The Company That Wants You to Buy Less

“The Common Threads Initiative addresses a significant part of today’s environmental problem—the footprint of our stuff. This program first asks customers to not buy something if they don’t need it.” Wait. Really? It may shock you to hear a multimillion-dollar company asking you to buy FEWER of its products. But that’s exactly what outdoor apparel retailer Patagonia is doing with its expanded Common Threads Initiative, launched in September.