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Keep Your Brand in Check: Why Fashion Retailers Need Quality Control

Product quality is a telling factor of a company’s success. While consistently offering customers well-made clothing and accessories translates into positive reviews and loyal shoppers, a single quality issue can result in negative press and lasting impressions that will deter shoppers from visiting the store or its site for future purchases. To capitalize on the former and combat the latter, fashion retailers need to implement a quality control solution they can trust.

Why Fashion Retailers and Brands Must Digitize Supply Chain Management

The fast-paced nature of today’s retail and fashion industry is impossible to manage without digitization. Without digital supply chain management systems in place, fashion retailers run the risk of out-of-stocks, markdowns, defects in product quality, and ultimately losing the trust and confidence of their customers. Having a digital supply chain is no longer a way of getting ahead of the curve, but is essential to staying competitive. According to a McKinsey report, nearly 90% of apparel chief procurement officers said they expect significantly higher investments in technology by 2030. When a retailer implements a digital supply chain, the benefits are evident, and expand across all parts of the process.

Black Friday: Who Will Be the Winners and Losers?

It looks like turkey and pumpkin pie won’t be the only things retailers gobble up this holiday season! NRF is expecting 2018 holiday sales to climb between 4.3 and 4.8% over 2017. That’s up to a total of $720.89 billion for hopeful retailers who are getting ready for the most chaotic time of the year. There’s even more good news for apparel brands and retailers. According to Deloitte’s 2018 Holiday Retail Survey, 53% of shoppers plan on buying clothing as gifts. However, despite the retail industry’s progress, this Black Friday will be more important than ever for brands and retailers to stay ahead of the major players without sacrificing margins. So, what can apparel brands and retailers do to prepare their supply chains for the mad holiday rush?

Supply Chain Tricks Fashion Retailers Can Learn From Zara

In the midst of heated competition and elevated consumer expectations, fashion retailers must hold themselves to a higher standard. This is especially true when it comes to the increased pressure to produce fresh off-the-runway styles. Zara, one of the biggest international fashion companies, is known as a leader amongst fast fashion retailers. Quick turnaround times for design, production and deliverance can satisfy customers seeking the latest trends, translating into retailers accomplishing one of the most sought after goals in the fashion market: gaining loyal customers.

Prevailing Through the Trade War: An Optimized Supply Chain is Key

New tariffs and a U.S.-China trade war have flooded headlines ever since a new tax was imposed on solar panels and washing machines, key Chinese exports, at the beginning of the year. In early April, China began to fight back and proposed tariffs against the U.S. in response to the threat of additional tariffs on $100 billion in Chinese goods. Throughout the following months, threats continued to run high, ultimately leading the U.S. to implement duties of 25% on $34 billion of Chinese goods. China retaliated immediately, imposing an equivalent 25% tariff on 545 U.S. products on July 6, which is the move many people regarded as a signal of the trade war’s beginning.

Time Equals Risk in Today’s Fashion Supply Chain

One of the Rolling Stones’ early hits famously begins, “time is on my side.” Time, however, is most definitely not on the side of retailers and fashion brands today. In fact, time is arguably the biggest risk factor in the supply chain. Today’s retail and fashion winners include Zara, Xcel Brands, TechStyle and others that race the clock to get the best products to customers faster than anyone else. The more time that passes, the greater the risk that fashion trends, consumer demands and other variables will change.

“See Now, Buy Now” Consumer Mentality Calls for a Faster Supply Chain

As technology continues to advance, the industry seems to be increasingly governed by instantaneous fulfillment. Quick processes like same-day delivery and on-demand services normalize a fast-paced culture, and the pressure to conform especially affects the fashion industry, where trends are constantly changing. While popular brands such as Forever 21, H&M and Zara are known for their “fast fashion” approach, producing replicas of fresh-off-the-runway items for sale in the time span of just a few weeks, shortening the apparel calendar is far from a quick-fix.

Proper Onboarding Is Crucial as Impending U.S-China Trade War Looms

U.S. companies that source materials and labor from China may have to make some changes to their sourcing strategies now that the U.S. added 25% tariffs on more than $30 billion of Chinese shipments earlier this month. The tariff spike doesn’t seem to be slowing down either; the Trump administration threatened up to $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, scheduled to take effect after Aug. 30, pending a consultation process.

Sourcing Journal Podcast: Episode 1, Speed Bump

In the first episode of Sourcing Journal’s new podcast, NGC’s Mark Burstein, Robert D’Loren, chairman and CEO of NGC customer Xcel Brands, and John Thorbeck, CEO and founder of Chainge Capital, discuss how retailers can successfully improve speed to market without sacrificing quality by executing a total transformation of the supply chain.

Shift to the Digital Supply Chain to Transform Design Productivity and Reduce Lead Times

Every year, WhichPLM publishes a buyer’s guide, highlighting PLM industry trends and predictions. It comes as no surprise to NGC, that this year, WhichPLM says that the approach to replacing your PLM has shifted. The guide compares the process to “replacing the operating system of a computer that everyone in the office shares: it requires an understanding of not just the capabilities of the different software environments themselves, but the needs of a variety of different stakeholders. Most importantly, it requires an acknowledgement that, to get the most out of a new environment, you need to fully understand the limitations of your existing one from every possible angle, and you need to identify how you and your colleagues visualize things changing in the future.”