Abstract
Fashion is price sensitive and runs on tight margins. Consumers expect high quality fashion at competitive prices, and in a recession falling prices and demand are particularly acute. This presents challenges for the supply chain. The sector is driven by cost and the need to manage the supply chain more effectively to reduce excess stock and risk in product forecasting. Increasing competition from low labour cost countries puts pressure on manufacturers to push down prices and, at the same time, to offer exceptional levels of service. Manufacturers may not wish to compete on the basis of price, and thus must find some other means of differentiation to remain competitive. E-commerce allows companies to improve communications within the supply chain and enhance service offering, thus providing opportunities for competitive differentiation. However, companies may not have the skills to develop e-commerce operations immediately, nor be able to realise revenue stream from investment in this technology and so may be unable to assess fully the risk of investment. Through the presentation of primary research, this chapter addresses the adoption process and the use of e-commerce in the textiles and clothing supply chain.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abernathy FH, Volpe A, Weil D (2004) The apparel and textile industries after 2005. Prospects and choices. Unpublished paper, Harvard University
Ashworth CJ, Schmidt RA, Pioch EA, Hallsworth A (2005) An approach to sustainable “fashion” e-tail: a five-stage evolutionary strategy of “clicks-and-mortar” and “pure play” enterprises. J Retailing Consum Serv 13(4):289–299
Ashworth CJ, Schmidt RA, Pioch EA (2006) “Web-weaving”: an approach to sustainable e-retail and online advantage in lingerie fashion marketing. Int J Retail Distrib Manag 34(6):297–511
Bhamra T, Heeley J, Tyler D (1998) A cross-sectional approach to new product development. Des J 1(3):2–15
Bridge S, O’Neill K, Cromie S (1998) Understanding enterprise, entrepreneurship and small business. Macmillan Press Ltd., UK
Bruce M, Moger S (1999) Dangerous liaisons: an application of supply chain modelling for studying innovation within the UK clothing industry. Tech Anal Strat Manag 11(1):113–125
Burns P (1996) Small business and entrepreneurship. In: Burns, Paul, Dewhurst, Jim (eds) 2nd edn. Macmillan Press Ltd., UK
Chandra C, Kumar S (2000) An application of a system analysis methodology to manage logistics in a textile supply chain. Int J Supply Chain Manag 5(5):234–244
Chapman P, James-Moore M, Szczygiel M, Thompson D (2000) Building internet capabilities in SMEs. Logist Inform Manag 13(6):353–360
Christopher M, Peck H (1998) Fashion logistics. In: Fernie J, Sparks L (eds) Logistics and retail management, insights into current practice and trends from leading experts. Kogan Page Ltd., London, UK, pp 88–109
Da Silva R, Davies G, Naude P (2000) Marketing to UK retailers: understanding the nature of UK retail; buying of textiles and clothing. J Fashion Market Manag 4(2):162–172
Ellis-Chadwick F, Doherty N, Hart C (2002) Signs of change? A longitudinal study of internet adoption in the UK retail sector. J Retailing Consum Serv 9(2):71–80
Elsammani Z, Scown P (2000) How SMEs perceive and develop their web presence. Int J New Prod Dev Innovat Manag March/April
Fernie J (1999) Relationships in the supply chain. In: Fernie J, Sparks L (eds) Logistics and retail management, insights into current practice and trends from leading experts. Kogan Page Ltd., London, UK, pp 23–46
Foroohar R, Stabe M (2005) Fabulous fashion: low-cost companies like Zara and Topshop are emerging as defining and dominant players, not just followers. Newsweek International Oct 17, p 30
Forza C, Vinelli A (1997) Quick response in the textile-apparel industry. Integrated Manuf Syst 8(3):125–136
Hines T (2001) From analogue to digital supply chains: implications for fashion marketing. In: Tony H, Margaret B (eds) Fashion marketing, contemporary issues. Butterworth and Heinemann, Oxford, pp 34–36
Jackson T, Shaw D (2001) Mastering fashion buying and merchandising management. Palgrave, Hampshire, UK
Jeffcoate J, Chappell C, Feindt S (2002) Best practice in SME adoption of e-commerce. Benchmark Int J 9(2):122–132
Jones R (2002) The apparel industry. Blackwell Science Ltd, Aylesbury
Loughlin P (1999) Viewpoint: e-commerce strengthens suppliers’ position. Int J Retail Distrib Manag 27(2):69–72
Margherio D, Henry S, Cooke S, Montes S, Hughes S (1999) The emerging digital economy. Secretariat on electronic commerce. Washington, www.ecommerce.gov/viewhtml.htm. Accessed 15 Apr 1998
Mattila H, King R, Ojala N (2002) Retail performance measures for seasonal fashion. J Fashion Market Manag 6(4):340–351
Mintel (2008a) Clothing retailing in the UK. September 2008
Mintel (2008b) Fashion online UK. August 2008
Murphy R, Bruce M (2001) B2C Online strategies for fashion retailers. In: Tony H, Margaret B (eds) Fashion marketing, contemporary issues. Butterworth and Heinemann, Oxford
Pires G, Aisbett J (2003) The relationship between technology adoption and strategy in business-to-business markets: the case of e-commerce. Ind Market Manag 32(4):291–300
Power D (2002) Application of established and emerging B2B e-commerce technologies: Australian empirical evidence. Integrated Manuf Syst 13(8):573–585
29. Strategic Direction (2005) How Zara fashions its supply chain. 21(10):28–31
Strempek B, Alexander L (2000) The adoption of electronic commerce in the United States hosiery industry. Int J New Prod Dev Innovat Manag March/April
Textiles and Apparel Strategy Group (2000) A national strategy for the UK textile and clothing industry. June 2000
The Economist (2005) The future of fast fashion: Inditex. June 18, 375(8431), p 57
The Financial Times (2005) Retailers move production from China in response to demands of “fast fashion” August 30th p 1
The Observer 28.12.08 If you thought the Christmas price cuts were good…. www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/28/high-street-new-year-sales/print
The Observer 04.01.09 M&S reveals scars of high street slump, www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/04/marks-and-spencer-sales-figures/print
The Times (2009) 100, ASOS strategic growth in the fashion retail industry. www.thetimes100.co.uk
Van Hoek R (2001) E-supply chains – virtually non-existing. Supply Chain Manag Int J 6(1):21–28
Walczuch R, Van Braven G, Lundgren H (2000) Internet adoption barriers for small firms in the Netherlands. Eur Manag J 18(5):561–572
Stengg W (2001) The textile and clothing industry in the EU: a survey. Enterprise Papers, No 2, June 2001
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bruce, M., Daly, L. (2010). Innovative Process in E-Commerce Fashion Supply Chains. In: Cheng, T., Choi, TM. (eds) Innovative Quick Response Programs in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. International Handbooks on Information Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04313-0_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04313-0_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-04312-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-04313-0
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)