Fashion marketing book

Fashion Marketing


This page intentionally left blank


Fashion Marketing
Contemporary Issues
Second edition
Tony Hines
and
Margaret Bruce

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD
PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier


Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK
30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA
First edition 2001
Second edition 2007
Copyright © 2001, 2007, Tony Hines and Margaret Bruce. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
All rights reserved
The right of Tony Hines and Margaret Bruce to be identified as the authors of this work has been
asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the
prior written permission of the publisher

Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in
Oxford, UK: phone (⫹44) (0) 1865 843830; fax (⫹44) (0) 1865 853333; email: permissions@elsevier.
com. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://
elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material
Notice
No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or
property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or
operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein.
British Library Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
ISBN–13: 978-0-7506-6897-2
ISBN–10: 0-7506-6897-0
For information on all Butterworth-Heinemann publications
visit our web site at

Typeset by Charon Tec Ltd (A Macmillan Company), Chennai, India
www.charontec.com
Printed and bound in The Netherlands
07 08 09 10 11
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


Contents

Foreword
List of Contributors
Acknowledgements
Introduction

1

2

Globalization: global markets and global supplies
Tony Hines
Introduction
Fashion markets and fashion marketing
The growing impact of China on world textile and clothing markets
India’s expected growing share of the world market
MFA 1974–1994
The WTO ATC 1995–2004
Free trade vis-à-vis fair trade
WTO rules in practice: an illustrative case
The globalization phenomenon
Value creation, information and powerful brands
Globalization defined
Globalization and its impact upon supplies
Market definition
Large retailers and their influence on trade
UK retail structure
UK retail market size and market shares
The growth of supermarket fashion
Global production networks: global sourcing
Summary
References
Supply chain strategies, structures and relationships
Tony Hines
Antecedents of supply chain management

xi
xiii
xix
xxi
1
1
2
6
6
7
7
9
10
13
14
14
16
17
18
19
20
22
24
25
25
27
28


vi

3

4

5

Contents

Supply chain strategies
Total cost of ownership
Supply chain structures
Supply chain relationships
Supply chain research
References

32
37
46
48
49
50

Challenges of fashion buying and merchandising
Margaret Bruce and Lucy Daly
Introduction
Dynamics of fashion sourcing
Fashion supply chain
Managing a portfolio of supplier relationships
Vendor selection

Fashion buying decision criteria
Buying processes
Fashion buying cycle
Fashion retail buying
Conclusions
Acknowledgement
References

54

Segmenting fashion consumers: reconstructing the challenge
of consumer complexity
Tony Hines and Lee Quinn
Introduction
Global interest in market segmentation
The cited benefits of market segmentation
Research developments in the history of market segmentation
Market segmentation: the evidence
Making sense of the segmentation paradox
When social worlds collide
Social encounters of a third kind
The social construction of identity
Implications for fashion marketing
References
Developing a research agenda for the internationalization of
fashion retailing
Christopher M. Moore and Steve Burt
Introduction
What is the internationalization of fashion retailing?
Who are the international fashion retailers?

Where are fashion retailers developing international operations?
When does fashion retailer internationalization occur?

54
55
59
60
62
63
63
66
67
69
69
69

73
73
74
74
75
76
77
78
82
83
84
85

89

89
91
92
92
94


Contents

6

7

8

9

vii

Why do fashion retailers internationalize?
How are fashion retailers developing international operations?
Concluding comments
References

96
99
104
104

Retail brand marketing in the fashion industry

Bill Webb
Introduction
The new consumer
The retail response
Conclusions
References

107

Competitive marketing strategies of luxury fashion companies
Margaret Bruce and Christine Kratz
Introduction
Understanding the tenets of luxury fashion
The dynamics of luxury fashion
Marketing strategies in a dynamic context
Case histories
Conclusions
Acknowledgement
References
Store environment of fashion retailers: a Hong Kong perspective
Alice W. C. Chu and M. C. Lam
Introduction
Background
Store environment
Store atmospherics
Current study on the importance of store environment
to consumer’s casualwear fashion store choice
decision in Hong Kong
Conclusion
Recommendations

References
The process of trend development leading to a fashion season
Tim Jackson
Research design
What is fashion?
Fashion trends
Fashion seasons
Retailers’/brands’ research
Role of fashion forecasting
References

107
110
113
126
128
130
130
131
133
137
143
147
148
148
151
151
152
154
155

158
161
162
164
168
168
169
170
171
173
175
185


viii

Contents

10

Innovation management in creating new fashions
Beatrice Le Pechoux, Trevor J. Little and Cynthia L. Istook
Introduction
Mapping the creative design process
Marketing and design
The complex environment of design
Creative design
Future innovation management practices
Developing a pattern language for innovation management

References

11

12

13

Consumers and their negative selves, and the implications
for fashion marketing
Emma N. Banister and Margaret K. Hogg
Introduction
Symbolic consumption
The undesired self: ‘so not me!’
The avoidance self: ‘just not me!’
The negative self: a summary
Implications for fashion marketing
References
Fashion retailer desired and perceived identity
Tony Hines, Ranis Cheng and Ian Grime
Corporate identity
Perspectives on the development of corporate identity research
Identity gap
Corporate identity constructs
Introducing the cases
Hennes and Mauritz’s case
Zara’s case
Cross case comparative analysis – H&M and Zara
Conclusion and implications
References

Fashion e-tailing
Ruth Marciniak and Margaret Bruce
Introduction
Who sells online?
What makes a good fashion web site?
How do fashion retailers develop web sites?
Who buys online?
Who engages in cross channel shopping?
Conclusion
References

188
188
189
197
200
206
211
212
213

217
217
218
223
224
226
226
227
230

231
232
233
234
237
238
247
252
254
255
259
259
260
262
264
266
267
270
274


Contents

14

15

16

The international flagship stores of luxury fashion retailers

Christopher M. Moore and Anne Marie Doherty
Introduction
International flagship stores
The strategic purpose of a flagship store
Flagships: as a market entry method
Flagships: a conduit and support for business relationships
Flagships: a focus for marketing communications
Flagships: blueprint for store development
Location and place
Flagships and the distribution hierarchy
The language of flagship stores
The role and function of the ‘celebrated’ Architect
Flagship store design and positioning
Prada’s epicentre stores
References
The making and marketing of a trend
Martin Raymond
References
Approaches to doing research
Tony Hines
Criticisms levelled at the marketing discipline
Influence upon doing research
References

Index

ix

277
277

278
279
280
281
282
283
285
288
289
290
291
293
295
297
307
308
309
311
313
315


This page intentionally left blank


Foreword

Fashion is driven by creativity, desire and aspiration. Consumers want to buy
unique items that are expressive, personal to them and reflect their taste and
status. Fashion designers and buyers have to provide clothes that meet these

ever changing needs and are available at a given price point. Also, they define
and reflect trends. Trend forecasting influences the colours, the styles and textures that are abundant in stores. However, if even the slightest hue or shade of
colour or style fails to match consumers’ tastes, then these items will not sell.
So, it is challenging to predict and order volumes of clothes way in advance of
when they are likely to appear in store. Technology drives innovation in textiles and is a dynamic force in fashion. Think about aromatherapy to enhance
a sense of well-being delivered in clothes, think improvement in sports ware,
etc. Price deflation, getting the quality and design to match consumers’ desires,
needs and tastes and managing the supply chain to provide innovation to the
high-street make fashion marketing exciting and challenging.
As well as the fashion item, e-tailing and other ways of selling, promotion
and managing the supply base are affecting the organisation and management
approaches to fashion. Fashion leadership is only attained by being one step
ahead in being aware of the multiple impacts on the fashion business, learning how these may improve the fashion business and implementing change at
the right time.
This book addresses the key issues of fashion marketing. It demonstrates
the complexity, challenges and fun of the business. It provides useful insights
into the nature of the business of fashion.
Kate Bostock
Business Unit Director Womenswear & Girlswear
Marks & Spencer


This page intentionally left blank


List of contributors

Emma Banister is a Lecturer in Consumer Behaviour at Lancaster University
Management School. Her first degree was in Politics and History at Newcastle
University, and she completed her M.Sc. in Marketing at the School of

Management in 1997. Her postgraduate dissertation was on the structure and
transfer of meaning in the music industry, and specifically explored the consumption of imagery by adolescent consumers. Emma was later awarded her
Ph.D. from UMIST where she conducted research into symbolic consumption and the rejection of products – specifically the notion that the ‘undesired
end state’ functions as an incentive to avoid products with negative images.
The research draws on social psychology and sociology in its examination
of possible selves and product user stereotypes. A variety of methods were
employed (including projective techniques) to generate both qualitative and
quantitative data.
Margaret Bruce B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., is Professor of Design Management and
Marketing at Manchester Business School and where she is also the Director
of the Centre for Business Research. She holds a Professorship in Design and
Fashion Marketing at University of the Arts London and a Professorship of
Strategic Design Management at ICN, University of Nancy 2, France. She
holds an Honary Professorship at Xi’an Institute of Technology, China.
Professor Bruce has published 10 books and her latest books are: ‘Marketing
Leadership by Design’ (Butterworth-Heinemann 2005) and International
Retail Marketing (Butterworth Heinemann 2004). She has published over 200
papers in the areas of fashion marketing, innovation and design. Professor
Bruce has conducted a number of international research programmes in
design and innovation. She is a member of Council of the British Academy of
Management.
Steve Burt B.A. Ph.D., is Professor of Retail Marketing at the Institute for
Retail Studies in the Department of Marketing, University of Stirling, and
is president of the European Association for Education and Research in


xiv

List of Contributors

Commercial Distribution. He has conducted research into retailing, with a
particular interest in comparative and international retailing, since graduating
from the University of Oxford in 1981. Sponsors of research projects include
public and private sector organizations such as the Distributive Trades
EDC, the European Community, Marks & Spencer, ICL, Safeway, Scottish &
Newcastle Breweries, Esslette Meto and the European Travel Research
Foundation. His academic publications have covered various aspects of retail
strategy, European retailing and internationalization and have appeared
in journals such as the British Journal of Management, European Journal of
Marketing, and the International Review of Retail Distribution and Consumer
Research.
Ranis Cheng B.A. (Hons)., MRes., is currently a doctoral researcher at
Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. The focus of her doctoral research is the role of corporate identity within the fashion retail sector. She has presented research papers at a number of conferences, including
the British Academy of Management, the Academy of Marketing and the
European Academy of Management.
Alice W. C. Chu is currently Assistant Professor at the Institute of Textiles and
Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic. She teaches retailing management and
is currently working within a research team examining the role of the accessories business in Hong Kong. She has also carried out research on imagery in
retail promotion and the subject of store atmosphere.
Lucy Daly Ph.D., is a Research Business Manager for the Centre for Business
Research at Manchester Business School and has worked on a variety of projects including business and market research, strategy development and product evaluation. She has published extensively and her PhD from the University
of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)examined Supply
Chain Management.
Anne Marie Doherty is Professor of Marketing at the University of
Glamorgan. Previously, she held posts at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
and the University of Ulster. She holds a PhD in Marketing from the University
of Strathclyde. Her research interests are in international retail marketing, particularly international fashion marketing and market entry mode strategy. Her
work has been published in marketing journals such as the European Journal
of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management and the International Marketing
Review. She has been guest editor of the European Journal of Marketing (2004),

the International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management (2002) and the
International Marketing Review (2000) on the topics of fashion marketing, retail
franchising and the internationalisation of retailing respectively.
Ian Grime Ph.D., is a Principal Lecturer in Marketing at Manchester
Metropolitan University Business School with research interests in brand


List of Contributors

xv

identity. He completed his doctorate at Loughborough University and has
published his work in the European Journal of Marketing on brand identity in
the automobile industry.
Tony Hines B.A., Econ. (Hons), Ph.D., F.R.S.A., M.C.I.M. is Professor of
Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. He is
Director of Doctoral Programmes and has research interests in supply chain
strategies, marketing decisions, lifestyles, consumption and identity. He has
led international consultancy assignments and funded research projects in
these areas. He is the author of 16 books including Supply Chain Strategies –
Customer-Driven and Customer Focused and Management Information for
Marketing Decisions in addition to Fashion Marketing – Contemporary Issues,
all published by Elsevier. Furthermore, he has authored and co-authored
a number of academic journal articles most recently for the European Journal
of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Management, the International Journal
of Entrepeneurship and Management and The Textile Institute Journal. He has
also published a number of book chapters based on his research interests.
Additionally, he has a number of international and prize-winning conference
papers. He regularly contributes press commentary and is in demand as a
commentator on contemporary marketing issues for both print and broadcast

media.
Margaret K. Hogg is Professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing at
Lancaster University Management School. She read Politics and Modern
History at Edinburgh University, followed by postgraduate studies in history at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam and then by an M.A. in Business
Analysis at Lancaster University. She spent 6 years working in Marketing with
K Shoes, Kendal. Prior to joining UMIST in September 1995, she completed a
Ph.D. at Manchester Business School in Consumer Behaviour and Retailing.
She subsequently worked as a Senior Lecturer in consumer behaviour at
Manchester School of Management, UMIST before taking up her current post.
Her research interests include consumer behaviour, retailing and marketing
history. Her work has appeared in refereed journals, including the Journal of
Marketing Management, the European Journal of Marketing and the International
Journal of Advertising. She has presented papers at a number of international
conferences, including US meetings of the Association for Consumer Research
and the Society for Consumer Psychology.
Cynthia L. Istook is currently an Associate Professor, Department of Textile
and Apparel Technology and Management at North Carolina State University.
Dr Istook received her Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Clothing,
and Textiles from Texas Christian University in 1976. She worked for Sanger
Harris (a Federated Department store) for almost 3 years in the management training programme as an assistant buyer and department group manager. Dr Istook obtained a Master’s degree in 1989 and a Ph.D. degree in 1992
from Texas Woman’s University. Her master’s thesis research concerned the


xvi

List of Contributors

durability of Texcellana 80% Cotton–20% Wool fabric. Research for her dissertation was centred on Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) in the apparel industry.
She has taught at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, the University of North
Texas in Denton, Texas, and Texas Woman’s University.

Tim Jackson is a Principal Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Arts,
London College of Fashion responsible for leading research and teaching initiatives at Post Graduate level in Fashion Buying and Merchandising.
His work both in retail management and in buying and merchandising for a
number of leading fashion retailers, including, Dash, Jaeger and Burton, has
allowed him to develop practical insights into the industry while conducting
his academic research. Tim is co-author of the first UK text on fashion buying and merchandising with David Shaw, published by MacMillan in January
2001. The book has made a significant contribution to the study of fashion buying and merchandising in a UK context. More recently he has edited
the Fashion Handbook with David Shaw published by Routledge in 2006.Tim
is academically and professionally qualified in marketing, having gained
an M.A. in Marketing and the CIM Diploma. He has undertaken considerable research into the fashion industry while based at the London College of
Fashion. In addition to lecturing at the LCF, he has lectured at the University
of Westminster and Surrey University. He is in demand as a regular contributor to radio and television programmes involved with fashion.
Christine Kratz is Head of the Academic Department of Marketing and
Negotiation at the ICN Business School based in Nancy, France, which is
part of the ‘grandes écoles’ of management bringing together the most prestigious French business schools. Christine Kratz holds a Master’s degree in
the Science of Management from the University of Nancy. As an Associate
Professor at ICN, she is deeply involved in the Executive Center in the fields
of lecturing and consultancy. The main themes she lectures on are marketing, innovation, design and product portfolio management. In order to create a tight link between lecturing and applied research, she has designed
and led an ARTEM workshop – an innovative multidisciplinary approach
bringing together students from the schools of business, engineering and
art – in partnership with the French crystal producer DAUM. These workshops are intended to enable students to master change management through
design and interdisciplinary thinking. Her most recent research in the field of
Design is centred around sensorial and product configuration, particularly
in the context of luxury marketing. She has conducted numerous studies in
the sectors of champagne and crystal and has presented papers on these subjects at international conferences including British Academy of Management and
European Academy of Management. She is currently working on a joint project
with Professor Margaret Bruce of Manchester Business School conducting a
comparative study of design strategies between UK and French companies.

List of Contributors

xvii

M. C. Lam graduated from ITC in 1998. After graduation she worked in Next
(Asia) Ltd as Assistant Merchandiser. She now works for the Hong Kong
Government’s Health and Environment Hygiene Department.
Beatrice Le Pechoux is currently a Post-Doc Research Assistant at North
Carolina State University.
Trevor J. Little is currently Professor and Head of Department of Textile and
Apparel Technology and Management at North Carolina State University.
Professor Little received his Bachelor’s degree in Textile Industries from the
University of Leeds in 1971. He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. degree in 1974
from the University of Leeds. Professor Little’s research interests include
apparel manufacturing and management, production and assembly systems,
design for manufacturability, automated manufacturing systems, handling
systems, manufacturing simulation, human factors, technology development,
and information technology.
Ruth Marciniak B.A. Hons, PgD, M.B.A., is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing
and Retail Management at London Metropolitan University. She is currently completing her PhD thesis on e-commerce strategy planning processes
employed by the UK fashion retail sector. Her research activities have provided her with the opportunity to access major UK fashion retailers. She has
also published in the area of fashion retailing and e-commerce in refereed journals including the International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management
and the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. She has presented academic papers at a number of national and international conferences, including EIRASS and EAERCD. In addition to lecturing at London Metropolitan
University she has lectured at Manchester Business School and is an External
Examiner at the University of Northumbria and the University of Paisley.
Christopher M. Moore is Professor in Marketing and Retailing at Heriot Watt
University in Edinburgh. He is Director of the George Davies Centre for Retail
Excellence. Previously, He was Professor in Marketing and Director of the
Glasgow Centre for Retailing at Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow. He
has published widely in the area of fashion marketing and the focus for his

doctoral research was the international expansion of fashion retailers into the
UK. He has consulted to a wide variety of fashion companies, ranging from
Issey Miyake to Marks & Spencer. He is also a regular guest columnist on consumer issues for Emap media.
Lee Quinn B.A., M.Res., P.G.C.E., is a Lecturer in Marketing at Manchester
Metropolitan University Business School. He was previously an ESRC supported Doctoral Researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University Business
School. His research interests include managerial sensemaking, the discursive
and linguistic construction of identity, and the development of philosophically


xviii

List of Contributors

grounded and methodologically critical research in the strategic marketing
domain. These areas of interest largely emanate from his Ph.D. thesis in which
he applied a social constructionist theoretical perspective to the study of market segmentation in a fashion-retailing context.
Martin Raymond is editor of Viewpoint magazine, a twice yearly trends,
brands, intelligence and lifestyle predictions journal. He lectures in journalism and fashion lifestyle at the London College of Fashion, and is a regular
contributor to The Independent on Sunday and BBC Radio 4’s Front Row arts
programme. He is also co-author of 100 Years of Change; Design and Style in the
Twentieth Century and creative director of The Future Laboratory.
Bill Webb is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Arts, London
College of Fashion and a member of the Management Research Group, as
well as leading his own successful consulting firm. He has many years experience of working in the fashion industry and has held positions at senior
level with responsibility for marketing. Bill was a main board director for
Richards before it became part of the Arcadia Group and founding director
of Management Horizons, a retail consultancy. Bill’s research interests are
related to branding, sizing, store location and e-commerce. He has recently
worked with IBM as part of a small research team examining the impact of
e-commerce on clothing retailers. He has published a number of papers

related to fashion marketing in academic journals and at conferences, most
recently at the University of California, Berkeley in the USA, and is a regular
contributor to practitioner publications such as Retail Week.


Acknowledgements

Tony would like to thank Janice for giving her time, support and encouragement for this project.
Margaret would like to dedicate the book to Barbara, Chris, Thomas and
Lydia Warren, Jasmine and Steve Glennon.
We would both like to thank Anna Fabrizio at Butterworth-Heinemann for
her patience, and enthusiasm.
We are grateful to Delia Alfonso for her enthusiasm, encouragement and
support for this project in its early stage and in bringing the first edition to
fruition 2001.
Also many thanks to the contributors who have helped this project achieve
its mission.
Finally, thanks to you the reader for choosing to spend your time reading
our book we hope you find it interesting, motivating and useful.


This page intentionally left blank


Introduction

In this introduction to the second edition it is perhaps appropriate to reflect
upon the impact of the first edition. The European Journal of Marketing editorial 38 (7) p744 commented that the first edition of “Fashion Marketing” made
a significant contribution to a growing research agenda in the field. It has
proved to be useful to a new generation of scholars and researchers developing their own research agendas in Fashion Marketing. It is to be hoped that

the new edition will provide new ideas and stimuli for readers. The number
of chapters has increased: (a) to reflect the changes in contemporary fashion
markets; and (b) to address omissions identified by readers of the first edition. Some chapters that were included in the first edition have been replaced
to bring the treatment of those topics up to date. Most of the chapters that
appeared in the first edition have significant new content and some have been
completely re-written to take account of contemporary issues of interest. This
new edition has sixteen chapters whereas the first edition had twelve. There
are completely new chapters on market segmentation; buying and merchandising; luxury brands; retail identity; approaches to research; supply chain
strategies, structures and relationships; global markets and global supplies;
and the international flagship stores of luxury fashion retailers.
Fashion is a global business. It is an exciting, dynamic and creative business. Fashion is about self-expression, emotion and identity. Fashion reflects
and pushes cultural and social boundaries. The mix of aesthetic, technology
and business makes fashion a special and fascinating industry. Fashion is big
business and employs large numbers of people with different talents and skills
to bring fashion apparel to the consumer. Designers, new product developers,
textile producers, manufacturers, merchandisers, buyers, marketers, technologists, supply chain experts, logistics managers, strategists and retailers including front line customer service staff are all involved with delivering the best
product to the marketplace in the fastest time, and at the most competitive
price. The industry is concerned with every aspect of design, manufacture,
marketing and distribution from concept to carrier bag. Overlaying this is
the fact that these processes have to be managed through complex networks


xxii

Introduction

of suppliers, and the various intermediaries supporting production located
throughout the world moving merchandise from producer to consumer. This
is not easy – fashion changes constantly. The traditional seasons of spring,
summer, autumn and winter may be less visible than they once were but they

are still apparent, with frequent in-season changes. Colour, form, texture,
label, etc. can be extremely short-lived. This makes forecasting, planning and
marketing risky and complex.
The growth of the ‘new economy’ affects the structure of the fashion business. New dotcom companies offer fashion apparel via the Internet. But, are
these operating as wholesalers or retailers? What ‘added value’ do they offer
consumers? How do they deliver customer fulfilment and cope with distribution issues? Nonetheless, they pose a potential threat to the ‘brick and mortar’
retailers, in terms of being a new channel to market and, in many cases, offering cheaper prices for branded goods. The emergence of ‘click and mortar’
retailers – traditional retailers offering Internet sites – has stimulated Internet
shopping. Boundaries between retailers, manufacturers and dotcom companies are becoming blurred. Alongside this re-organization of the industry, consumers are less loyal. Consumers do ‘shop around’ for the best deal, based
on price, quality, convenience or brand awareness, but how they shop on the
Internet for fashion is not predictable. It is in ‘business to business’ transactions where the new economy seems to be gaining a foothold. Ordering and
shipping dyestuffs from Japan to factories in India, tracking the movement of
goods as they are being transported from China to the UK and other similar
business activities are where the e-commerce is beneficial. New partnerships
and strategic alliances are being formed with e-commerce.
The ‘old’ paradigms of management thinking in the fashion industry are
being challenged. Quick response, flexible approaches and the constant
drive to offer innovative products to consumers have to be managed effectively. How can new design talent be spotted and given the opportunity to
flourish? Fragmented markets make it difficult for retail marketers to identify
prospective target markets and to segment customer groups. Retail organizations constantly renew and revitalize themselves and their identities through
the science or is it the alchemy of marketing activities? Constant newness of
design not simply in their products but in their store-designs, merchandising
displays and theatrical approaches to retailing refresh their brand identities.
Witness the variety of developments in the marketing of fashion merchandise
through non-traditional outlets such as supermarkets and opportunities for
expansion into different segments e.g. Reiss from men’s wear into women’s
wear and from domestic to overseas markets. And yet there is still a place in
the highly complex, competitive fashion market for the traditional or classic
retail offering.
Since the first edition of this reader there have been important changes in

the way retailers offer fashion to consumers. The phenomenon of ‘fast fashion’ in a retail context has become very important for many in the industry.
However, although many retailers use the term ‘fast fashion’ it can mean
different things to each organization. There has also been a rapid growth in


Introduction

xxiii

supermarket fashion taking a larger market share. Many traditional retailers
have felt the pinch as supermarkets have steadily eroded their markets particularly in categories such as children’s clothing and leisurewear. Having
said this it is now possible to pick up a man’s two-piece suit for under £40
in your local supermarket. Ten years ago this would have been unthinkable.
Fashion can be cheap and it can be expensive so why does this paradox exist?
Fashion futures are influenced by new materials and advanced technologies.
These will present new challenges and create new aesthetics and sensibilities. Seamless garments offer a comfortable fit; partly finished garments may
be bought and then ‘finished’ by a local micro-manufacturer based at a local
supermarket; dyeing a garment may be available at the ‘touch of a button’ and
be another programme offered on a domestic washing machine. How can the
needs of the ‘green consumer’ be met?
There are often press reports about exploitation in the industry. For example, clothing manufactured in the undeveloped parts of the world is exported
to markets in the developed world to be sold at very high prices. Workers in
these factories often exist on subsistence wages. Their employers are a part of
a global supply network to satisfy demand in markets in the developed world.
How can consumers be ethical in making fashion purchases?
This book covers the main themes that affect marketing in the fashion world.
The first two chapters by Tony Hines outline the dynamics of the global fashion industry and the machinations of the supply chain. The shift of apparel
manufacture to lower labour cost countries, for example in the Far East and
Eastern Europe is shown and the importance of global brands is stressed. New
approaches to supply chain strategy are discussed – the iceberg theory – is

advanced to explain some of the problems in global sourcing strategies and
the implications of e-commerce for supply chain management are mapped
out. Margaret Bruce and Lucy Daly examine the challenges of fashion buying
and merchandising in Chapter 3. Tony Hines and Lee Quinn turn their attention to market segmentation and its role in fashion marketing in Chapter 4
recognising consumer complexities and the challenges facing retailers. A
number of problems with existing approaches to segmentation are discussed
and a clear proposal is made to develop better theoretical understanding by
broadening world-views acknowledging contributions and requirements of
practitioners. Christopher Moore and Steve Burt embellish the theme of globalization in Chapter 5 with their focus on the problems fashion retailers face
with expanding internationally. Chapters 6 considers retail brand marketing
in fashion retail. William Webb identifies three issues that fashion retailers
have to address: culture, strategy and operations. In Chapter 7 Margaret Bruce
and Christine Kratz examine competitive marketing strategies of luxury brand
retailers. Chapter 8 explores store image and atmospherics, Alice Chu and
M. C. Lam discuss the situation in Hong Kong for fashion retailers. In Chapter 9
Tim Jackson describes the process of trend forecasting in the fashion industry.
Chapter 10, by Beatrice Le Pechoux, Trevor Little and Cynthia Istook discusses
innovation management and creativity within the fashion industry. They
develop a Product Development Framework, which incorporates Consumer


xxiv

Introduction

Needs and links this with the requirement of retailers to have a stream of
successful products. The next two chapters focus on identity. Negative selfidentity is the theme of Chapter 11 by Emma Banister and Margaret Hogg.
They note that the user images and stereotypes that accompany negative
selves may explain why consumers reject fashion items and avoid shopping in
certain retail environments. Tony Hines, Ranis Cheng and Ian Grime explore

retail identities in Chapter 12 looking at desired and perceived identities in
two specific cases involving fast fashion retail, Zara & Hennes and Mauritz.
In less than a decade the world of electronic retailing has been created and
it has become a significant growing channel of distribution for fashion merchandise. Ruth Marciniak and Margaret Bruce discuss who sells online, who
buys on line, what makes a good website and they show how consumer value
can be leveraged through E-tailing in Chapter 13. Christopher Moore and
Anne Marie Docherty provide a number if insights into international flagship
stores and luxury brands in Chapter 14. Capturing the zeitgeist Chapter 15 by
Martin Raymond reveals different fashion marketing futures that are appropriate for the global world of fashion. The final contribution by Tony Hines
discusses alternative approaches to research in fashion marketing and completes the 16 chapters in this edition.