The European clothing industry

Abstract

This paper examines earlier and more recent patterns of restructuring that have occurred as a consequence of import penetration. It focuses upon work reorganization, job losses and changes in the retail-manufacturer relationships and how these trends differ in key European countries. Finally, it asks questions about future trends, both in employment (and the changing nature of jobs) as well as government policies towards the politics of trade.

Strategic Analysis through the General Electric/McKinsey Matrix: An Application to the Italian Fashion Industry

“…At the same time, the competitive scenario has widened both in terms of market -with the new B.R.I.C. (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) emerging markets -and in terms of competitors -with new firms coming out of markets still developing their specialization or which were simply too far away previously (Jin, 2004;Taplin & Winterton, 2004). This evolution of the fashion industry market points out the need, even more clearly, for organizations operating in this sector to know about and use to their best advantage analysis tools that have already been proven effective and relatively rapid to use.…”

“…From a more specialized point of view, and considering that many companies nowadays offer different brands and collections and, therefore, fairly diversified prices for each market segment, the companies analyzed could be positioned (considering a price segmentation) as: couture (Valentino), ready-to-wear designer (Armani, Moschino) and mass market (Benetton) (Corbellini & Saviolo, 2009). The five-year-period considered for the analysis (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002) was chosen because it is representative of the late 1990s and the first years after the turn of the century; a significant period during which the European clothing industry continued to undergo the profound and rapid "restructuring" (and "reconfiguration") which had begun in the early 1990s -trends that further exposed the Italian fashion sector to changes (Taplin & Winterton, 2004). (Note 1)…”

Enterprise Risk Management

“…Some typical risk examples include more new players in the global market space, further reductions in prices, more product customization, shorter product life cycles, complex supply chain relationships, adverse trends in exchange and interest rates, uncertain developments in both the local and global economies, natural catastrophes, and global terrorism (Christopher, Lowson, & Peck, 2004;Warburton & Stratton, 2002). In addition, the abolition of trade barriers, such as the Multi Fiber Agreement, and the increase in the use of complex global supply networks have fundamentally transformed the textile and clothing industry, creating an extremely challenging and risky business environment for its players (Appelbaum & Christerson, 1997;Jones & Hayes, 2004;Moon, Leung, Chang, & Yeung, 1997;Taplin & Winterton, 2004).…”