Retailers not using technology to respond to buying patterns

A recent study by Zebra Technologies has revealed UK retailers are perhaps not as rapidly responding to consumer changes in buying as they could. When it comes to excess summer stock, prices could be altered to clear stockrooms and make way for the new season.

“The ability to mark prices up or down quickly according to unseasonable weather or other macro-economic changes is essential to staying profitable. This year's wet summer is a prime example of why this approach is critical to remaining competitive,” said Rebecca Brookes, retail manager for Zebra Technologies. “If retailers don't react quickly they can lose valuable sales and are left with excess stock.”

Zebra Technologies is the leader in wireless solutions for tracking and managing enterprise assets. The study further revealed 70% of retailers are not planning to implement wireless networks in-store. Brookes added: “Retailers shouldn't be surprised by a long, wet summer in Britain. When the technology exists to share information and update prices quickly and accurately, being unprepared for the weather simply isn't an option any more.”

www.zebra.com
8 August 2007

Slimma upgrades specialist software

Slimma Plc, the British clothing manufacturer, has upgraded it Fastreact software in a bid to become one of the largest suppliers of womenswear in the retail market. With Fastreact Evolution - the latest release from Fast React Systems Limited, software specialist for the apparel, footwear and textile industries - Slimma will be able to work more closely with its suppliers and be able to react more quickly to customers needs. The new software allows the user to visualise sourcing/production plans graphically on screen.

Chris Heath, Slimma board director and managing director of the Slimma Contract division, said: "This new highly visual system will build on the firm foundation that we have created in our business and will effectively resolve any problems within our supply chain."

www.slimma.co.uk
9 August 2005

New fabric phone

The newest hype in technology appears to be the fabric phone.
Smart Textiles will allow an entire phone to be woven into the fabric of a jacket. The keypad will consist of a touchpad on the sleeve and there will be no need for a screen as this new phone will be a basic calls-only device. A Bluetooth earpiece will house the speaker and microphone. However, at the moment, this new miracle of technology is still in the making and a prototype will probably not be available for the next decade.

In the meantime, however, the British firm Softswitch has enjoyed great succes with the development of touch-sensitive material, including cloth control panels for electronic tools such as MP3 players. Although the development is still in its early stages, the technology has already taken years and billions of pounds to develop. The next generation of mobile phones might include possibilities as limitless as watching digital TV, starting your car, taking your pulse or even paying for your shopping.

www.softswitch.co.uk
16 November 2004

India introduces allergy-free garments

The Bhilwara group of companies, the leading Indian textile group from Rajasthan, will beging manufacturing allergy-free garments. In a bid to turn the city of Jammu into a major hub of garment technology, the company will shortly be introducing the woollen fabrics there. The garments will soon be made available in other parts of the country, according to president of Bhilwara, Satish Kaul.
Kaul hopes that the use of innovative technology will revolutionise the concept of garment making. With the help of computers sweaters can be made within an hour. The manufacturing units have already been inspected by senior officials of the garment industry deparment.

15 November 2004

X-ray reveals all

The new x-ray machines at Heathrow airport are revealing more than common modesty would allow. The newly installed machines allow a clear view through passengers' clothes. Due to the application of low-level radiation, the machine sees through clothes, depicting an anatomically detailed black-and-white image of the body and displaying any solid objects hidden under clothes. A four-month trial period for the machine was started last month. Although 98% of participants who tested the machine gave positive feedback, a British civil rights group called Liberty has protested the use of the machine, calling its images "unjustified and intrusive".

10 November 2004

Focus on Fashion Business

Do you own a fashion company? Are you making the best use of the latest technology? That was the question raised by senior executives in the industry at the Imagination Gallery, London, recently.

Many organisations are preaching the gospel of integration: the implementation of a system which consists of many elements - retail, wholesale, mail order, distribution and planning - which are designed to work together. Rather than linking together disparate systems of, for example, stock control, planning and finance. Only by integrating can companies leverage the true power of IT as an operation and strategic business tool.

One of the many benefits of a truly integrated system is that management have a single view of their company, common to all users at all times. This contrasts with other approaches, where inaccuracies occur from department to department, depending on the application or system being used.

Speakers expressed their views that companies should strive to maximise the integrity of their data by opting for an enterprise-wide solution, such as Oracle. A single information source reduces or eliminates the need for software interfaces, inhouse development or costly third party tools to collate data. Today it should never be necessary to rely on spreadsheets or other such intermediate systems.

In today's highly dynamic and competitive fashion marketplace, it is essential to have a high level of control and yet be flexible. For many companies, the prospect of developing a comprehensive IT strategy remains unwelcome. The best way to reduce risk is to work with an appropriately qualified solution partner. But companies should choose carefully. It is vital that a solution partner understands the seasonal pressures facing fashion businesses and can demonstrate a proven approach to implementation. At the end of the day, the solution will need to be a long term commitment to your business and continue to deliver business benefits.

To attend future Fashion IT Forums please call Prologic 01442 876 277

2 June 2003