Empowering Customers through Made With Care

Author: Ida-Nora Hammar

Case Company: Boozt
Course: Sustainability and Marketing Ethics BUSP35
Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3
Theory ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Method ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 7
1. Where is Made With Care? .............................................................................................. 7
2. What is Made With Care? ................................................................................................ 8
3. Is Made With Care Greenwashing? ............................................................................... 10
Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 12
1. Boost Visibility and Awareness of Made with Care ...................................................... 12
2. Boost Sustainability Perception of Made with Care ...................................................... 13
3. Boost Endorsements from Reputable Sources ............................................................... 14
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 15
References ............................................................................................................................... 17
Appendix A ............................................................................................................................. 20
Appendix B ............................................................................................................................. 21
Appendix C ............................................................................................................................. 22
Appendix D ............................................................................................................................. 23
Appendix E ............................................................................................................................. 24
Appendix F ............................................................................................................................. 25
Appendix G ............................................................................................................................. 27

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Introduction

Boozt has positioned itself as an ecommerce market leader in the Nordics (Boozt Group Annual
Report, 2022). Distinguishing itself from competitors, Boozt strives to leverage its position and
advanced technology platforms to simplify sustainable choices for both customers and partners
(Boozt, n.d a), with the ultimate goal of “becoming the leading responsible e-commerce
company in the Nordics by 2025.” (Boozt Sustainability Textile Criteria, 2023). Instrumental
in achieving this goal is Boozt’s Care-For Strategy, which aims to enhance transparency,
specifically of its environmental and social sustainability (Boozt, n.d b). This comprehensive
strategy encompasses 12 goals, categorised into four key areas: Environmental, Employee,
Community, and Governance goals. Each goal is inherently designed to either increase
sustainability or reduce unsustainability (Appendix A).

The Care-For Strategy acknowledges that Boozt has areas that currently require intervention
e.g. minimise waste, promote equality, and drive responsible production. The essence of the
strategy is to increase Boozt’s reliability through transparency, an overdue departure from
industry norms where deception and greenwashing are too often used to exploit the consumer.
This effort is underscored by the belief that transparency not only fosters a reliable relationship
with the consumer base but also aligns with the objectives of the newly adopted proposed
European Commission Green Claims directive. This directive is projected to go into effect in
2024 (WorldFavour, 2023), and will constitute the following objectives, common criteria, clear
requirements and a sound system that address substantiation of green claims by firms (Circular
Economy, 2023). The European Commission Green Claim directive is consistent and
complementary to existing policy provisions, specifically the EU initiative to empower
consumers for the green transition, both of which support the The European Green Deal (Green
Claims Directive, 2023). Boozt's commitment to addressing the new EU requirements through
the Care-For Strategy positions the company at the forefront of ethical business practices in
the Nordic ecommerce landscape.

In pursuit of fostering an environment for consumers to be empowered, Boozt introduced the

Made With Care (MWC) product category on Boozt.com in 2022 as an integral part in their
Care-For Strategy (Boozt Group, n.d. a). This Community Goal intends to provide accurate
information regarding Boozt's operations, stockists, and products, in order to equip customers
with the knowledge to make informed decisions according to their values (Boozt, n.d. c). The

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goal of the MWC section is to “represent a genuine systemic change in production patterns that
educates the customer about the socio- environmental impact of textile’s production and
consumption.” (Boozt Sustainability Textile Criteria, 2023). The initiative identifies and adds
products from stockists that meet Boozt’s Sustainability Criteria into the MWC category (Made
with Care, 2022). To illustrate the degree of standards for Boozt’s criteria is for example, a
garment is MWC eligible if it is made of 50% independently certified textiles from responsible
origins (certified, recycled or sourced responsibly) (Boozt Sustainability Textile Criteria,
2023). Moreover, manufacturers and suppliers from high risk amfori BSCI’s (Business Social
Compliance Initiative) countries (Amfori BSCI, n.d.; Amfori ESG Risk Compass, n.d.) require
a satisfactory grade from a third party to be eligible (Boozt Sustainability Textile Criteria,
2023). The requirement for both environmental, and social factors to be fulfilled for textiles
vet products which are ethically sound according to Boozt’s sustainability criteria.

However, there is still a long way to go for Boozt to accomplish their 2025 goal by empowering
consumers. One must recognise that MWC is in its infancy. This report will contribute to the
evolution and development of Boozt's MWC initiative by providing concrete and useful
suggestions based on analysis for Boozt to implement in order to achieve its minor and major
goals. The central objective is to support Boozt in advancing its efficiency of the MWC and,
consequently, present ways to empower consumers in making informed decisions which align
with their personal values.

Theory

This report will use theories and concepts from sustainability and marketing ethics as a
foundational support for how Boozt can empower their customers in helping them make
informed decisions. Descriptive Ethical Theory can be utilised to understand how ethical
decisions are made and which factors influence the decision making process (Crane et al.,
2019). Crane et al. 's (2019) definition of an ethical decision is if it significantly affects others,
it is characterised by choice and can be perceived as ethically relevant. One such concept that
is useful in judging the ethical decision making process is the four component model,
introduced by James Rest and used in Crane et al. (2019). Rest’s model proposes that decision
making is dependent on Awareness, the knowledge that there is a moral issue at stake,
Judgement, the decision making itself, Intent, the moral motivation or determination, and

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behaviour, the action or implementation. Following Rest’s logic, all four components are
necessary to make an ethical decision.

Crane et al. (2019) present an alternate dimension of perception to view ethical decision
making, individual and situational factors. Among the several individual factors that the
authors introduced, psychological factors are emphasised as an important factor which
determines the decision making process. One psychological factor that the authors describe is
Lawrence Kohlberg’s (1996, cited in Crest et al., 2017) theory of Cognitive Moral Development
(CMD), which describes three levels of moral development that explain individuals' different
reasoning processes. At the first preconventional level, the individual has concerns with their
self interests and rewards or punishments. At the second conventional level, the individual does
what is expected of them by others. At the third and final post conventional level, the individual
has autonomous decision-making capacity because of their personal principles of rights and
justice. As the individuals advance through the stages, they develop a higher level of Moral
Reasoning (Crane et al., 2019). The final psychological factor that influences the decision
making process and is relevant to this report are individual values which are individual and
stable beliefs about desirable behaviours and goals as well as personal integrity, the individual's
adherence to a consistent set of moral principles or values (Crane et al., 2019).

The decision making process is further affected by situational factors, such as Moral Intensity,
introduced by Jones (1991) (Crane et al., 2019). According to Crane et al. (2019), Moral
Intensity is the relative importance of the ethical issue, which are dependent on the following
six factors: Magnitude of consequences, the experienced harm for those affected by the action,
where the issue is taken more seriously if the consequences are significant. Social consensus is
the degree to which people are in agreement over the ethics of the problem, meaning that the
moral intensity is likely to increase if there is shared consensus of unethical behaviour among
others. Probability of effect is the likelihood that harm will occur as a result. Temporal
immediacy refers to the speed in which the consequences are likely to occur, and where high
speed results in a higher degree of moral intensity. Proximity is the geographic or emotional
distance to those impacted by the decision. The closer the decision maker is to those affected
by their decision, in terms of social, cultural, psychological or physical terms, the higher
likelihood of moral intensity. Concentration of Effects refers to if the consequences are
concentrated on a few or affects many, concentrated consequences are more morally intense.
The final situational factors which is introduced to aid in the analysis and discussion of the

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case study that shapes ethical decision making is moral framing, which is the use of language
to mask unethical practices or highlight ethical claims which benefit from synonymous or
adjacent terms and definitions (Crane et al., 2019). One form of moral framing, as coined by
Anand et al. (2004 cited in Crane et. al. 2017) is rationalisation, which is how unethical
decisions are justified and excused. The authors of Crane et al. present several different
strategies of responsibilization which include denial of responsibility.

Method

In order to measure the impact of Boozt’s MWC category, an investigation into online shopping
habits and attitudes as well as a consumer impression of the category will produce relevant
insights. The methods chosen which best operationalize this goal are semi-structured
interviews, before and after a task on the Boozt.com website. Participants were recruited
through this report's authors personal networks. Exclusively recruiting participants from
Sweden between the ages of 25 to 54 which is Boozt’s customers age range (Boozt Group,
2022). This participant demographic is relevant and useful in the case study as it ultimately has
the chance to provide insightful analysis of their perception and comprehension of MWC.

The 14 participants went through three phases as a part of the study (Appendix B). The first
phase consisted of 5 general questions regarding the participants e-commerce consumption
behaviours and about their relationship with Boozt (e.g. What is your overall perception of
Boozt?). In the second phase, participants were tasked with navigating the Boozt.com computer
interface to navigate the website and add an item they want or need into the virtual shopping
cart. Their purchasing procedure and ultimate adding of item(s) to their virtual shopping cart
was screen recorded. The methodology was intentionally with-holding questions and
information about MWC in order to ensure the independent variable, consumers perception and
comprehension of MWC, prevent cognitive bias in the first and second phase of the study to
ensure reliable data. The general objective of the task was to determine the extent to which
participants recognized the MWC concept and evaluate it´s visibility and informativeness. The
passive observation task complemented the interview data by providing real-time, unfiltered
insights into participants' actual online shopping behaviours on Boozt. The third and final phase
of the study was a semi-structured interview about the participants' evaluation of sustainability
and impression of Boozt’s MWC initiative (e.g. What do you think Boozt’s MWC means?). The
participants' real names are substituted with pseudonyms to maintain their anonymity.

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The collected data is relevant to understanding customer perspectives regarding Boozt's MWC
initiative. The investigation of individual experiences and perceptions through semi-structured
interviews provides a depth of reflexive insight that would have been challenging to capture
through other methods, such as surveys. Our approach emphasises first hand insights from a
relevant customer base, ensuring authentic responses and minimising biases. This makes it the
most effective method for gaining nuanced insights into customer behaviours and perceptions
towards Boozt’s sustainability campaign in measuring where the initiative empowers
customers through informed decisions.

Analysis

This section concerns the responses of each question that were analysed through thematic
categorization. Three themes rose to the surface that hindered customers from making informed
decisions about purchasing products from the MWC category on Boozt. These three themes
were as follows; participants were unaware of the existence of the MWC category, participants
were unsure of what the MWC category entailed, and participants were sceptical about the
reliability of the claims the products in the MWC category made. These three categories of
evident concern from participants indicate that there is a discrepancy between Boozt MWC
mission, and the efficiency of aligning customer perception with it. In this analysis section
citations from the interviews and, when relevant, research outside of Sustainability and
Marketing Ethics literature will be used as a vehicle to describe and evaluate which measures
affect their experience and impression shopping on Boozt.com.

1. Where is Made With Care?

The first issue appeared after completing the second phase of the study when participants were
asked to navigate the Boozt website to pretend to purchase various items. Only one out of the
14 participants registered the MWC category in the navigation bar. Additionally by reviewing
the screen-recorded videos of participants navigating the Boozt website for the task, it should
be noted that none of participant clicked onto the MWC category in the category navigation
bar, or clicked on the MWC tab (to the left of the Product Description tab) or chose to read
more about MWC (to the right of the product images) when looking at the Product Detail Page
(Appendix C).

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This indicates that Boozt Care-For Strategy goal Empowering Customers; “...Requesting
[product information from stockists] and displaying more information about our products to
help customers make informed decisions according to their values.” (Boozt, n.d d ) is as of yet
unsuccessful. A customer cannot make an informed decision if the customer lacks adequate
information about the options Boozt offers, or is not aware of the information that exists.

Many respondents believed sustainability as important, in response to Question 1 of Phase 3,

which indicates they have the awareness to know that there is a matter of ethical decision
making. However it was clear participants did not even see MWC and therefore weren’t
informed by Boozt about their offer that resolves concerns for sustainability. Boozt hasn’t
adequately capitalised this consumer belief because of the MWC categories' apparent low
visibility. If consumers don’t spot the category, the consumer is not aware of the moral issue,
and the consumer will not proceed in the ethical decision making process, unless they are
already aware of MWC. To connect to Rest’s (1986, cited in Crane et.al 2017) Four Component
Model of ethical decision making, the consumers need to have Awareness of the problem in
order to act morally. Consumers need all four components in order to make an ethical decision
according to Rest.

2. What is Made With Care?

The second central issue established from conducting analysis of Question 3 of Phase 3 “What
do you think Boozt’s MWC means?” showed that participants were capable of making
assumptions about what the label MWC meant when asked, but was not accurately
representative of Boozt’s intended meaning. There is a misalignment of what Boozt wants
MWC to stand for, and what the respondents thought it stands for. The majority of participants
were correctly able to decipher that MWC concerned environmental sustainability efforts.
However, only four of the participants assumed that MWC concerned the remaining two of
Boozt’s three ESG (Environment, Social & Governance) objectives. This is a common
misconception as for many the concept of sustainability is synonymous with environmental
sustainability (Crane et al., 2019). The participants were not able to accurately decipher what
the initiative means, which indicates insufficient information from Boozt about the directive.

Furthermore, half of the participants mentioned that they do not consider environmental
sustainability when shopping. However, some participants did expressed that faire labour
would affect their decision making in purchasing an item. When asked “What would make

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you choose a sustainable product?”, one participant succinctly echoed this sentiment about his
personal value’s lie with purchasing items that are made without labour exploitation.

“The environmental aspect doesn't affect me very much. But if it was clear that
the product was not made by children, it would make me consider that product
more.”
- Adam, 59.

Adding to the understanding that fair working conditions were important to the participants,
additionally two participants emphasised how socially ethically produced commodities will
affect their decision making. This sentiment from participants is a fine example of moral
intensity as explained by Jones (1991 cited in Crane et.al 2017). While one might argue that
the detrimental global magnitude of environmental consequences are worse than those
suffering from poor working conditions, the diffuse nature of the environmental discourse
makes it easier for respondents to interpret the moral intensity surrounding labour exploitation.
Using Jones’ reasoning, comparing the social consensus of the plight of those exploited by
poor working conditions, like child labour, and surrounding climate change, like soil salination,
is more vague. Furthermore the probability of the effect from child labour of unfair working
conditions are easier to comprehend compared to the effects of pollutions. Additionally climate
change does not have the same temporal immediacy as fair labour has and the effects are less
concentrated compared to social issues. Furthermore, moral intensity can explain why
participants claimed that sustainability did not affect their decision, because proximity to both
the environmental and social effects are geographically, socially and psychologically distant.

The final issue to break down from the 2nd theme is consumers' in-accurate impression of
Boozt’s product segment focus because of the website interface design. Some respondents had
a hard time distinguishing Boozt from fast-fashion brands because of the User Interface (UI)
and User Experience (UX)(Ritter & Winterbottom, 2017). The respondent said the following
regarding the matter;

“My general impression is that Boozt is like Zalando or H&M, because the
website is a bit messy.”
- Bertil, 34.

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The fact that Boozt is synonymous with the likes of Zalando or H&M is problematic
since Boozt positions itself on the product segment spectrum as a commercial-premium
regional brand rather than a global fast-fashion/entry-price brand (Boozt, n.d a). If
consumers believe that Boozt is a fast-fashion brand, the MWC initiative will struggle
to prove to consumers it is not another greenwashing fast-fashion initiative. This means
that Boozt has failed to morally frame MWC in a manner that is representative of its
integrity and has therefore forgone the chance to empower customers in using ethical
decision making to make informed decisions.

3. Is Made With Care Greenwashing?

The third theme that appeared was that participants were sceptical that the MWC effort is in
fact a reliable resource for ethical apparel. The participants had varied rationales for why they
hesitated trusting Boozt's claim. One such rationale of judgement developed due to the recent
enlightenment and discourse concerning greenwashing. It was apparent that participants had
developed iconoclastic attitudes toward green initiatives. A screening commissioned by the
European Commission found that 47% of green claims on websites lack evidence (EUC, 2021).
Analysis by London Based firm Compare Ethics found that 80% of consumers mistrust brands
sustainability claims (Make Environmental Claims with Confidence, n.d.). This salience was
evident by one of the participants who since learning about greenwashing scandals lost trust in
the fashion industry.

“I don’t really trust them [Boozt], just because it says Made With Care. For me
it does not mean anything because of all the scandals that ha[ve] happened in
the clothing industry. I don’t really trust the clothing industry anymore.”
- Cecilia, 25.

When brands fail to uphold their sustainability claims it negatively impacts the industry as a
whole, such as Boozt suffering from the misdeeds of other firms as voiced by Car (Crane et
al., 2019). Evidently consumers negatively respond when they feel deceived by firms. Cecilia
portrays a post-conventional reasoning process, however since she is distrusting of MWC, her
post-conventional reasoning process goes to waste. Indicating that people with higher moral
reasoning also are neglected. This judgement process can be understood when accounting for
Cecilia’s individual values and personal integrity which dictate her intent. Even though MWC
aligns with Cecilia’s personal values and integrity, as she elaborated her active consideration

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for climate change, her distrust of the fashion industry as a whole negates the possibility of a
successful consumer-brand alignment. It is evident from Cecilia's quote that it is no longer
enough for brands to address sustainability concerns by launching campaigns that are
“sustainable” due to the numerous journalistic endeavours that have disproved false ESG
claims. Even H&M was recently caught in a scandal, as it was proven that its textile recycling
scheme was a farce (Lindberg & Wennman, 2023). This public concern has been addressed by
the EU green claims directive which Boozt’s Care-For Strategy complements.

Another respondent reasoned that he did not trust the fashion industry due to the sophisticated
supply chain because there are more phases and actors that can exploit the system. He contrasts
his distrust of the fashion industry with the food industry.

“I trust ICA’s Organic foods more than Boozt’s Made With Care. The supply
chain in the fashion industry is so long and complex. I’m sure it's easier to cut
corners and lie there, than in the food industry.”
- David, 25.

The third participant outright rejected the reliability of MWC on the basis that he
misstrusted it because it wasn’t clear enough. This hostile sentiment was energetically
conveyed by Erik, who in response to the question “What do you think Boozt’s Made
With Care means?” shared the following.

“Made With Care tells me nothing. I have no clue what it could mean. It’s just
empty words.”
- Erik, 26.

These two final quotes from David and Erik hammers in the distinct hesitation of consumers
to trust the MWC initiative. The course relevant literature that can explain Erik’s opinion is that
firms in the apparel industry have reaped the benefits of Morally Framing (Crane et al., 2019)
sustainability initiatives. This process uses psychological categorising concepts such as MWC
through the subtextual, and connotation meaning of words. Engaging in Moral Framing risk’s
adverse reactions if the implied declarations are broken, like in the case of greenwashing.
Intentionally euphemistic and ambiguous language about sustainability creates broader
margins for the firm, and key stakeholders, to use Rationalization (Crane et al., 2019) in an

11
attempt to avoid penalization when greenwashing. When consumers, like Erik, become aware
of these processes exploited to greenwash it is no wonder that hostile attitudes develop.

To conclude the analysis section the data rendered located three areas that require revision so
that Boozt’s Care-For Strategy is better communicated and accurately interpreted by
customers. Suggested methods and innovations to address and amend the thematic issues
derived from the interviews will be assessed in the discussion section.

Discussion

1. Boost Visibility and Awareness of Made with Care

To address the challenge that participants overlooked the MWC category, we propose
enhancing the categories visibility through UI design adjustments to optimise human-computer
synergy. This may involve employing distinct colours, increasing font size, or strategically
placing the category on the website, drawing inspiration from successful examples such as
Juliet (Drink Juliet, n.d.), which was nominated as Best E-commerce & Retail Website Designs
of 2023 by DesignRush (Design Rush, 2023)(Appendix D). Emphasising the MWC category
not only eases the decision making process (Crane et al., 2019) by raising awareness of moral
considerations. By amending the UI Boozt's image as a responsible company will increase,
because more customers will see and register the MWC product category.

We propose Boozt present conspicuous digestible infographics on what the MWC objective is.
Of significance was the lack of awareness from participants that MWC addressed social and
governance considerations in its vetting process. To improve consumers' limited understanding
about MWC we suggest that the infographics pay extra attention to its areas of social
responsibility and governance. The consumer must be informed about what the goal is, and
what the sustainability criteria are, to provide simple enough information at a glance that
consumers understand the objectives and can make an informed decision, or decide to read
more about them in detail. Increased and improved awareness of these dimensions is likely to
positively influence participants' overall opinions and usage of MWC. We would like to refer
the reader to an outstanding example of implementing digestible, AllBirds (AllBirds, n.d.), and
Karün (Karün, n.d.) both utilise creative infographics that inform consumers about the brand's
initiatives and requirements (Appendix E; Appendix F).

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 2. Boost Sustainability Perception of Made with Care
In order to align consumers' perception of MWC, and build trust with the consumer we suggest
three amendments or recommendations. The thematic analysis revealed a notable distrust in
sustainability claims from the fashion industry; this presents a significant challenge for the
MWC initiative since it’s hard to empower customers if they cannot trust in the brand. Despite
Boozt's impressive efforts to position itself as a “...leading responsible e-commerce brand…”
(Boozt, n.d. a) through the MWC initiative, the analysis proved an unfavourable gap between
the brand's sustainability commitment and the consumers' attitudes towards it.

The first incremental improvement Boozt can implement is emphasise its commitment to
surpassing industry standards, such as using Blue Angel certified recycled plastics for all
shipping bags (Boozt Group, n.d. d). Additionally, highlighting the Closed Loop handling of
shipments and returns in the Ängelholm fulfilment centre (Boozt Group, n.d. d.), which runs
on 100% hydro powered clean energy (Running on 100% renewable, 2020), as opposed to
outsourcing operations more cost-effective yet environmentally harmful alternatives abroad.
This underlines their commitment to sustainable practices and responsible logistics (Boozt, n.d
b). Furthermore, Boozt can accentuate its criteria for MWC garments, clearly showcasing a
minimum of 50% independently certified materials (Boozt, n.d c). This stands in contrast to
competitors like Zalando, whose sustainable textile criteria only requires 30% of the material
to be classified as a product made of recycled material (Zalando, n.d.). By showcasing their
dedication to being a responsible e-commerce company Boozt can bridge the gap between
consumers' perception of the brand to accurately align with their real and active commitments.
Through clear communication of these distinctions, Boozt reinforces the foundation that brand-
consumer trust is built by proving that MWC is a genuine and impactful commitment, illustrated
by comparing its operations, commitments and requirements to industry standard.

The second suggestion, which is arguably an extension of the first, is to increase clarity of
MWC’s adherence to EU’s green claims directive. This will increase consumers' impression of
reliability, by showcasing how they address each key measurement, and objective of the new
directive. This can be achieved by providing a thorough yet eye-catching presentation on the
MWC product section. Implementing these improvements would strengthen faith among
consumers through transparency, showing their commitment, and alignment to EU mandated
practices. This is an opportunity for Boozt’s to position itself as a responsible leader, setting it
apart from competitors in the Nordic ecommerce space.

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As detailed in the analysis, some participants positioned Boozt similar to H&M and Zalando,
due to the ‘messy-ness’ of the website. Therefore we suggest Boozt alter the MWC category to
resemble brands that reflect their ideal market segment, we suggest consulting B-Corporation
Certified brands for inspiration. By adopting design elements to visually resemble B-Corps, it
becomes clearer for the consumer which market segment MWC belongs to. This will
differentiate MWC from fast-fashion brands. This will furthermore enhance the consumers trust
in Boozt, as Boozt differentiates themself from fast fashion companies that have been accused
of greenwashing. A relevant example Boost can refer to that covers an adjacent market
segment, and is a spectacular representation of a “green & clean” looking website is Earthkind
(Earthkind, n.d.).

3. Boost Endorsements from Reputable Sources

Our final proposal for Boozt is to increased visibility through popular media and reliable 3rd
party actors; showcasing accreditations, certifications, audit scores, and press endorsements
conspicuously on the website. One of the participants described his distrust towards MWC’s
claims because of the high risk of exploitation in the fashion industry due to its complex supply
chain. The increased positive media attention can help enhance the credibility of the MWC
initiative and further instil confidence in the authenticity of MWC.

By showing the consumer that the Care-For claims have been validated by impartial 3rd
parties, their trust is likely to increase. These solutions would not only prove Boozt’s
commitment to the Care-For Strategy but also address overall concerns about greenwashing.
At the moment, there is untapped potential regarding how MWC is framed to customers, and
not showcasing accreditations to the right extent, results in losing out on empowering
customers. A noteworthy example of a company who accomplishes this task is Wuxly (Wuxly,
n.d.), another B-Corp brand, which effectively employs this strategy (Appendix G). Wuxly
features three distinct commendations from well-regarded publications (Forbes, Elle, and
WWD) affirming their commitment to sustainability (Wuxly, n.d).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the analysis of customer responses to Boozt's MWC category revealed three
significant themes that hindered customers from making informed decisions about purchasing

14
products from this category. These themes included participants' unawareness of the category's
existence, uncertainty about its meaning, and scepticism regarding the reliability of the ethical
claims associated with MWC products.

The first theme highlighted a major issue with the visibility of the MWC category on the Boozt
website. This lack of visibility hinders customers' ability to make informed decisions, as they
cannot consider or choose products from the MWC category if they are unaware of its existence.
The second theme emphasised a misalignment between Boozt's intended meaning of MWC and
customers' interpretations. While participants could make assumptions about the label's
meaning, their interpretations did not accurately represent Boozt's thorough operations. The
third theme revealed customers' scepticism about the reliability of the MWC initiative, with
concerns stemming from the prevalence of greenwashing in the fashion industry. Participants
expressed doubt about the trustworthiness of Boozt's claims, citing instances of distrust in the
fashion industry due to past greenwashing scandals. This scepticism poses a significant
challenge for Boozt in establishing credibility and trust among its customer base.

To address these issues and fulfil Boozt's Care-For goal of Empowering Customers, several
recommendations were presented. First, improvements in UI design are suggested to enhance
the visibility of the MWC category on the website. Second, clear and digestible infographics
about the requirements and focus areas for MWC products are recommended to minimise
confusion and limited understanding among consumers. Thirdly, to tackle scepticism and build
trust, Boozt should emphasise its commitment to surpassing industry standards, showcase
favourable approvals from credible sources, and implement transparency initiatives, such as
third-party audits and the B-Corp certification, to validate the claims associated with the MWC
initiative. Finally we suggest Boozt to seek media attention for their responsible initiatives and
further present it on their website in order to build trust. Addressing these concerns through the
proposed recommendations will contribute to aligning customer perception with Boozt's ethical
mission and ultimately foster informed decision-making among customers.

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

Participant Interview Question and Task

Stage 1 - Preliminary Semi Structured Interview

1. Can you describe how you usually shop online?

2. Do you prefer to buy from independent brands (e.g. H&M, Ralph Lauren) or
companies with multiple brands (e.g. Zalando, ASOS, Nelly)?

3. When you shop online, do you usually have already decided what specific
product you want to buy, or do you scroll for inspiration?

4. Have you shopped from Boozt before?

5. What is your overall perception of Boozt?

Stage 2 - Screen Recording of Shopping Habits

The respondent goes into Boozt.com and gets the instruction to buy various different
clothing/shoes or gets the instruction to look around the website.

Stage 3 - Final Semi-Structured Interview

1. How important is sustainability to you?
a. If the participant doesn’t care - What would make you choose a
sustainable product?

2. Did you notice the Made With Care logo on the Boozt website?

3. What do you think Boozt’s Made With Care means?

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Appendix C

21
Appendix D

22
Appendix E

23
Appendix F

24
25
Appendix G

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