Own brand strategy of the Japanese apparel manufacturers

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the own brand strategies undertaken by Japanese apparel manufacturers, and illuminate the characteristics of those apparel manufacturers who adopt the SPA business model. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was sent to 4,417 apparel manufacturers in Japan of which a total of 1,211 were deemed usable (response rate of 27.47 percent). Logit regression analysis was then employed to identify factors affecting the own brand strategies adopted by Japanese apparel manufacturers. Findings The main findings are as follows: apparel manufacturers having access to external designers, and who collect information relating to consumer needs for production planning tend to have their own brands; apparel manufacturers located in Tokyo have added benefits associated with launching their own brands than those located in other cities; the size of the company behind the brand development is insignificant; and therefore, SME apparel manufacturers have equal opportunities in developing their own brands, which could flourish in the future. Research limitations/implications The present study is limited in that it focuses solely on exogenous factors. Strategic decision-making processes, typical of the distribution structures of apparel industries, influence the apparel relationship between retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Thus, the distribution structure and the relationships require further investigation studies. Originality/value Because of a lack of published data, no empirical studies investigating the effectiveness of own brand strategies developed by Japanese apparel manufacturers currently exist. The present study aims to address this by conducting questionnaire surveys with all Japanese apparel manufacturers and then using logit regression analysis, identify the primary factors influencing own brand strategy. This study clarifies the situation regarding the survival of SMEs in the apparel market, considering only those apparel manufacturers who intend to launch their own brands.

The incompatibility of proactive market orientation and postponement strategy in product differentiation

“…We collected data from Japanese apparel companies, especially apparel wholesalers. In the Japanese apparel industry, large wholesalers have vertically internalized the design function, standing between sewing companies and retailers and serving as the command center for development, production and marketing (Urakami et al , 2009; Urakami and Wu, 2017). These wholesalers postpone design and production in the same way as global apparel manufacturers do (Fernie, 2009; Fernie and Azuma, 2004; Minami et al , 2012).…”

Customer value, purchase intentions and willingness to pay: the moderating effects of cultural/economic distance

“…The standardization of the retail format is a consequence of the SPA vertical supply chain technology, and it ensures that the SPA retail format elements are consistent across borders. Therefore, examining SPA is one of the best ways by which to measure whether there are different customer values with regard to internationalization and retailing (Urakami and Wu, 2017). Among SPA retailers, Muji has been selected as the focal company in this research for three reasons.…”

“…The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1355-5855.htm efforts to quickly offer reasonable quality fashion products at lower prices in various similar markets around the world (Urakami and Wu, 2017).…”

Dampak Teknologi E-Logistic SCM Terhadap Distributor Busana Di Pontianak Selatan

“…Dengan mempunyai merek sendiri, teknologi e-logistic yang ditawarkan oleh 3PL bahkan akan diterima dengan baik karena distributor tidak lagi perlu mengeluarkan biaya besar untuk mengembangkan e-logistic sendiri. Temuan tersebut mendukung temuan studi sebelumnya tentang bagaimana menciptakan merek sendiri merupakan strategi kunci untuk mencapai keunggulan kompetitif di rantai produk busana [24].…”