Yes, ASOS is a fast fashion brand.
ASOS is one of the largest online fashion retailers in the UK, and is the flagship brand of ASOS Plc, which also owns 17 own brands, including As You, Collusion, Miss Selfridge, Reclaimed Vintage, Topman, and Topshop.
ASOS sells clothes to over 22 million customers annually. It was founded by white British businessmen, Nick Robertson, Andrew Regan, and Quentin Griffiths (who are collectively worth over £100 million). Today it is owned by shareholders, and has over 3,000 employees. In 2021, ASOS reported making over £3.9 billion in revenue.
ASOS is a fast fashion brand due to the speed it produces its clothes, the scale at which it sells clothes, and the sheer number of clothes that it sells.
Fashion Revolution Transparency Rating: 47/100
Good On You Sustainability Rating: 2/5
Remake Fashion Accountability Report Rating: 16/150
Additional Reasons Why ASOS Is A Fast Fashion Brand
- In late 2022, ASOS was found to be sourcing polyester from a manufacturer using Russian oil, despite having suspended its sales to the country in protest of the illegal war on Ukraine.
- In 2022, Good On You reviewed ASOS and noted that “Almost none of its supply chain is certified by labour standards which ensure worker health and safety, living wages or other labour rights.” which means we don’t know how garment workers are treated when making our clothes.
- There is also “no evidence [ASOS] implements practices to support diversity and inclusion in its supply chain” and “no evidence [ASOS] ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain.”
- In late 2022, ASOS hurriedly removed its Responsible Edit while being audited by the UK’s Competitions & Markets Authority, who is actively cracking down on greenwashing.
- Also in 2022, ASOS was found to use six types of dark patterns, an unethical digital marketing technique that pressures customers to buy more when viewing their website.
- In 2021, the Changing Markets Foundation found that 89% of ASOS’ green claims were greenwashed.
- ASOS is going backwards in transparency, dropping from 55/100 to 47/100 in the Fashion Revolution Transparency Index 2021.
- ASOS has a huge gender pay gap in its UK offices, with women earning 55p for every £1 that men earn when comparing median hourly pay.
- In 2020, ASOS stopped paying its garment factories, using the excuse of covid-19 reducing demand (despite signing contracts for the work, and legally owing payment). After external pressure, the brand promised to pay their garment factories, but it should never have come to that in the first place.
Sustainable Alternatives To ASOS
If you’re looking to stop shopping at ASOS, I recommend checking out brands with similar styles and better ethical and sustainable credentials such as Aff & Jam, Bee & Alpaca, Before July*, Damson Madder, Lucy and Yak, Nude Ethics.
You could also check out my guide to 150+ sustainable fashion brands to find more, or consider searching for second-hand ASOS garments on my favourite second-hand fashion sites.
This post is part of a larger guide to UK fast fashion brands, which goes into more detail about the issues with fast fashion, why it will never be sustainable, and how to make your wardrobe more sustainable.
Data for this review is taken from the brand’s website, corporate website, Wikipedia, and sites linked throughout. All information is assumed correct at date of publication. Last updated: September 2022.