Welcome to the Jungle - A multiple extensive case study on the ‘Green Grey Zone’ of sustainability labelling

Abstract: This article focuses on the ‘Green Grey Zone’ phenomenon in the Swedish fashion industry; In particular the influence of brand positioning within the competitive environment of the fast and slow fashion market segments. We study the plurality and heterogeneity of communication strategies through sustainability labelling and thus contribute to the understanding of consumer confusion regarding the many environmental claims. We developed a model called ‘Influences on Green Grey Zone’ (IGGZ) based on obtained theory in different research fields, which illustrates our findings on examined relationships of brand positioning within the market segments and sustainability labelling strategies. Results from a multiple extensive case study of three Swedish fashion brands and their sustainability labelling are analysed with a grounded theory approach, in regard to their efforts in sustainability work and their brand positioning within the companies’ market segment. The fashion brands are applied to the model exclusively to examine similarities and differences in fast and slow fashion. The findings reveal that the competitive environment as well as financial space was found to be significant impacts for different strategies when considering investing in a certified production and labelling of the end-product. Thus, identified as a contribution to the ‘Green Grey Zone’ and visualised in the model IGGZ.