Zara vs. Uniqlo: Leadership strategies in the competitive textile and apparel industry

Abstract

Zara from Spain and Uniqlo of Japan are leading firms in the fast fashion sector of the textile and apparel industry. An analysis of their corporate history and operational strategies explains their success in a highly competitive global environment. Maintaining distinct competitive advantages in brand visibility and quality, they continue to prosper through their ability to respond to consumer tastes, seek economies of scale through their global value chains, cultivate supplier networks that contain prices, and keep pace with Web‐based marketing platforms and online retailing trends. Their experiences offer valuable lessons in growth and international expansion.

Polish Textile and Apparel Industry: Global Supply Chain Management Perspective

“…The problem refers to system integration and limitations in sharing production and sales data with other supply chain participants [26]. The key issue for Polish enterprises in the context of global expansion in the competitive T&A market is the development of a firmspecific strategy, as shown by the example of companies such as Zara and Uniqlo [27].…”

Growing global in the sharing economy: Lessons from Uber and Airbnb

“…Thanks to their competitive business models based on web applications and consumer convenience and to their first‐mover advantage, Uber and Airbnb continue to stand out in the crowded ride‐hailing industry and hospitality sectors. No doubt, enhanced connectivity among markets, consumers, and real‐time activities will have a significant impact on these businesses and others in the sharing economy in the years to come (Anwar, , 2017b; Bond, ; Christakis & Fowler, ; Porter & Heppelmann, , ).…”

“…Ongoing innovation and development of environmentally conscious segments will contribute to success in both industries. ____________________________________________________________________________ EXHIBIT 8 Trends affecting the ride-hailing and hospitality industries (2018) years to come (Anwar, 2017a(Anwar, , 2017bBond, 2015;Christakis & Fowler, 2011;Porter & Heppelmann, 2014.…”

“…In the case of both Uber and Airbnb, sharing economy firms have exploited niche markets to achieve remarkable growth around the world. Consumer demand and widespread availability of digital business models will strengthen global markets for technology‐based products and companies in the coming years (Anwar, , 2017b; Stone, ). The experiences of Uber and Airbnb reveal that firm‐specific strategies and focused planning activities are critical when dealing with niche markets, growth, and competition.…”

Exploring organizational learning and experimental logistics development at the global fashion retailer H&M

“…In this context, logistics has increasingly been acknowledged as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. In fact, logistics plays a crucial role in several contemporary developments in the retail industry, including, for instance, omni‐channel fulfillment (Hübner et al., 2016), warehousing (Kembro et al., 2018), retail internationalization (Anwar, 2017; Haag & Sandberg, 2020), and reverse logistics practices (Pal, 2017). The rapid development in these and other areas means that retail companies need to rethink how to manage their logistics development processes.…”