Retail and Sustainable Service Systems: A Promising Alliance for the Fashion System. From Theory to Practice

This article explores the role of servitisation in promoting sustainability in the fashion retail sector, highlighting the transition from product-based to service-based business models. Servitisation enables retailers to extend the life cycle of products by offering services such as repair, rental and recycling, which support the principles of the circular economy. By developing an ontology of sustainable service systems, this research provides a framework that identifies how retail can promote sustainable practices throughout the fashion value chain. Through applied and design-driven activities, the study examines the implementation of sustainability services, focusing on how retail spaces can act as platforms to promote sustainable practices that impact the fashion value chain. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable retail, offering insights into how retailers can play a central role in promoting environmental and social sustainability through service-oriented models.