Forever Here, Forever 21
Forever Here, Forever 21: What’s the secret to its long life?
Last October 1st, Forever 21 Philippines’ Facebook page issued a statement assuring customers that business will proceed as usual, despite the recent filing of its US-based parent company for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The retail giant is expected to close 178 stores in the US and also reduce its operations in its Asian and European markets, however Philippine stores and its corresponding online platform will remain fully operational.
Contrary to the vast indifference and ridicule elicited from most of the global community, Forever 21’s Philippine consumer network is undoubtedly rejoicing at the brand’s continued presence. Its affordable price range, frequent sale cycles, and trendiness are regularly cited as factors that contribute to the high volume of shoppers, particularly among adolescent girls.
Forever 21 stays open in Philippines, says SM Retail (Rappler)
But not all reactions have been unanimously favorable. Some have adopted a more lukewarm stance towards Forever 21’s indefinitely extended run in the country. “I know I should be more concerned about the fact that it promotes fast fashion, but I actually buy clothes from there.” says Jennifer Clemente, a sophomore from Ateneo de Manila University.
Fast fashion describes the rapid and inexpensive manufacturing of clothes for mainstream consumption. Large retailers like Forever 21 have been at the helm of this model that capitalizes on seasonal trends in order to meet consumer demand. On the flipside, fast fashion is also controversially associated with environmental and worker exploitation, and overconsumption.
How Forever 21 went from a fast-fashion powerhouse to bankruptcy and a troublesome future (Business Insider)
Awareness of fast fashion’s negative impact, however, is tempered by its affordability and satisfactory quality. “There is a cognitive dissonance for sure, since their clothes aren’t as expensive as other brands and they actually last for a long time.” Clemente acknowledges.
In the years since it first opened in the country, in fact, the brand has established a strong consumer base and consistently strong profitability. Acording to the president and CEO, Ponciano Manalo, of SM Retail (the major stakeholder in Forever 21 Philippines), “There is no effect on our Philippine operations. Forever 21 Philippines continues to be one of the stronger global operations.”
Its positive returns have also encouraged local stakeholders to ramp up operations as the holiday season approaches. "We will continue to offer up-to-date merchandise and are gearing up our marketing investments for the coming Christmas season," Manalo adds.
In a country where the lifespan of international brands does not boast a stellar record, Forever 21 is quite the exceptional case. With many foreign entities having perished unglamorously, “business as usual” seems a little out of place. Its longevity, however, might also be anchored in unique local contexts that peer into the sociology of why it continues to be a hit with the masses.
Clemente believes that mall culture is definitely prevalent in the Philippines, and that Forever 21 is entrenched in this peculiar social phenomenon. “I think that it’s like this in the Philippines because people have nothing else to do on the weekends, and you can do almost everything in the mall.”
The stalwart presence of its 15 stores in SM Malls, one of the country’s largest mall chains, may explain why it has not yet been forgotten. Its visibility in an ubiquitous cultural and shopping institution have made Forever 21 a viable and enduring destination, but have also turned it into something that transcends purely consumerist activities.
Despite the advent of online retail, Filipinos still love the mall (BusinessWorld)
“I think that going to a mall also provides a form of escapism. A lot of Filipinos won’t have enough money to buy anything in the mall, but they go to window shop or just to eat and “make pa-aircon”.” Clemente adds, suggesting that part of Forever 21’s unsurprising survival is partly due to a cultural coping mechanism against boredom and the simple fact that the country lacks recreational and communal spaces for the productive exercise of time and thought.
With the anticipated closure of 350 stores worldwide, Forever 21’s global fashion empire is crumbling fast, and the Philippines is one of its final frontiers. Material conditions are limiting for the ordinary Filipino, and Forever 21’s proud commitment to fast fashion’s more appealing principles is an obvious reason for its staying power.
That is not a mystery.
The real paradox is hidden in plain sight, among the mass of shoppers who congregate in places that contribute to their poverty and provide escape from it. The accessible luxury of mall culture has given Forever 21 a permanent lease. It won’t be going anywhere soon, as long as we don’t either.
