As Boohoo launches student 'meal deal’, we explore if fast fashion gone too far

Boohoo is never one to miss a money making trick with a whole host of ‘Love Island’ alumni modelling the online retailer’s latest drops from ‘airport outfits’ to ‘going out’ tops.

So it comes as no surprise to learn the website has just launched a ‘student meal deal’ whereby customers can basket three items for a fixed price of £30 – a fashionable take on the Tesco staple.

But is the mega brand’s latest move a stroke of marketing genius or merely a telling sign that fast fashion has gone too far?

According to the website, students can choose either a dress or unitard to team with a bumbag and pair of heels as part of the ‘meal deal’ – every university goer’s night out wardrobe woes sorted in one fell checkout.

Unsurprisingly, millennial fans of the retailer took to Twitter to express their delight at the news. One social media user wrote, “Boohoo doing a meal deal offer is a gift from God himself.”

While another half-joked, “Whoever came up with the Boohoo meal deal needs a raise.”

But amongst the excitement from students on social media, there’s growing concerns surrounding the label’s indisputable involvement in throw-away culture.

One Twitter user took to the digital platform to write [sic], “It can’t just be me that finds that Boohoo £30 ‘Meal Deal’ a disgusting audacious display of throw-away consumerism. Imagine the environmental and human impact just so you can have an outfit you’ll wear once or twice.”

The environmental impact of fast fashion

Last week, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee expressed concerns surrounding the fast fashion movement. According to recent findings, British shoppers purchase more clothing than any other nation in Europe with 235 items of clothing sent to landfill last year alone.

With news that people are buying twice as many garments as they were a decade ago, MPs called for the UK government to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion.

But with Instagram influencers who boast at least 30,000 being paid a minimum of £750 per sponsored post, it comes as no surprise to learn that millennials are purchasing more than ever before – often only to document the look on social media.

The rise of the online retailer

According to recent stats, Boohoo’s profits soared by 22% over the past six months thanks to Britain’s online presence.

Sales of the label’s biker shorts and ’90s-inspired fashion escalated thanks to the mega label’s relationship with tech-savvy influencers who encourage scrollers to shop their latest #OOTD on a subconscious level with the simple tap of a button.

And while Boohoo is at the forefront of the social media-driven market, its sub-brands, Pretty Little Thing and Nasty Gal, are also celebrating growth on a serious scale.

According to recent figures, the fashion labels experienced a 50% jump in sales to a staggering £395.3 million during the six months up until August 31.

But only time will tell if the online retailers’ financial success comes at an unforgivable cost.

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