Supplier Selection Challenges in Sustainable Fashion Retail: An Integrated Fuzzy AHP and Case-Based Analysis from Bangladesh

Abstract

In the contemporary fashion industry, sustainable sourcing has become a strategic imperative for retailers aiming to align profitability with environmental and social responsibilities. This study investigates the supplier selection challenges in sustainable fashion retail in the context of Bangladesh, one of the world’s leading apparel manufacturing hubs. The research employs an integrated methodology combining Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) and casebased analysis to systematically evaluate and prioritize supplier selection criteria under uncertainty. Key criteria including environmental compliance, labor practices, cost-effectiveness, quality consistency, and delivery reliability were identified through expert consultation and literature review. Fuzzy AHP was utilized to derive the relative weights of these criteria, accommodating the vagueness in human judgment. A case study involving three prominent Bangladeshi fashion retail firms further validates the framework and highlights practical challenges such as inadequate supplier transparency, weak enforcement of compliance standards, and trade-offs between cost and sustainability. The findings offer actionable insights for decisionmakers in sustainable fashion supply chains and contribute to the growing discourse on ethical sourcing in emerging economies.