## Modeling the Supply Chain Sustainability Imperatives in the Fashion Retail Industry: Implications for Sustainable Development### IntroductionRecent global disturbances, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and Hamas-Israel conflict, have exposed the vulnerability of traditional supply chains (SCs) and highlighted the need for sustainable practices to mitigate future disruptions. This study examines the imperatives driving sustainability in the fashion retail SC in emerging economies like Bangladesh, focusing on social, economic, and environmental perspectives.### MethodologyA Pareto-based Bayesian best-worst method (BWM) was employed to identify and prioritize the sustainability imperatives. Industry experts rated 18 potential imperatives in terms of importance, and the top 12 were selected for further analysis. The BWM approach was then used to determine the relative weights of these imperatives within each sustainability dimension.### ResultsThe key imperatives for enhancing SC sustainability were identified as:**Economic*** Availability of government support schemes to promote sustainability* Digitalizing the SC* Developing strategic SC interventions to ameliorate the impact of disruptive events**Social*** Understanding the customer awareness of sustainable products* Ensuring compliance with health and safety legislations across the SC* Improving collaboration among SC stakeholders**Environmental*** Applying artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing systems* Enhancing the resilience of transportation and logistics system* Increasing the application of circular manufacturing### DiscussionThe results highlight the critical role of government support, digital technologies, and sustainable customer behaviors in fostering SC sustainability. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating these imperatives into business strategies to enhance long-term resilience and competitiveness.### Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)The findings contribute to multiple SDGs, including:* SDG 1 (No Poverty): Job creation through sustainable practices* SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Improved working conditions and supply chain resilience* SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): Reduced waste and enhanced circularity* SDG 15 (Life on Land): Mitigation of environmental impacts### ConclusionThis study advances the understanding of SC sustainability drivers by investigating the unique challenges faced by the fashion retail industry in emerging economies. The Pareto-BWM framework provides a robust approach for prioritizing and analyzing sustainability imperatives, offering insights for decision-makers to navigate global disruptions and promote sustainable industrial practices.### Additional CSS styles```css/* make outline visible in dark mode */pre[class*="language-"] { -webkit-text-fill-color: #1b1b1b; -o-text-fill-color: #1b1b1b; text-fill-color: #1b1b1b;}/* medium green background */.highlight { background: #ccffa3;}/* rose highlight just for C# */.c# { background: #ffece6 !important;}/* make all syntax highlights accessible by having a text color that contrasts both light and dark backgrounds */.highlight > pre { color: #000 !important;}.table-m:dark .table-m { box-shadow: 1px 1px 6px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.34) !important;}```