Overview
- The RMIT University study published on 15 September 2026 is a qualitative analysis based on interviews with 20 Australian millennials about their ultra-fast fashion purchases.
- Researchers found affordability, convenience, promotions, novelty and social validation often outweigh environmental or ethical concerns for these shoppers.
- The team named two decision patterns that help reconcile concern with buying: "strategic spontaneity," where people save items and wait for sales before feeling an impulse, and "cognitive buffering," where budgets or rules make purchases feel acceptable.
- The report links these behaviours to app-driven platforms and social media, and cites Roy Morgan data showing Temu and Shein reached roughly 4.7 million and 2.6 million Australian customers respectively in the year to June 2025.
- Policy responses vary: France and New Zealand have new levies or ad limits, Australia has a voluntary levy scheme that excludes many offshore app retailers, and researchers suggest messaging like cost-per-wear could steer shoppers more effectively than raising awareness alone.