Fast fashion stores and manufacturing

Fast fashion is a term used by fashion retailers

to explain an optimized manufacturing model based on rapidly changing consumer needs and a quick market response. New collections, their development and their supply chain are completely driven by the philosophy of capturing the most recent fashion trends at an affordable price.

Some large retailers like H&M, Topshop and Zara have become well known for their fast fashion strategies. They offer quickly manufactured trendy clothing collections and allow mainstream consumer to take advantage of relatively low prices. In many ways fast fashion is the ultimate success-story.

For having a short 'product life cycle' and making 'design’ available to mass markets, fast fashion clothes has also become associated with disposable fashion. Some media even question the future success of fast fashion retailers and their sustainability. Quotes like "Fast Fashion is like Fast Food" and "Is fast fashion killing fashion?" are often used to start a discussion and create public awareness. In favor or not, fast fashion has made a huge impact on consumer behavior and most of our wardrobes.

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Mango at US store JCPenney

Spanish retail leader Mango and department store J.C. Penney Company announced an agreement to become Mango’s exclusive retailer in the US for the ‘MNG by Mango’ brand. The arrangement will combine JCPenney’s merchandising and marketing expertise with Mango’s knowledge of the fast passed fashion industry.

The launch will take place in AW10 in up to 75 JCPenney Stores and on jcp.com, and increasing to 600 Stores by AW11. MNG will be JCPenney’s largest contemporary brand and will expand the brand’s presence in the United States where there are currently 12 Mango stores. Mango is known for delivering European runway fashion at affordable prices and has more than 1,300 stores in 95 countries.

The MNG by Mango range will include a full lifestyle offering of career and casual sportswear as well as accessories. A few highlights of the agreement include that the partnership will utilize Mango's design team and fast fashion sourcing with JCPenney’s sophisticated logistics network and industry planning and allocation tools to deliver compelling assortments twice monthly. Other than that, MNG by Mango will be a specialty store within JCPenney and the centrepiece of a newly designed contemporary area in the core of JCPenney stores.

“MNG by Mango brings a European runway aesthetic with mass appeal to JCPenney through a unique partnership that capitalizes on the strengths of each of our businesses to deliver clear benefits,” said Liz Sweney, executive vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s apparel at JCPenney. “MNG by Mango will resonate strongly with our fastest-growing customer segments, as well as with the younger customers who we have attracted through the major enhancements we have made in our contemporary assortment. We look forward to working with the exceptionally talented team at Mango and to bring their extraordinary brand to our customers.”

Beginning its international expansion in 1992, Mango is dedicated to the design and commercialization of fashion, and is aimed at urban women aged 18 to 40 years. The company is one of Spain’s top two exporters in the textile sector.

Tuesday, 01 December 2009
Source: FashionUnited
www.fashionunited.com/news/leads/mango-at-us-store-jcpenney-200901122639

Entrepreneurs excel despite tough retail climate and fast fashion

Global economic downturn hasn't stopped the surge of emerging labels and new designer collections popping up. Bank managers and corporate investors may not exactly be willing to handover dollars, pounds and euros to fashion start-ups (why would they when their own institutions are crumbling at their very foundations) but there are plenty of entrepreneurs launching apparel lines who are savvy enough to secure their own funding and who haven't let the stagnant retail market affect their ventures.

When designers increasingly find themselves without contracts and surging unemployment, it's proving a good reason to start a new company and launch their own labels. Perhaps creatives don't consider the economic crisis an obstacle as such, rather the need to execute their vision and create beautiful things takes over, which no retail slump could ever subdue. Fast fashion USA.

So are these new designers and brands bonkers or rather pioneers? Small-business experts say that anyone with a distinctive point of view and unique product has a good chance of making it during any economic down period. With so much generic product available, shoppers are looking for freshness and newness when they spend their hard-earned cash. Over-priced, low-quality goods seem less interesting and fast fashion has failed to obscured a demand for well-made product that shows integrity and relevance. Anyone can bedazzle a t-shirt or add a print to a garment, but that doesn't mean it's fashion. Rather, it takes the skill of a designer and healthy dose of business acumen to launch a new brand.

Monday, 02 November 2009
Source: FashionUnited
www.fashionunited.com/news/leads/entrepreneurs-excel-despite-tough-retail-climate-200902112519

Forever 21 opens epic flagship

Fast fashion retailer Forever 21 opens its gargantuan new store on New York's Times Square on Friday. The Times Square store will be the brand's biggest location, spanning four floors and the equivalent of 1.5 football fields. The modestly sized street-level entrance gives way to three sprawling subterranean floors, with 151 dressing rooms and 32 cash registers.

It's likely to take market share from teen retailers, many of which are in the neighborhood, reports the Wall Street Journal: across the street is American Eagle Outfitters Inc., the preppy retailer that targets college students. American Eagle opened its four-floor, above ground 25,000-square-foot store last November and outfitted the exterior with a massive video screen that projects photos of customers. Aeropostale Inc., which has a similar aesthetic but a younger audience, has plans to open a 14,000-square foot store nearby
by the end of the year.

Forever 21 says its sales will approach $3 billion this year, up from $2.3 billion last year and more than triple its 2005 level.

The company is helmed by Don Chang, a Korean immigrant who came to the U.S nearly three decades ago. Mr. Chang and his wife opened their first clothing store in 1984, a 900-square-foot boutique on Figueroa Street in Los Angeles named Fashion 21. Within five years, the Changs had changed the name to Forever 21 and expanded the fleet to 11
stores, averaging about 5,000 square feet.

Forever 21's store size expanded rapidly as real estate became available. The company joined with Kohl's Corp. to buy the Mervyns leases and now occupies 23 of those 46 spaces.

More recently, Forever 21 said it would take over the lease of Saks Fifth Avenue's 33,000-square foot store in downtown Charleston, S.C., that the luxury department store is closing.

Forever 21 has been rolling out new categories in recent years to expand its range. It launched menswear in 2006 and children's apparel early this year. The company has also added several additional women's lines, including the plus-sized collection Faith 21 and the more envelope-pushing Twelve by Twelve, which is its most high-fashion line. They also offer footwear, accessories and a small selection of beauty products.

In its core fast-fashion market, which is known for low prices and fast inventory turnovers, Forever 21 ranks among the most inexpensive sellers. Its prices fall well below those of Arcadia Group Ltd.'s Topshop and Inditex SA's Zara, both of which target a slightly older set of shoppers. In many categories, Forever 21 is also less expensive than H&M, one of the most ubuquitous low-priced fashion brands on the U.S. retail landscape.

Forever 21 now has roughly 480 stores, primarily in the U.S. but with a handful of locations in Asia.

The Times Square location won't be Forever 21's biggest for long. Later this year, it plans to open a 120,000-square-foot store in Las Vegas, in addition to the 85,000-square-foot store in Cerritos, Calif., outside of Los Angeles, that opened earlier this year.

Friday, 25 June 2010
Image: Forever 21 Times Square
Source: WSJ
www.fashionunited.com/fashion-news/fashion/forever-21-opens-epic-flagship-201025063129

 

Fast fashion remains buoyant

The demand for fast fashion and inexpensive clothing is soaring, as proven by the recent growth in revenue by Primark. Shoppers seeking cut-price fashion items helped Associated British Foods, the owner of Primark, beat expectations over the Christmas trading period and saw revenue rise 17 per cent in the first quarter of its financial year, or 11 per cent at constant exchange rates. Fast fashion UK.

Total sales at Primark rose 19 per cent in the 16 weeks to January 2, helped by the opening of new stores. The group did not break down sales at the like-for-like level, but Panmure Gordon, its broker, estimated they rose 7 per cent in the 16 weeks.
“The scale of the increase suggests we are gaining market share,” said John Bason, finance director. “Primark has been very much part of the growth in value clothing, we’ve seen a big increase in that sector, and the trend has been accelerated by the current economic conditions.”

Although expressing caution over economic conditions this year, Mr Bason said Primark’s cut-price offering meant it was “well-placed . .. even in an uncertain climate”.

In the year to September 2009, Primark accounted for 25 per cent of total group sales of £9.3bn. Mr Bason said he expected its strong growth to continue, with plans to open more UK stores this year.

The grocery business, which is ABF’s largest division with more than one-third of total sales, saw turnover rise 4 per cent after a strong performance by the Twinings tea and Ovaltine brands. Sales from sugar, which comprised about 17 per cent of turn-over in 2009, jumped 23 per cent, helped by a more stable EU sugar market and a “terrific” sugar crop harvest.

Warren Ackerman, analyst at Evolution Securities, said: “It is the first time in many years that all three of ABF’s largest divisions are firing on all cylinders at the same time.”

The shares rose 10½p to close at 870p.

Friday, 15 January 2010
Source: FT
www.fashionunited.com/news/leads/fashion-fashion-remains-buoyant-201015012757

Bestseller redefines fast fashion

Bestseller, the makers if apparel brand Jack & Jones, a complete wardrobe brand is chalking out retail expansion plans in India. The company plans to add 50 exclusive brand outlets to its existing nine.

Vineet Gautam, Country Head India, Jack & Jones avers, “We are targeting the metros, Tier I and II cities for the next one to two years. We have already finalized few markets like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, Baroda, Goa, Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Dehradun, Jaipur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. Our ideal format is a 2,000 sq. ft. store but in key markets we would be opening bigger flagship stores.” As far as MBOs are concerned, they are already present in Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop and are looking to expand majorly with national and regional chains.

Even though it’s a complete wardrobe brand, denims is their main focus. Targeting consumers in the age group 14 to 40 years, Jack & Jones’ USP lies in coming up with new fashions every week much on the lines of fast fashion. They do about 12 collections a year in tune with the latest trends. “Currently, it’s the colored denims that are in, especially white. It’s been an excellent hit with us. Also, skinny fits and low rise denims are quite in style. Through our washes, fabrics, patch work and embellishments, we try to give our customers value for money,” explains Gautam.

Jack & Jones has various lines under its brand. Their core line is ‘Jeans Intelligence’, which is a cool denim wear for casual jeans lovers between the age group of 18 and 25. ‘Jack & Jones Premium’ is for consumers between 25 and 40. The collections have an array of classic designs and a playful charming youthfulness combined with updated evergreens. Premium Tech is the sports line. This is basically aimed at consumers who lead an active outdoor life. Premium Vintage, yet another line which has distressed jeans; treated to give that second-hand look. The T-shirts and sweats usually have a faded color, the fabric is soft and the shirts include flannel and classic Oxford button-downs.

As far as sourcing is concerned, the company gets the same garments that are there in their stores globally. “We pick and choose from the global range what is right for each market in India. We source globally through our buying offices in Italy, Turkey, India, and China. As far as delivering country specific products are concerned, we might look at filling the range which is much more suitable to the Indian consumer. But our idea is to deliver international fashion to the Indian consumer. We do not plan to do a signature line for India as of now,” elucidates Gautam.

Their target turnover for 2010-11 is Rs 100 crores. The brand plans to launch e-commerce in India. Fast fashion retail clothing.

Friday, 11 June 2010
Source: FashionUnited
www.fashionunited.co.uk/fashion-news/design/bestseller-redefines-fast-fashion-201006118632