Should a responsible brand offer sales?

The question of sales is omnipresent in fashion. It's a kind of obligation. Do we have a brand/store, and we have to have sales twice a year? Let's try to ask ourselves, "Is it necessary?"

We've talked a lot about our policy of not wanting to have sales. We could have a sale starting tomorrow, but for that, we'd have to increase our prices by 30 to 40%. Why would a product that cost €30 yesterday be €15 tomorrow only to return to €30 six weeks later? What would be the logic, other than to take the consumer for an idiot?

In our sector, which is lingerie, we offer timeless designs. You wear underwear in winter as well as in summer. It's not a coat or a little summer dress that has a season.

We try to offer a fair price all year round, on all our products. We do put collections on sale sometimes. Why? We no longer have all the sizes! This was the case with our old nightwear. We have new pajamas and nightgowns that replace our old range. So, for us, the logic was a need for space and cash flow.

The textile industry pollutes

We don't operate seasonally; we don't release 5-6 collections. We have products that some of you have been wearing for over 10 years in certain ranges. The goal is to offer a durable product. The textile industry pollutes. And it pollutes a lot. Offering few collections and collections that last is truly the essence of responsible fashion for us. Of course, some collections last, and others don't achieve the expected success. They will sell out on their own, and we'll end up having a promotion to clear the remaining pieces, generate cash flow, and most importantly, make space!

The fashion sector is a peculiar one. We are conditioned to have sales, without asking ourselves if we need the product and, above all, how it is possible to sell a product at half price without losing margin. Was the initial price not a fair price?

The question of a fair price has been the foundation of Peau-Ethique from the beginning. We have never undercut the market or offered bargain prices. Our policy has always been to offer quality organic cotton products at accessible prices, without having a huge margin at the expense of the producer and the consumer.

It's all about fair pricing

We could go on like this for a long time, repeating everything we've already said. But clearly, our policy isn't going to change. We're not going to inflate our prices to have sales 12 weeks a year, or private sales 12 weeks a year. If we had that policy, we would never have created responsible fashion. In fact, most responsible brands share this same discourse: the choice of a fair price all year round. We'll explore the concept of fair pricing together in another post!

There's no judgment if you do have sales. We're not here to make anyone feel guilty. Sometimes, people budget for sales because prices are too high during the year. That's not normal. Let's apply fair pricing from the start. A price where producers, artisans, brands, and consumers are in a normal relationship.

Want to reread all our articles on this topic? It's all here!

++ Peau-Ethique & Sales ++

++ What about you, do you have sales? ++

++ Sales or no sales ++