In survey after survey, American and European consumers claim they would pay more for sustainably made products. But when it comes time to fork over the cash, will they?
Allbirds, the San Francisco brand whose wildly popular £95 wool trainers and low-carbon ethos earned it a valuation of $1.7bn from investors earlier this month, is about to find out. The five-year-old company is expanding into apparel for the first time today, launching four styles for men and women sized from XS to XXXL.
Ranging from £45 for a T-shirt to £250 for a cropped puffer jacket, the line of understated essentials is a direct bid for the customer who buys their T-shirts and down jackets from brands such as Uniqlo, Everlane and Lululemon. It is also a bet that climate-conscious consumers will pay more for simple, discreetly branded items made of innovative materials with a lower carbon footprint. Allbirds’ puffer is £250, while a comparable style from Uniqlo costs £80 and is frequently marked down at the end of the season.