New report reveals more than one in four respond to a garment failure by leaving the brand

OCTober 08, 2026

Samsara Eco , a circular materials company, today launched its new Circular-Conscious Consumer Report, revealing a critical blind spot costing the fashion industry. When a garment fails, consumers are 12 times more likely to walk away from a brand than to replace the item with the same brand. Only 5.9 per cent return the item, so the brand rarely hears about it.

The report draws on insights from over 5,000 global circular-conscious, predominantly Gen Z consumers on their expectations for material quality, transparency and circularity.

The survey found:

Invisible churn is the real cost of garment failure. When a garment lets consumers down, more than 1 in 4 (27.7 per cent) leave the brand, with 15.8 per cent never buying from the brand again and 11.9 per cent switching to a competitor. 5.9 per cent of customers return the item to the brand. The rest absorb it, with over 64 per cent either repairing the item or continuing to wear it. Only 2.3 per cent replace it with the same brand.

The quality failures that frustrate respondents the most are material: When garments fall short, consumers are clear on what frustrates them most: fabric thinning or developing holes tops the list (62 per cent), followed by seams splitting or unravelling (55 per cent) and fabric pilling (50 per cent).

Material transparency is fashion's highest trust signal. Over 80 per cent of respondents say knowing what their clothing is made from is important. But when asked what would most increase their confidence that a garment is genuinely better made, independent certification ranked last of five options at 6.6 per cent. Material information and evidence of how something holds up over time took 63 per cent of first-place votes between them. Certification alone doesn't build trust.

Cost of living is changing where people shop, not what they settle for. Over 88 per cent of respondents say the cost of living has influenced how they buy clothes, with 1 in 3 saying cost-of-living pressure has led them to buy less and expect more from each item, while 43 per cent are buying second-hand. 13.9 per cent are choosing cheaper options.

Consumers hold brands responsible for quality. Over half of respondents (54 per cent) say quality is the brand’s responsibility, nearly double those who point to government regulation (27 per cent). Just under 9 per cent of respondents put the responsibility on consumers to buy less and better.

Consumers expect clothes to last. 89 per cent expect at least 30 wears before an item is done.

"Circularity means keeping materials in circulation at their highest possible value – not their lowest available use. That's why durability matters so much. A garment has to last to be worn again, resold, handed on. And when it genuinely can't be worn any longer, it should become clothing again, not something lesser. Downcycling only slows the linear model. It doesn't stop it," said Dr Lars Kissau, General Managerat Samsara Eco.

"Durability has always been a question of quality. It's now a retention question, and in Europe it's becoming a compliance one – both showing up on the bottom line."

“Durable products can be made from recycled materials – there's no trade-off in quality or performance. That's what unlocks a truly circular textiles industry.”

Dr. Katy Stevens, Head of ESG at European Outdoor Group also commented on the findings: "Understanding what consumers expect from their clothing, and how they respond when it fails, is essential to helping the industry make better products. These findings bring a valuable consumer perspective to the work of quantifying durability, helping us identify which failures matter most and how testing can better reflect real-world use. Translating that insight into better design and measurable performance is fundamental to a circular future."

For more on the findings visit here The findings will feature in The Pulse , Samsara Eco's new magazine, which provides a collection of perspectives from the people shaping a circular fashion future, including Deakin University, Debrand, the European Outdoor Group, LSKD, Seamless and The LYCRA Company. The Pulse launches on the 13th of October at the Textile Exchange Conference in Vancouver, in print and online here .

Methodology

The 2026 Circular-Conscious Consumer Report was conducted online by Samsara Eco from 22 July to 23 August 2026. We heard from 5,208 circular-conscious consumers across 120 countries within our global Sam for Change community, including 2,496 responses from Europe, 1,327 from APAC and 1,144 from North America. Because this is a passionate, self-selected group rather than a general public panel, these insights reflect the voices of an engaged community rather than the general population.

Our respondents skew young: 86.7% are aged 18–24, 9.4% are 25–34, and 4.0% are 35 or older. 75.8% identify as female, 16.8% as male, and 7.4% as non-binary or other. For multi-select questions, percentages total over 100% because respondents could pick up to three choices. For ranked questions, figures show first-place votes unless stated. Where we report frustrations, that is what bothers people most – not how often those issues occur.

New report reveals more than one in four respond to a garment failure by leaving the brand

The report draws on insights from over 5,000 global circular-conscious, predominantly Gen Z consumers on their expectations for material quality, transparency and circularity.

The survey found:

"Durability has always been a question of quality. It's now a retention question, and in Europe it's becoming a compliance one – both showing up on the bottom line."

“Durable products can be made from recycled materials – there's no trade-off in quality or performance. That's what unlocks a truly circular textiles industry.”

Methodology

Referenced links