Fast Fashion: A Model of Poor Business Practice

Nowadays, businesses will do anything to keep themselves alive, even if it means ignoring

ethical responsibilities and harming workers and society. An example of this is fast fashion. An

industry that prioritizes rapid production and low costs. While this strategy increases consumer

choice and short-term sales, it represents a poor business practice, as it leads to more negative

effects than positive outcomes, and this will be proven as you read.

INCREASED WASTE

Fast fashion companies release new collections weekly to encourage frequent purchasing and

shorten the time the products remain in stores. Although this strategy increases a lot of sales, it is

important to look at how this affects the supply chain. This could lead to overproduction because

there would be large amounts of unsold clothing in stores, and consumers would buy more and

more clothes only to wear them once and then end up in landfills.

LIFE OF WORKERS

In countries such as Bangladesh, fast fashion brands minimize labor costs by outsourcing

production to factories with very low wages. Some garment workers earn around two dollars per

day so that companies can keep their prices competitive. Cutting the salaries of workers should

not be the solution to this problem because the workers are not at fault and deserve fair

compensation for their labor.

Additionally, poor working conditions and weak safety regulations are also present. The

buildings where workers work to produce clothes are cracked, and when workers try to speak up

about their low wages and give suggestions, many face abuse or violence from owners. As a

business owner, it is important to take care of your workers, and it should not be the workers

themselves who will sacrifice just to make ends meet.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND FUTURE COSTS

To maximize output and reduce costs, cotton farming relies heavily on chemical pesticides and

fertilizers. While this lowers material costs for fast fashion companies, it creates environmental

damage and health risks for farmers. This business practice shows that companies must think

carefully about their strategies and consider alternatives that minimize harm, such as reducing or

avoiding the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, in order to ensure sustainability and

protect both the environment and the public.

PEER PRESSURE AND OVERCONSUMPTION

In countries like the United States, fast fashion companies depend on aggressive marketing

strategies to increase consumer demand. Advertising links consumption with happiness and

social status, which encourages people to buy more than they need. Many feel pressured to keep

up with trends and appearances, so they buy a huge amount of clothes that will eventually pile up

and become a one-wear clothing, and release harmful gases into the air instead of serving as a

necessity.

CONCLUSION

Overall, fast fashion demonstrates the wrong way of how a business should operate. It prioritizes

profit maximization through cost-cutting and ignores long-term consequences. It only focuses on

short-term profit and does not consider health risks, the lives of the workers, future

environmental impacts, or sustainable growth. It is important for business owners to understand

that businesses are not only expected to focus on financial profit but also consider how their

strategies affect workers, communities, and the environment.