I provided ecommerce services for a wide variety of U.K. and European fashion brands from 2006-2016, and one thing that always stood out was that about 10% of t

I provided ecommerce services for a wide variety of U.K. and European fashion brands from 2006-2016, and one thing that always stood out was that about 10% of the customers of each brand would make up >50% of the revenue - be it shoes, garments, or accessories. This applied across other verticals, too, but in fashion the concentration was far more pronounced. The reason these customers had a higher per capita revenue was that they bought something pretty much every week of the year. The thing is, this kind of behaviour is akin to addiction - I recall in more than a few cases concerned partners or parents requesting intervention, and blocking or limiting of accounts - it was up to the retailer how they handled that - we just heard about the ones where they wanted us to do something. So - clamping down on fast fashion is no bad thing, however it addresses a symptom rather than a root cause, which is principally addictive shopping behaviours bought about by saturated and predatory marketing and depressed populations seeking solace in that momentary rush of dopamine when they hit purchase, waiting for a parcel to arrive like an addict waiting for a fix. I mean, hell, I’ve lived the behaviour. Never to the extremes that I’ve seen, but compulsive consumption is an easy if temporary quick fix for a hole in the soul. Fashion is the pinnacle of this, as it gives you not just the purchase rush, but the potential esteem boost from wearing your new garments. The problem remains elsewhere, and more fundamental.