overproduction

Netflix: Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy – Why you should watch

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Corporate tricks that encourage overconsumption and why accountability matters


The latest Netflix documentary on sustainability, Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy, released on November 20th this year, is a must-watch for anyone who shops—anywhere.

12,000, 25,000, 36,000, and 1.3 million. What do these numbers represent? They are the staggering quantities of items produced annually by Gap, H&M, Zara, and Shein, respectively.

Intrigued by how we, as consumers, are persuaded to buy more than we need, I decided to watch it. The trailer promised a compelling exploration of this phenomenon.

Netflix, Buy Now!: Corporate manipulation exposed


Have you ever wondered where all those products go—the ones we discard without a second thought? This so-called “away” isn’t some magical place. It’s real, and it’s devastating.

This is where away is:

The land of waste


Netflix’s Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy takes an instructional approach to unravel the system behind overconsumption. The documentary is structured around five shocking directives: sell more, waste more, lie more, hide more, and control more.
Throughout these segments, former insiders from Amazon, Apple, Unilever, and Adidas reveal how companies manipulate us. Eric Liedtke, former Adidas Brand President, explains it bluntly: “You don’t need a new piece of clothing; you need a compelling reason to buy it.”

Netflix Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy – Official trailer


Have you noticed that the colour of Sprite bottles is no longer green but clear plastic? Even these subtle changes have a sinister purpose. Coca-Cola made the change to hide the environmental impact of their products. In fact, when the bottles were green they were easily identifiable in landfills.

But the manipulation doesn’t stop at marketing. It extends to how products are designed, determining their lifespan and whether they can be repaired. These calculated decisions ensure a cycle of relentless consumption, benefiting corporations at the expense of people and the planet.

The impact of product design and consumer behaviour


In today’s world, items are no longer built to last, they have short lifespans. Phones get replaced every three years, and clothing falls apart after a few washes so people replace it every month, if not weekly.

There are some things my family has had for more than ten years that have lasted the test of time, from our Christmas tree my parents bought more than twenty years ago to the dining table they have that has been repurposed into a desk. These pieces were built to last, unlike many products today. Take my computer, for instance. In the six years I’ve owned it, I’ve had to replace the battery. But, the battery is glued inside the device, requiring the replacement of an entire panel.

This isn’t an accident. Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, says Apple censors information so that consumers find it harder to repair devices, making them more likely to buy a new one.
A prime example of this approach is wireless earphones. They are designed with batteries precisely placed and glued into the devices, making replacements nearly impossible. The result? Consumers are left with no choice but to discard and replace them when the battery dies—further fuelling the cycle of waste.

The design flaws and deliberate barriers to repairability aren’t going unnoticed. Recent efforts, such as New York’s legislation on the right to repair electronic products and the EU’s new environmental regulations, demonstrate a growing awareness of the issue. While some companies are taking steps toward sustainability, these efforts remain insufficient to counteract the immense damage already done.

Conclusion: Netflix Buy Now! No novelty, but worth watching


It may not be a groundbreaking concept, but the Netflix documentary Buy Now! effectively exposes corporate manipulation. Hopefully, it will reach a broader audience.

While corporations and governments bear the greatest responsibility for systemic change, as individuals we hold significant power too. We can demand accountability from companies, advocate for action through our local representatives and most importantly, make mindful choices in our daily lives. This means buying less, prioritising true quality garments that are made to last and exploring vintage or second-hand options whenever possible.

Before making your next purchase, ask yourself: Do I really need that new fast-fashion dress?

Every decision we make has the power to challenge the status quo and contribute to a more sustainable future.

✍️ Post written by Sorcha Gorman, a scholar from Melbourne / Australia, studying Public Relations at Università Cattolica in Milan. Currently interning with suite123.

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Fashion Retailers: Part of an Industry Unwilling to Change

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Challenging the status quo for a sustainable future


Today, fashion retailers are part of an industry that continues to uphold a culture that fiercely defends the status quo. Specifically, fashion retailers contribute to this stagnation, showing little interest in exploring new, innovative ways of operating their businesses.

Profit remains the guiding principle of the fashion industry. This relentless focus blinds it to the true cost of doing business: the exploitation of labour and natural resources. Ethical practices take a backseat, as they don’t align with profit-driven motives. In fact, respectful work doesn’t generate massive returns; only extraction and exploitation do. But in this race for profit and growth, the system is falling apart.

The role of fashion retailers


In this unstable context, the role of retailers becomes particularly intriguing to examine. Despite ongoing conversations with industry peers, we see no signs of change. There’s no intent, no effort to try something different. Retailers, facing declining sales and increasing store closures, feel trapped in a vicious cycle. Believing they have no alternatives, they continue ordering excessive stock and relying on heavy discounts. But these actions only fuel the system that’s contributing to their downfall.

Following the system may seem like the path of least resistance for now, but it’s clear that the system is broken. Corporations, brands, retailers – they all know it. Yet by conforming to these failing norms, they accelerate the industry’s downward spiral.

Amidst this turmoil, brands, retailers, and all industry players must make a concerted effort to grasp the complex realities shaping today’s market. The luxury sector, for instance, finds itself in a state of stagnation. The niche clientele that supported independent brands in the ‘90s and early 2000s has dwindled to near extinction. Today, both affluent and less affluent consumers gravitate toward cheap, disposable fashion.
Is this a temporary shift? Or have people’s attitudes toward fashion fundamentally changed?

Fashion retailers vs change


If overproduction was already senseless, now in the face of the climate crisis, it’s even more absurd, as consumers are no longer willing to buy these products. So why are fashion retailers still unwilling to change their buying practices? Why do they ignore small independent brands focusing only on those who produce huge quantities?

The question is no longer if the system will collapse. It seems we’re already on the brink. The real question is how much longer we – fashion retailers, brands, the industry – will prop it up before embracing the change that’s urgently needed.

🖤 Dive into our latest post, and don’t hesitate to reach out. You can comment here below (just register first), or drop us an email or WhatsApp. We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, feedback, or just want to say hello, we’re all ears. 

Let’s start a conversation!  #formodernhumans

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Fashion Industry: Is it Business as Usual?

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Can the fashion business continue with the same old strategies?


If there were an award for stubbornly clinging to a “business as usual” model, the fashion industry would win without contest. In fact, during a time of deep crisis, there is no sign of change.

We have to admit that working in the fashion industry this month feels stranger than ever for us. Starting a new FW retail season while researching SS25 collections seems particularly surreal. Like living in a fashion bubble disconnected from reality. Indeed, we stay well-informed about current events through our virtual window. Despite the glaring flaws, brands, retailers, and insiders seem trapped in an exploitative and broken system they can neither dismantle nor escape.

Some data points from the fashion system


Just take a look at the fashion magazine headlines or tune into the news – the fashion industry is crumbling:

  • In Turkey, 15,000 textile companies filed for bankruptcy in the first seven months of 2024.
  • By the end of June, 107 shoe manufacturers in Italy had shut down.
  • China’s luxury market is stagnating.
  • At London Fashion Week, amid the market slowdown, designers pressed on. “Keep calm and carry on,” as Business of Fashion put it.
  • Italy’s footwear and leather goods sectors are in decline.
  • Warehouses across the industry are overflowing with unsold goods.

Milano Fashion Week started yesterday, with expectations of economic recovery in the second half of 2025. “The crisis is here, there’s no denying it, but it’s a period of 12-18 months during which the market has slowed down, only to be ready to pick up again afterwards,” says Carlo Capasa. Ok, but how do they actually plan to move forward?

The slowdown, climate emergency & business as usual


The slowdown in the fashion industry is undeniable. Yet, most continue to operate with business as usual. But does it really make sense to approach the fashion business as we always have? What are we trying to achieve by continuing with outdated strategies? Adding more overproduction to an already saturated market, and waiting for the economy to magically recover? Or, are we simply ignoring the problem, living in denial?

This seems to be neither a plan nor a recognition of the urgency of the crisis we’re facing.  Climate change and overproduction in the fashion industry with their devastating effects – exploitation of people and the planet, carbon emissions, and massive waste – are part of the same problem. 

Amid an existential climate and environmental emergency, it’s glaringly obvious that the fashion industry needs a complete systemic change. But how likely is that when all we see is business as usual?

🖤 Dive into our latest post, and don’t hesitate to reach out. You can comment here below (just register first), or drop us an email or WhatsApp. We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, feedback, or just want to say hello, we’re all ears. 

Let’s start a conversation!

#formodernhumans

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Fashion Devastation and Mindless Shopping

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Another example of people’s inaction in hunting for cheap clothing


Last week, we witnessed yet another TV program highlighting the immense devastation caused by the fashion industry and mindless shopping. This time, the focus was specifically on the fast fashion and ultra-fast fashion segments, although the issue pertains to the fashion system as a whole.

The program “Newsroom,” titled “Buy, Wear, and Toss,” covered aspects we’ve discussed repeatedly. Indeed, there was nothing new.

“Every year, 150 billion new pieces of clothing are produced worldwide, sold at rock-bottom prices, and of increasingly poor quality. They are worn only a few times, then end up at the back of the closet and are never used again. But what happens when we get rid of them? Where do all these clothes end up? The episode follows their long journeys to Ghana – where they pollute the beaches and the ocean – and the Atacama Desert in Chile, magnificent places that have become immense open-air dumps. Behind every t-shirt sold for a few euros, there is not only pollution but also the exploitation of low-cost labour and a huge business on which organised crime has also set its sights.”

Fashion devastation means overproduction, overconsumption, waste, pollution, exploited workers and modern-day slavery. We have explored these topics in detail in previous posts:

The land of waste
From fast to ultra-fast: a cultural regression
Fashion waste visible from space
Behind the Seams: Fashion Industry & Forced Labour


Conclusion


These are just a few examples, as we frequently share news, information, and thoughts on these crucial matters. Indeed, discussing style without setting priorities would be naive and utterly pointless.

In the end, no piece of clothing that costs just a few euros comes without the exploitation of a worker. However, one image powerfully captured the fashion devastation and mindless shopping: a man standing on heaps of garbage, mountains of clothing piling up, holding a tag from a certified green company. Sad irony! The consequences of mindless shopping in the Global North significantly impact the Global South. That conveys a clear idea of how fake the façade of sustainability in the fashion industry is.

While we are glad to see these issues gaining attention, as we have explored over the past five years of blogging, we feel a sense of bitterness in realising that nothing ever changes.

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Who Supports Independent Labels?

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Exploring the current fashion scenario


There’s a poignant question in the fashion industry: who supports independent labels? The current fashion context is volatile, unstable and tough – especially for independent designers who struggle to survive. Just like independent fashion retailers. Therefore, many are making the difficult decision to close their businesses.

The current fashion scenario: mass fashion


On the one hand, there is mass fashion, encompassing both luxury brands and fast fashion. Despite their differences in price and perceived exclusivity, they follow the same model: overproduction, overconsumption, and exploitation of natural resources, labour, and human rights.
What do mass brands do? Business as usual; now cloaked in a veneer of greenwashing. And what do people want from them? Business as usual. Greenwashing allows consumers to feel comfortable with their purchases and lifestyles. We can affirm this because, even though consumers are aware of brands’ unfair practices towards people and the planet, they continue to support them wholeheartedly.

Niche brands and independent labels


On the other hand, there are niche designers, or small independent labels who produce limited quantities, creating a leaner and respectful business. Their prices are much higher than fast fashion for obvious reasons, yet lower than luxury brands. Unfortunately, according to Financial Times Fashion, many independent labels have had to close their doors this year. Although the article focuses on the US situation, it’s no different in Europe.

What happens to them, as well as to the independent retailers who support them? People complain about their prices, showing little understanding or respect for their work. In the end, what do they do? Consumers often choose fast fashion or discounted luxury brands while preaching sustainability and human rights support.

Conclusion


So, who supports independent labels? A very tiny percentage of free thinkers. Perhaps not enough to sustain their businesses. The risk of a polarised fashion industry is very strong. Based on this brief exploration, we must ask: will information and education ever contribute to creating a more diverse fashion scenario?  Or are we doomed to an irresponsible and destructive mass fashion?

Share your thoughts with us. We’d love to hear from you!

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