The current buying and retailing schedule is broken, and the unprecedented changes in the industry brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic make changes urgent, according to an open letter from major fashion industry players released on Tuesday. (See the letter here.)

As reported by the New York Times, the letter, signed by an international group of retailers including Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Jeffrey, Holt Renfrew, Selfridges and Lane Crawford and brands including Dries Van Noten, Tory Burch and Proenza Schouler, suggests that the pandemic, “presents an opportunity for a fundamental and welcome change that will simplify our businesses, making them more environmentally and socially sustainable and ultimately align them more closely with customers’ needs.” According to the group, that means adjusting the flow and seasonality of product to better align with the seasonal calendar, starting with Autumn/Winter 2020. Aligning seasonal deliveries more closely to the actual seasons, the group said, should encourage more full-price selling while product is seasonally relevant, as well as reduce waste in inventory and supplies and create fewer unnecessary products.