The sales: the Holy Grail after Christmas. A blessed moment when bank balances are replenished by cheques from grandma and gift vouchers from those who prefer not to guess their favourite nephews’ tastes. Twice a year, they are THE perfect time to “refresh your wardrobe” and buy twice as much for the same price. But sales—by definition selling at a discount—represent a real challenge for brands operating as close to demand as possible, offering the fairest possible price for quality garments, as we do at Hast.
That is why we wanted to share their story, look at both their benefits and excesses, and explain transparently what drives us to rethink their purpose.
Sales: a concept that makes sense
The concept of sales originated in France. It is said to have been invented in the 1830s by a fabric merchant named Simon Mannoury, who seemed straight out of an Émile Zola novel. He devised a revolutionary way to clear past-season stock at lower prices. Thus the first clearance sales were born. The goal? Clear inventory to make room for upcoming collections. Since the 1990s, the rise of fast fashion and mass production has made discounting even more necessary to sell off excess stock rather than destroy it.
The fashion industry is particularly prone to seasonal promotions, having long operated on a cycle of production, retail, and destruction of remaining inventory.
Holding a sale is ultimately about finding homes for garments that might otherwise be sadly destined for destruction!
For consumers, the sale season is eagerly anticipated. It offers a chance to afford pieces that are usually out of reach from certain brands. For many customers, sales are a key shopping window—a way to save on essentials or treat themselves to that fine cashmere jumper they could not otherwise justify without that welcome 40% off.
Yet which fast fashion makes dangerous
Selling for less seems, at first glance, like a simple and effective solution for both shoppers and brands. So why do we talk about the downsides of sales? In the 1990s, driven by fast-fashion giants chasing constant novelty, the textile industry began producing ever more, ever cheaper. As a result, brands end up with massive surpluses of unsold garments, ultimately made only to be destroyed. This push for ever-higher volume and margins has come with a significant drop in garment quality: synthetic fabrics, low-grade fibres, and manufacturing in factories with questionable labour conditions.
We enter a race to the bottom on price, at the expense of final product quality. A convenient outlet for overproduction, sales have become the symbol of a system pushed to excess.
Psychologically, they also push consumers to buy, triggering a form of mental guilt: “Can I really pass up such a bargain? I’m sure I’ll wear it one day...”
In many ways, sales are part of a vicious circle of non-stop novelty and impulse buying over thoughtful choices. Beyond that, they fuel an overall decline in product quality, with inflated retail prices designed solely to be marked down.
Grandad’s timeless wool jumper gets traded for a sad acrylic that bobs after the very first wash...
2021: continuing the shift
At Hast, we want to do things differently. Producing garments using the finest raw materials (wool remains genuine wool, not an inferior chemical substitute) and crafting them in hand-picked workshops. This exacting standard makes discounting virtually impossible, as it would mean selling at a loss. And since we produce as close to demand as possible, it simply does not align with our ethos.
More and more brands seem to grasp these crucial stakes for our planet and for the fashion industry we care so deeply about. The aim is certainly not to make it disappear, but to rethink it thoroughly to make it responsible, innovative and quality-driven. For us, this means questioning the very principle of sales and returning to their original purpose: helping a brand rebalance its inventory and sustainably fund its development.
The anti-waste law recently passed by the French government is a welcome step forward. By 2022, it bans the destruction of unsold textiles. This law will naturally challenge the notion of overproduction in fashion and other industries, encouraging brands to find new solutions.
.jpg)
A unique context
Sales are harmful when they justify overproduction and a general decline in the quality of finished garments sold at meaningless prices. Yet they can also offer brands some breathing room. The sheer uncertainty of this period makes precise production planning difficult, and shop closures have led to built-up stock. In light of the Covid crisis, we decided to offer selected discounts.
Offering our customers a modest discount is a way to thank them for their loyalty, make things a little easier in a challenging year, and help Hast plan ahead with confidence (read the interview with Hast co-founder Samy Ziani on the subject). Carried out within a fair and balanced production model, we believe this approach remains entirely sound.
Change is coming. 2020 was a pivotal year full of challenges. 2021 will hopefully be the year of a more considered, responsible and respectful approach to fashion. In which, who knows? The very concept of sales might find a whole new meaning...
