Who said growth means losing sight of circularity? A futuristic conceptualisation of a circular fashion rental model in the UK

Abstract

The modern marketplace requires simultaneous growth in sustainable production and consumption, and degrowth in the use of finite resources and waste produced. Circular economy business models present important strategies to minimise raw materials and environmental impacts while allowing economic development. Fashion is a pertinent context to examine as the world’s worst polluter. This conceptual paper examines fashion rental business models that shift the focus of traditional consumption from linear to circular and access-based. Through a two-phase methodology, a comparative analysis of four UK fashion rental startups and four modes of theorising futures, four theorised futures are produced to illustrate circular startup growth. The theoretical and managerial implications of each imagined economy are discussed, as well as how such businesses scale in each scenario and the impact on their circular principles. Finally, we discuss the implications for the macromarketing discipline’s transformative role in imagining sustainable futures.</p