The Retail Experience Lab, a research group within the Department of Design at Politecnico di Milano, operates at the intersection of sustainability, retail, and the fashion industry. It develops design tools that help companies transition toward more responsible business models. As part of the PNRR MUSA – Spoke 5 Fashion, Luxury and Design initiative, the Lab developed a model for sustainable retail based on the process of servitization.
In the fashion sector, sustainability is no longer just a matter of materials—it also concerns how products are distributed, used, and valued over time. While attention often focuses on production, this research shifts to the last mile of the supply chain, analyzing distribution and the increasingly central role of services in the transition toward circular models.
Starting from an extensive collection of case studies across Europe (more than 300), that includes international brands, small businesses, and local initiatives, a systematic mapping of servitization practices in fashion retail was carried out. The goal was to understand and classify the sustainable services currently offered and to develop a model that can help guide industry players toward more effective strategies.
Case Studies Research
The case studies were selected through scientific literature, digital observation, and public sources. Each initiative was subjected to a process of dissection, namely an analysisof its structural components, such as technological elements, distribution channels, formats of interaction, logistics and communications.
This process enabled the identification of recurring elements taht concurr to the definition of a modular structure of initiatives aimed at a similar goals. Such entities are formalized into a "service template". Each template represents a recurring archetype of a service and synthesizes the main characteristics of the service:
- The ontological categories it belongs to (e.g., “Rethink → Creative Mending”)
- The market segments it serves (e.g., accessible, high-end)
- The activated channels (physical, digital, phygital)
- The business model (B2C, B2B, P2P)
- The meaning innovations it conveys (e.g., aesthetics, durability, uniqueness, emotional connection)
- A narrative description clarifying its logic, value, and impact on the product lifecycle
Each service template is associated with one or more real-world case studies, making it easier for other actors in the sector to analyze, compare, and replicate them.
The three areas of sustainability
The ontology built from these case studies is organized into three main areas that represent the core dimensions of sustainability in fashion retail: environmental, cultural, and social. Each area includes a set of categories and subcategories that describe the current types of services in detail.
1. Environmental Sustainability
This area gathers solutions oriented to products and processes that encourage more responsible use of natural resources. It includes circular economy models—where goods are reused, recycled, or regenerated within closed loops—as well as linear approaches focused on reducing environmental impact.
Categories range from production reduction—through digital fabrication technologies, on-demand manufacturing, or data-driven retail—to the promotion of collaborative consumption, such as reuse, rental, or free peer-to-peer exchanges. The area also includes garment care and maintenance practices that extend the product’s life through repair, refurbishment, or wardrobe-monitoring tools. It also encompasses services that redesign or transform garments aesthetically through upcycling or visible mending, as well as recycling initiatives that involve collecting, sorting, and transforming materials. In some cases, recycling leads to high-quality regenerated materials, while in others it results in downcycling, where the final material has lower value than the original.
2. Culture of Sustainability
This area gathers services that support retailers and consumers in changing behaviors and increasing awareness of sustainability. It includes initiatives for end users—such as guides, events, educational activities, and community platforms—as well as tools designed for retailers to enhance their competencies and evaluate their sustainability impact.
Categories span a wide range of functions: from training resources for professionals to supply chain transparency tools (e.g., digital passports or traceability systems), and the promotion of craftsmanship and cultural heritage through marketplaces, digital showcases, and matchmaking between producers and citizens. The shared goal is to build a common sustainability culture, where knowledge and action reinforce each other.
3. Implementation of Social Sustainability
This area focuses on how retailers can contribute to distributive justice and social inclusion, activating initiatives that affect both production and community dynamics. Unlike the other two areas, the emphasis here is on the indirect or systemic benefits that retail can generate within territories and among people.
Key categories include labor inclusion for vulnerable groups and socioeconomic equity, expressed through direct support for temporary personal needs or facilitated access to sustainable goods. Another crucial component is cultural contamination—bringing together people from different backgrounds, ages, or needs through shared spaces and collaborative activities. Lastly, the area includes neighborhood engagement initiatives that strengthen local resilience, and fundraising models for social or environmental causes supported directly by brands or their customers.
The orange templates, which refer to social sustainability, are not standalone services directly related to fashion or textile products. Rather, they represent ways of implementing services from the other two areas that strengthen the social fabric of the community in which the retailer operates.
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The complete collection of case studies and the resulting ontology is available on the Su.Re Digital Hub, in the Ontology section. The platform allows users to interactively explore the three identified areas, navigate between categories and subcategories, and consult the service templates. Each of them is accompanied by real-world examples illustrating their application.
