Joe Fresh and the Fast Fashion Fix

With a slew of retail stores currently catering to a market idealizing the latest trends, ‘fast fashion’ has become a term most Americans are familiar with. It’s the notion that trendy clothes do not have to be designer to make the cut and can be purchased by your Average Joe (or Jane) without breaking the bank. It gives the consumers the flexibility to try out different styles and personas while allowing them to make rent as well. This fast fashion notion works well for businesses like Zara, H&M and Forever21, all of whom cater to a wide demographic and feature the latest trends right off the runway. Styles in these stores don’t last long, and passing up on a purchase means that within a few weeks that clothing is gone for good. The production is fast and the turnover is fast.

Canadian company Joe Fresh is the latest clothing store to enter into the fast fashion world, with currently about 700 locations around the US. They plan to expand more around the country and have a bold plan for building a plethora of stores overseas as well.  The company has big plans to open stores in 24 countries altogether in the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and South Korea. Founder and Creative Director Joe Mirman says they want to be meaningful in foreign markets, starting with Asia, and will be opening its first Asian store in Seoul this upcoming spring before opening stores in the Middle East.

These major plans are surprising to those in the fashion industry and business alike, with Joe Fresh only selling e commerce in Canada and having only six stores in the US that are not located in malls or shopping centers.