Apparel

If You're Going to Offer Omnichannel Shopping, Do It Properly

January 6, 2016

Most retailers are attempting to offer omnichannel shopping experiences for their customers, but few are doing it right (or profitably) so far.

Sales on the Run: Retailers Must Cash in on Mobile Commerce

November 17, 2015

Apparel

For the retail industry, mobile has become a major aspect of the brand and commerce experience.

Increase in Holiday Shopping Spending Predicted, Especially Among Millennials

November 11, 2015

Apparel

With a quarter of holiday shoppers planning to spend more this year than last, retailers can start to celebrate. In its second year of research into holiday shopping plans, analytics company SAS polled 3,458 consumers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. The U.S. led spending growth with 29 percent of consumers saying they'll spend more. Canadian shoppers, on the other hand, are tightening their budgets this year. Millennial shoppers (ages 18 to 29) are most likely to up their spending this year, while older consumers are tending to stick with last year's budget.

Chinese Apparel Manufacturers Begin Setting Up Operations in U.S.

October 29, 2015

Apparel

Given the vicissitudes of the world's textile and apparel supply chain, China is changing its strategy to counter what Chinese experts describe as the "new normal." That has direct impact on textiles in the United States.

Employing Proper Technology Upfront Could Reduce Returns of Clothing Purchased Online

September 21, 2015

Apparel

As most shoppers have experienced, ordering clothes online can occasionally be a shot in the dark – not every item fits the way they'd hoped, nor does every color match the description exactly. This not only annoys consumers, but also retailers when those disgruntled customers send their unwanted items back.

AGOA Extension to Benefit African Shippers, U.S. Importers of Continent's Cotton Textiles, Supporters Say

September 2, 2015

Apparel

Recent extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for another decade is expected to give the continent's export of cotton a boost in the arm.

Obama Discusses Apparel Manufacturing, Supply Chain Innovation

March 24, 2015

Apparel

President Obama announced nearly $500m in public-private investment to strengthen American manufacturing by investing in cutting-edge technologies through a new, textiles-focused manufacturing institute competition led by the Department of Defense, and by sharpening the capabilities of small manufacturers through Manufacturing Extension Partnership competitions in 12 states. The White House, as detailed in a new report, is also launching a Supply Chain Innovation Initiative focused on building public-private partnerships to strengthen the small U.S. manufacturers that anchor the nation's supply chains.

For Third of Manufacturers, Disruption to Supply Chain Is of Huge Concern

March 19, 2015

Apparel

A third (35 percent) of businesses in the manufacturing industry are extremely concerned about potential supply chain disruption, according to research released by BSI, the business standards company and the Business Continuity Institute (BCI).

Clothes Manufacturing Returns to U.S., But Industry Model Is Quite Different This Time

January 21, 2015

Apparel

A push to reshore apparel manufacturing and technical skills is steadily taking hold in the United States. Industry organizations, as well as academe and suppliers, are identifying areas for job creation, inventing new ways to think about apparel production and building incubators that nurture a budding apparel workforce via expert tutelage and business advice.

Three Tipping Points for RFID in the World of Fashion

November 7, 2014

Apparel

In recent years, a growing number of retail RFID use cases have clearly demonstrated the benefits of being able to track inventory at the item level, leading to better shelf replenishment and fewer out of stocks. Many retailers quantify the benefits of reducing out of stocks not just at the item level (potential lost sales) but at the transaction level, since retailers closely track the number of items that comprise the average transaction (e.g. 3.6 items/sale). Using that example, an out-of-stock item (especially in a core category such as denim) could result in lost sales of an additional 2.6 items that were to be purchased with it.