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DOI: 10.4324/9781003190837-32
Case 11: Patagonia – Leader of a
Sustainable Business
Suzanna Yik
Stephen M. Ross School of Business University of Michigan
yiksuzy@umich.edu
Overview
“Ethical, environmentally friendly, and outdoors” are words that come to mind when
one hears Patagonia. Founded in 1973, Yvon Chouinard combined his passion for
sustainability with his love of being in the great outdoors [1]. Now a well- known
brand, Patagonia is a leading outdoor apparel company focused on environmental
conservation and activism [1]. In the 2020 Fashion Transparency Index, Patagonia
was ranked 7th out of 250 apparel companies [2]. With just 37 stores and a presence
in the US, Europe, Japan, Argentina, Chile, and more, the sustainable company has ...