Is Bershka Fast Fashion? This is What You Need to Know

Bershka was founded in 1998 by Amancio Ortega. It is a part of the Inditex fashion group along with other popular brands like Pull & Bear and Zara, making 10% of Inditex’s total sales with a revenue of almost one and a half billion pounds. The Spain-based company has established more than 1000 stores in 75 different countries to date, with the majority of them located in Europe.

Bershka offers a wide range of clothing options: they provide casual wear, sportswear, everyday clothes, accessories, shoes, and other fashion-forward articles. With their target audience being in the teen bracket, the company offers urban-themed trendy outfits for tech-savvy, ‘modern age’ customers. Even Beshka’s physical stores feature unique architecture to reflect their company image. But many are asking, is bershka a fast fashion brand?

Is Bershka a fast fashion brand?

Yes, Bershka is considered a fast fashion brand. Much like its sister brands, Bershka chooses to release new collections not just each season, but once every 2-3 weeks, to go along with every emerging fashion trend.

Impacts of Bershka being fast fashion

The fast fashion industry is a major contributor to both material waste and environmental degradation. The clothing industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. The growing demand for fast fashion has resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of textile waste, water pollution, and carbon emissions.

It not only uses up precious resources like fabric, but also causes serious harm by putting excessive strain on factory workers who need constant supervision in order to produce such large amounts of cheap clothing with little regard for their safety or well-being during production processes.

What steps is Bershka taking to lessen its effects as a fast fashion company?

Inditex itself has released company goals and policies meant to address sustainability issues, but there is no research indicating that Bershka has met these goals. The company has converted to recycled packaging, though, and it uses a small portion of recycled clothing material. It also has animal welfare policies in place that ensure they do not use fur or exotic animal skins and that its products are not tested on animals. As of now, the general consensus shows Bershka is not a fully sustainable company yet.

The Inditex group has, however, committed to the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, stating that they will exclusively use sustainable materials by 2025. This Charter also stipulates that 80% of energy in factories should come from renewable energy sources, and the company should cut down 30% of emissions by 2030.

Furthermore, they have started a program called Closing the Loop, which allows customers to deposit unwanted or unused garments in clothing containers located in most Inditex stores, with Bershka branches to follow. The program is meant to reduce landfill mass as well as encourage recycling. Inditex has also committed to a joint agreement with IndustriALL, a global workers union, to ensure ethical, safe, and fair labor practices for all its supply chain workers.

Is Bershka involved in any controversies or sweatshop allegations?

Bershka, like many other fast fashion companies, has been involved in a few controversies throughout the years. In 2010 and 2016, there were reports of the company using sweatshops, with workers being subjected to long hours and poor working conditions. This led to public outcry and boycotts of Bershka's products.

In response, Bershka committed to increasing transparency in its supply chain and ensuring that all workers were treated fairly and with respect.

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What should you do?

We must always endeavor to make knowledgeable choices when picking which companies we buy from, especially now that we are aware of the negative impacts of fast fashion. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves regarding sustainable and environment-friendly practices, and we should stick to these principles in every single aspect of our lives, even when it comes to fashion.

It is also essential that we, as humans, remain empathetic to those who suffer from unethical work conditions and practices. We must not support those who turn a blind eye to the plight of their workers to make a mere buck.

However, it is still possible to satisfy our fashion urges while remaining ethical. Thrift stores offer a wide selection of trendy clothing articles for a much lower price. They even sell branded clothes on occasion. Buying from thrift stores or reusing and repurposing clothes helps the environment greatly by reducing our overall waste.

FAQs

What is the meaning of Bershka?

Founded in 1998, Bershka is a Spanish fashion retailer that offers trendy, youthful clothing at affordable prices. The store is part of the Inditex group, which also includes well-known brands such as Zara and Massimo Dutti. Bershka’s collections are designed for young people who want to stay up-to-date with the latest fashion trends.

Is Bershka the same as Zara?

Bershka is a Spanish fashion retailer that is part of the Inditex group. Bershka's clothing styles are aimed at a younger audience than its sister brand, Zara.

Is Bershka good?

Based on our research, [Bershka is still rated 'Not Good Enough' overall]. It has a long way to go for people, the planet, and animals before being considered an ethical brand.