the UK fashion industry.

The assessment of the impact of Burberry’s sustainable sourcing strategy on competitive advantage provides valuable information. Primary findings show that 45% of respondents view sustainable sourcing as very important when choosing a brand like Burberry, indicating a strong consumer preference for environmentally responsible practices. Secondary findings emphasize the importance of the sustainability in the UK fashion industry in the present day. However, disruptions over recent years show that sustainability can work as the key focus towards recovery, which has been incorporated into strategies like that of Burberry. Consumer behavior and CSR sustainability trends are essential (Abbate et al., 2024). Theories such as Porter’s Generic Strategies indicate that Burberry’s decision to act sustainably fulfils the expectations of its consumers while enhancing the company’s strategic position by creating a competitive edge it has not seen in competitors.

Fig.- Porter’s Generic Strategies

Source by: (2008 12manage B.V, 2024)

• To analyse consumer perceptions of sustainability in fashion and its impact on purchasing decisions through a survey.

The study of consumer attitude towards sustainability in the fashion industry and its effect on their buying behaviour highlights an overall positive but somewhat polarized outlook towards Burberry. Primary findings indicate that 35% of respondents perceive Burberry’s sustainability commitment as significantly better than other luxury brands, with 40% stating that this focus on sustainable sourcing significantly increases their likelihood to purchase. Further, these findings support increasing awareness of sustainable products among customers, especially the younger generation. However, secondary findings are available for various on-going problems in the industry, including views on textile recycling and the relative sluggishness of the integration of circular economy concepts (Tang, 2023). For instance, the Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour points out that while there are positive consumer attitudes toward the purchase of sustainable products, there can be major bottlenecks in implementation that may reduce the effect in the long run.

Fig.- Theory of Planned Behaviour

Source by: (Change Theories Collection, 2024)

• To recommend strategies for enhancing Burberry’s competitive advantage through improved sustainable sourcing initiatives.

To enhance Burberry's competitive advantage through sustainable sourcing, strategies should focus on improving supply chain transparency, as 45% of respondents highlight this as a key area for development. The integration of digital technologies like blockchain, as emphasized could provide traceability and strengthen consumer trust. Primary findings also suggest that using more eco-friendly materials (25%) and improving ethical labour practices (20%) would resonate with consumers. This is supported by secondary data by stating that, it is long-term sustainable if suppliers are selected based on their ethical and environmental indices (Ekechukwu, 2021). Thus, by paying attention to these areas and using technologies to enhance accountability, Burberry can improve its sustainability standing, meet the expectation of consumers while sustaining its position in the luxury fashion industry.

Ethical Issues

In this research, issues of ethics are privacy, consent, and authenticity of data. In collecting primary data, the survey was conducted with 20 active respondents in the fashion industry; as a result, the concern of personal information disclosure is present here. This was done to avoid this by ensuring that all the participants provided informed consent as it was explained to them the purpose of the study, its use of data and the measures put in place in ensuring privacy and confidentiality of the participants (Husband, 2020). The study also had a method of ensuring that the participants could give their consent to withdraw at any time without force.
Furthermore, as the study adopted a positivism philosophy and employed a deductive approach, it was crucial to maintain the researcher’s impartiality and absence of bias. This minimized any kind of potential bias that could have been made by the researcher whenever he or she was making interpretations of the results as the analysis was purely statistical based on the survey alongside secondary sources. It is possible that closed-ended questions do not provide full pictures of the respondent’s position as such, and then the information that is gained is incomplete. In response to this, questions were posed in such a way that they would reflect some element of sustainable sourcing and consumer behaviour. Therefore, another possible limitation within this research was that the data gathered was obtained from only 20 participants. However, to provide a balanced perspective, Secondary data such as official website data or Journal articles collected as part of the study complemented existing survey data collected during the primary data collection phase (Orsini et al., 2020).

Last but not the least, data handling was also made transparent during the research process. All ethical situations and guidelines were maintained during the process of data collection and coming up with results from Google forms, and by anonymising the results it helped dealing with the manipulation risk by thoroughly analysing it using statistical analysis.

Conclusion

Therefore, this study shows how sustainable sourcing has emerged as a significant factor in the fashion industry of the UK and its influence on Burberry to gain competitive advantages. Primary findings indicate that consumers increasingly value sustainability, with 45% of respondents seeing it as a significant factor when choosing a fashion brand. Burberry's commitment to sustainable sourcing provides a strong competitive edge, with 45% of participants believing it offers substantial advantages. But the problems persist in terms of supply chain disclosure and the use of sustainable resources in manufacturing processes. Secondary findings reveal that the, UK fashion industry, still has economic and environmental problems, whereas sustainability is the future opportunity area. By incorporating the new technologies like the block-chain and continuing to instil the ethic of sourcing, Burberry can continue to compete and possibly appeal more to the environmentally aware customers. In conclusion, for Burberry to boost its competitiveness and address consumer needs by adding more transparency, utilising sustainable materials and strengthening labour conditions. These strategies will ensure that Burberry will address sustainable needs and wants and become the ultimate referent for luxury sustainable fashion.

Recommendations

The following recommendations can be made to help Burberry achieve a sustainable sourcing strategy that will bolster its competitive advantage. First, Burberry should prioritize increasing transparency in its supply chain, as 45% of respondents view this as the most critical area for improvement. IThe use of block chain as an example of a digital technology improves on the chain of flow and how consumers can trace the sustainability of various products hence improving on the confidence consumers have towards a particular brand. Additionally, using more eco-friendly materials is a key focus, with 25% of respondents emphasizing this need. This is because Burberry needs to adjust to their consumers’ environmentally conscious approach to shopping and can look into using eco-friendly fabrics such as biodegradable fabrics or recycled fabrics (Pasqualicchio, 2021). Furthermore, improving ethical labour practices is also important, supported by 20% of respondents. It will be useful to cooperate with the suppliers that promote high ethical norms of working conditions since it will contribute to more responsible attitude from Burberry and to consumers’ awareness of ethically produced clothes. Lastly, even though reducing the carbon footprint was not as important, it is still a worthwhile goal for the long term future. By utilizing transparency, material developments, and fair labour standards, a long-term strategy that would enhance the company’s strong brand positioning and shift the target market’s expectations to match the brand appropriately.

References

?Abbate, S., Centobelli, P., Cerchione, R., Nadeem, S.P. and Riccio, E., 2024. Sustainability trends and gaps in the textile, apparel and fashion industries. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26(2), pp.2837-2864. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10668-022-02887-2

Arrigo, E., 2020. Global sourcing in fast fashion retailers: Sourcing locations and sustainability considerations. Sustainability, 12(2), p.508. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020508

Dissanayake, D.G.K. and Weerasinghe, D., 2021. Towards circular economy in fashion: Review of strategies, barriers and enablers. Circular Economy and Sustainability, pp.1-21. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43615-021-00090-5

Ekechukwu, D.E., 2021. Overview of sustainable sourcing strategies in global value chains: a pathway to responsible business practices. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Darlington-Ekechukwu/publication/381649099_Overview_of_Sustainable_Sourcing_Strategies_in_Global_Value_Chains_A_Pathway_to_Responsible_Business_Practices/links/66784fd81846ca33b84ac56b/Overview-of-Sustainable-Sourcing-Strategies-in-Global-Value-Chains-A-Pathway-to-Responsible-Business-Practices.pdf

Husband, G., 2020. Ethical data collection and recognizing the impact of semi-structured interviews on research respondents. Education Sciences, 10(8), p.206. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10080206

Islam, M.M., Perry, P. and Gill, S., 2021. Mapping environmentally sustainable practices in textiles, apparel and fashion industries: a systematic literature review. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 25(2), pp.331-353. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2020-0130

Orsini, L.S., Berger, M., Crown, W., Daniel, G., Eichler, H.G., Goettsch, W., Graff, J., Guerino, J., Jonsson, P., Lederer, N.M. and Monz, B., 2020. Improving transparency to build trust in real-world secondary data studies for hypothesis testing—why, what, and how: recommendations and a road map from the real-world evidence transparency initiative. Value in Health, 23(9), pp.1128-1136. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2020.04.002

Pasqualicchio, C., 2021. Driving Sustainable Change in the Fashion Industry. https://digitalcommons.liu.edu/post_honors_theses/78/

Statista. (2023). Topic: Apparel market in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/3348/apparel-market-in-the-uk/#topicOverview [Accessed 10 Sep. 2024].

Statista. (2023). Topic: Sustainable fashion worldwide. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/9543/sustainable-fashion-worldwide/#topicOverview [Accessed 10 Sep. 2024].

Tang, K.H.D., 2023. State of the art in textile waste management: A review. Textiles, 3(4), pp.454-467. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/textiles3040027

Appendix

Questionnaire

1. How important is sustainable sourcing to you when choosing a fashion brand like Burberry?

A) Very important

B) Somewhat important

C) Not very important

D) Not important at all

2. How do you perceive Burberry’s commitment to sustainability compared to other luxury fashion brands?

A) Significantly better

B) Slightly better

C) About the same

D) Worse

3. In your opinion, how does Burberry’s focus on sustainable sourcing influence your likelihood to purchase their products?

A) Increases my likelihood significantly

B) Increases my likelihood somewhat

C) Has no influence on my decision

D) Decreases my likelihood to purchase

4. Do you believe that Burberry’s sustainable sourcing practices give the brand a competitive edge in the UK fashion industry?

A) Strong competitive advantage

B) A slight advantage

C) Doesn’t give any advantage

D) Harm their competitiveness

5. Which of the following do you think Burberry should focus on the most to further enhance its sustainable sourcing practices?

A) Increasing transparency in the supply chain

B) Using more eco-friendly materials

C) Improving ethical labor practices

D) Reducing overall carbon footprint?