Apparel

Americans Prefer Ethical Brands, Dominate Online Shopping, Report Says

November 7, 2016

American consumers prioritize risk-taking, adventure and living an exciting life when it comes to making purchases, according to global research by HSBC. This structural shift among U.S. consumers' purchasing habits is prompting companies to rethink existing marketing and business strategies.

Executives Claim Election Season Is Negatively Affecting Sales

November 7, 2016

The New York Times

The coming election will give the United States new lawmakers and a new president. But what does it mean for fast food, leisure cruises and bulldozers? As the nation's bitter, bizarre campaign season builds to its November conclusion, companies across a range of industries are using the election as a data point - sometimes as an excuse - to explain what's happening in their business.

Why Retail Today Is About Data and Experiences

November 3, 2016

Apparel

If retail advisor Doug Stephens is to be believed, the term "store" someday will be remembered as a relic of the Industrial Revolution as our culture and technology enable transactions virtually anywhere, thanks to socially integrated buy buttons, mobile commerce and more. We've already seen a shift in the language of retail away from "stores" to "physical retail spaces," which Stephens told attendees at September's SAP Retail Forum is a better way to describe how retailers should think about their businesses as commerce channels proliferate.

Investigation Finds Syrian Children Working in British Stores' Supply Chains

November 1, 2016

Supply Management

Syrian child refugees have been found working in Turkish factories supplying British clothing chains, according to an investigation by BBC programme Panorama. Journalists said they found children in factories that were part of the supply chains of Marks and Spencer (M&S) and online retailer Asos.

Shoppers Will Pay More for Experiences, Retailers Claim

October 28, 2016

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Americans increasingly would rather spend their money making memories - travel, sporting events, concerts, meals out - than on another outfit, retail consultants say. So, after years of choosing the speed and wide selection offered by big-box retailers such as Home Depot or online merchants like Amazon.com, customers are demanding higher engagement if they're going to buy something in a store.

Large Apparel Retailers, Wholesalers See Rise in RFID Adoption, ROI

October 27, 2016

RFID Journal

The rate of adoption for radio frequency identification in the retail apparel, footwear and accessories market has more than doubled during the past two years, according to a survey of 60 European and U.S. retailers and wholesalers, conducted by management and strategy consulting firm Kurt Salmon.

AI Apps May Redefine Brick-and-Mortar Fashion Retail

October 27, 2016

Apparel

Picture yourself entering a department store and, instead of wandering around searching for the correct department or product, you are guided by an expert personal concierge. The concierge is not a person, but rather a humanlike smartphone assistant. Whether you want to know "where are women's shoes located?" or "is this dress available in size six?" this concierge is always at hand to assist you. This is what retail shopping may be fast becoming, thanks to the mass proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies.

Retailers Say They Are Increasingly Turning to Sustainable Cotton

October 26, 2016

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Cotton, the most widely used natural fiber, is considered the world's dirtiest crop because of its heavy use of pesticides - its cultivation accounts for 17.5 percent of global insecticide sales. So in recent years, several apparel and home-goods companies, including Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, and Nike, have used organic cotton, grown by farmers who eschew pesticides and enrich their soil with compost. That's good for the environment but raises another big problem: Organic cotton is too expensive for average shoppers.

Reebok's Liquid Factory Could Change Process and Speed of Footwear Creation

October 26, 2016

Apparel

A new generation of footwear manufacturing, spearheaded by Bill McInnis, head of future at Reebok and a former NASA engineer, is allowing the fitness brand to design and create a high performance athletic shoe faster and more efficiently than ever before, the company says.

Robot Sews Entire Garment for First Time, Startup Announces

October 24, 2016

Apparel

Startup Sewbo has announced that it used a robot to sew a T-shirt, producing the world's first robotically-sewn garment, which could mark a significant change for the global garment industry.