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As my concept is based around a collaboration with Eliza Batten, I researched her Instagram platform in order to determine her social media presence and whether she would be successful to advertise the collection.

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Looking at the WGSN buyers' briefing for key items, there is focus on durability and longevity of items which helped me to decide what my concept was going to be, and what kind of range I wanted to design.

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This website was extremely useful when determining a gap in Mango's brand strategy. Mango have a low environmental rating, and I therefore chose this as my concept to create a brand opportunity.

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Mango's environment rating is 'not good enough'. It uses some eco-friendly materials including organic cotton. There is no evidence it reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in most of its supply chain. There is no evidence it implements water reduction initiatives. There is no evidence that it has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals.

Its labour rating is 'not good enough'. Some of its supply chain is certified by Business Social Compliance Initiative Code of Conduct - BSCI and Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit - SMETA Best Practice Guidance in the final stage of production. It received a score of 21-30% in the Fashion Transparency Index. There is no evidence it implements practices to support diversity and inclusion in its supply chain. There is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. It does not disclose adequate policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19.

Its animal rating is 'not good enough'. It has a general statement about minimising animal suffering but not a formal animal welfare policy. It uses leather, down and exotic animal hair. It has a policy to source wool from non-mulesed sheep but does not provide evidence on how it is implemented. It does not use fur, angora or exotic animal skin. There is no evidence it traces any animal products to the first stage of production.

Mango is rated 'Not good enough' overall.

Last updated February 2022

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Mango's environment rating is 'not good enough'. It uses some eco-friendly materials including organic cotton. There is no evidence it reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in most of its supply chain. There is no evidence it implements water reduction initiatives.

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I found this article really interesting, describing how celebrities can help to endorse products. This is why I chose to collaborate with an influencer for my range in order to promote and advertise it to encourage consumers to buy.

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Received: 1 November 2019 / Revised: 17 November 2019 / Accepted: 26 November 2019 / Published: 29 November 2019

Taking into consideration the increasing role of sustainability in the luxury industry, our study investigates the role of celebrity credibility, celebrity familiarity, luxury brand value, and brand sustainability awareness on attitude towards celebrity, brand, and purchase intention for sustainable consumption. For this, we explored relationships among these variables to test a conceptual model which is developed using existing knowledge available in academic research on this topic. Data for testing were collected from high-end retail stores in the UK about the world top luxury brands by brand value in 2019, also acknowledged for their major engagement in sustainability. Findings from a survey of 514 consumers suggest that celebrity credibility is a very strong key to increasing purchase intentions of sustainable luxury goods. The study has important implications for the expansion of current literature, theory development and business practices. Limitations of the study are also outlined, and directions for future research are considered too. View Full-Text

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Figure 1

Cuomo, M.T.; Foroudi, P.; Tortora, D.; Hussain, S.; Melewar, T.C. Celebrity Endorsement and the Attitude Towards Luxury Brands for Sustainable Consumption. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6791. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236791

AMA Style

Cuomo MT, Foroudi P, Tortora D, Hussain S, Melewar TC. Celebrity Endorsement and the Attitude Towards Luxury Brands for Sustainable Consumption. Sustainability. 2019; 11(23):6791. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236791

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cuomo, Maria T.; Foroudi, Pantea; Tortora, Debora; Hussain, Shahzeb; Melewar, T.C. 2019. "Celebrity Endorsement and the Attitude Towards Luxury Brands for Sustainable Consumption" Sustainability 11, no. 23: 6791. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236791

Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Celebrity Endorsement and the Attitude Towards Luxury Brands for Sustainable Consumption

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Taking into consideration the increasing role of sustainability in the luxury industry, our study investigates the role of celebrity credibility, celebrity familiarity, luxury brand value, and brand sustainability awareness on attitude towards celebrity, brand, and purchase intention for sustainable consumption.

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Vising Mango's online website was essential for my brand research so I could assess what type of products they sell and at what prices. Getting a feel for the brand was necessary to understand the type of consumers that shop there.

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Latest trends in fashion for women. Discover our designs: dresses, tops, jeans, shoes, bags and accessories. Free delivery from £30 - Pay in 3 months interest free

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I used the WGSN buyer's brief to determine what prints and patterns I would use in my collection, as well as what colours. This was very useful to see what prints and colours will be successful in A/W21, and the reasons behind it.

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Researching on the WGSN Buyer's Briefing for A/W21, I chose the key items that are going to be in my collection, and the trend that my collection will follow.

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This website was extremely useful when deciding what fabrics to use for my range. How sustainable hemp is as a fabric is examined in this article by Good on You.

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Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission-supporting the work we do. Hemp fabric has undergone an image transformation in recent years, as shoppers and brands alike are learning of its versatility, strength, and potential sustainability. Learn more.
Hemp on the high ground

Hemp is the sober cousin of marijuana, and industrial hemp contains only a tiny amount of the psychoactive component of cannabis, so the only high you'll get from hemp fabric is the moral high-ground you'll stand on knowing you're wearing a more sustainable fabric.

In fact, industrial hemp is the fashion equivalent of the boring sibling who wants to stay home every weekend and knit socks for fun. But despite its boring properties, hemp's association with cannabis has copped it a bad rep over the years.

It also doesn't help that hemp clothing has been historically associated with baggy grunge-style clothing in khaki hues. Not that there's anything wrong with hippy clothing if that's the goal, but the trend certainly hasn't done much to improve hemp's image among the general populace.

But hemp has started to redeem its image in recent years, and its potential is undeniable. The environmental benefits of hemp cultivation, combined with its durable characteristics as a fabric, mean it can feature in clothing that both feels and looks great, by even the highest of standards.

So what is hemp?

Hemp has a very long history of being used as a fibre. In fact, it has been cultivated for thousands of years and on almost every continent. It has been used in clothing, ropes, and sails. Rumour has it that the word "canvas" is derived from "cannabis".

Hemp is a type of bast fibre which means it's one of a number of plant-based fibres derived from the stems of plants such as flax (where linen comes from), jute, and stinging nettle. The fabric has various natural advantages such as keeping you warm in winter, cool in summer, and even protecting you from UV rays.

The fibre produced from pure hemp is similar to linen in texture. It can also be blended with other plant-based fibres to create fabrics with the durability of hemp and the softness of cotton or bamboo. Extremely versatile, materials produced from hemp fibres can be used for a variety of fabrics, "from jersey to denim to hessian to canvas", according to Textile Exchange.

But why all the fuss about the little green leaf? Is it really any different to its alternatives?

What makes hemp fabric a more sustainable option?

It's no coincidence that hemp bears the nickname weed. A densely and quickly growing plant, hemp literally chokes out any competing plants. This means harsh chemical herbicides aren't necessary. Hemp also naturally reduces pests, so no pesticides are usually needed. Amazingly, it also returns 60-70% of the nutrients it takes from the soil. As Textile Exchange points out, since hemp plants have deep root systems, soil quality is replenished, which in turn captures carbon from the atmosphere.

Not only is hemp gentle on the earth, it also requires very little water, especially when compared to cotton, which, according to Slate uses "about 50% more water per season than hemp." But that's not all. According to the same article, "when you add processing into the equation, cotton uses more than four times as much water as hemp."

Hemp also requires a relatively small amount of land to cultivate. According to the Guide to Sustainable Textiles, this means it can produce up to double the fibre yield per hectare than cotton. It also makes a great addition to crop rotations throughout the year for farmers.

However, it's important to be aware that hemp does not always mean organic, and many farmers still use environmentally damaging fertiliser. When going for hemp, make sure it's organic and thoroughly study the brand you're considering buying from.

So from an environmental perspective, the benefits of hemp are pretty clear. But how does it compare once we start processing the raw product into a fabric?

How is hemp turned into a fabric?

Hemp fabric is made from the long strands of fibre that make up the stalk of the plant. These fibres are separated from the bark through a process called "retting." These fibres are then spun together to produce a continuous thread that can be woven into a fabric. The processing methods for hemp were originally developed in the early 1900s, and are only now being updated and expanded to meet rising demand.

The various stages of the process can be done organically through a mechanical process that requires no chemicals. However, many companies now produce hemp fabric chemically, in a process that is much more intensive on the environment, but faster and cheaper to create. Often you can tell that a hemp fabric has gone through this intensive process if it is labelled as "hemp viscose", which normally involves the same harmful processing with toxic chemicals as regular viscose. Some companies may use the less impactful lyocell process, so it is worth double checking before purchasing something made of hemp.

Cost of production is another factor to consider, says Textile Exchange. Since hemp is bulky, transporting it to processing centres can be "expensive and energy-intensive". Shorter, localised supply chains are one possible solution here.

The impact of the fabric doesn't just stop once it has been woven, either. Once the fabric has been created, it may be dyed, which again can result in various environmental outcomes, depending on the technique used.

So the production phase is a bit less clear-cut. Although hemp is a more eco-friendly crop to grow, we still need to be sure that the process being used to turn the plant into a fabric is lower-impact. Producers have a responsibility to ensure their manufacturing process considers the environment, workers, and consumers, along with profitability.

So, what's the verdict?

The good news is that hemp generally constitutes a more sustainable, lower-impact crop that can be converted into fabric responsibly. It's important to make sure, however, that companies are not just greenwashing their hemp. Wondering where to start looking?

Check out these brands using hemp, rated "Good" or "Great" in the Good On You directory:

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Material Guide: How Sustainable Is Hemp Fabric? - Good On You

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Hemp fabric has gained traction as a more sustainable fabric option, but how does it impact the planet and does it deserve a spot in your wardrobe?

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Another fabric I used in my range is lyocell, and this article was extremely useful when determining how and where lyocell is made.

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This website was very useful in showing all the sustainable fabric alternatives to wool that I could use in my collection. Alternatives include lyocell, linen, organic cotton, hemp etc.

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In the wool industry, sheep are beaten, kicked, stamped on, thrown, mutilated, and even killed by the workers who shear them - a recent PETA Asia investigation exposed the cruelty inherent in the UK wool industry.

Luckily, there's no need to buy wool or other animal-derived materials. There has been a surge in the availability of eco-friendly vegan fabrics that are the ideal combination of soft and sustainable, and many clothing brands are now opting for them instead of using wool. Here are some of the high-performing cruelty-free fibres you should be wearing:

SeaCell

Not only is seaweed a great snack, it also makes a great fabric! To manufacture SeaCell fibres, dried seaweed is ground, crushed, and mixed with cellulose. The brown algae used reportedly remineralises the skin, activates cell regeneration, limits inflammation, soothes skin irritation (bye bye, itchy wool!), and detoxifies the body.

Soya Fabric

Soya fabric, also known as "vegetable cashmere", is an eco-friendly, petrochemical-free material made from a by-product of soya-bean processing. It has the softness and lustre of silk, the drape and durability of cotton, and the warmth and comfort of cashmere.

Note: Before purchasing any item, always check the label to make sure that it contains only non-animal materials.
*****

These vegan fabrics are the face of the future. They're versatile and environmentally sound, and they don't involve cruelty to animals - what more could you want?

To find cruelty-free clothing, check out our list of companies using the "PETA-Approved Vegan" logo:

Please also take action for animals suffering in the wool industry and urge boohoo to stop selling wool:

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Forget Wool - Eco-Friendly Vegan Fabrics Are the Future

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In the wool industry, sheep are beaten, kicked, stamped on, thrown, mutilated, and even killed by the workers who shear them - a recent PETA Asia investigation exposed the cruelty inherent in the UK wool industry. Luckily, there's no need to buy wool or other animal-derived materials.

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Using an Excel template table, I created a range plan for my collection. This included each item in my range, the prices, profit margins and unit buys. I was then able to explain these numbers in further detail in my project slides.

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Jemima Barr INP Seasonal Range Plan with VAT

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This website was extremely useful when determining how to market my collection. It showed multiple stats about the Mango website and how many people visit it and how long they visit for. It was particularly interesting to see the bounce back rate of the website which led me to think of ideas on how to improve this.

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Patricia SanMiguel

Teresa Sádaba

Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNCS, volume 12204)

Abstract

This paper analyzes how consumers are interacting with brands in the new digital context. The question research is if there is any homogenization of user behavior when dealing with brands in the e-commerce or not. The paper study Digital User Behavior in Fashion e-commerce, for this purpose, user behavior of Fast Fashion (FF) and Luxury-Premium (LP) e-commerce webpages are investigated. Therefore, a group of 20 fashion brands was selected: 10 of these brands belonged to the FF category and the other 10 to the LP category. User digital behavior is analyzed using six Key Digital Behavior Variables (KDBV), all performative variables that represent how consumers interact with brands through their web pages, based on web user session analysis. Studying digital user behavior enables us to get to know fashion brand consumers and users better. As we have observed, there are increasingly few differences between the behavior of FF web site users and LP web site users.

Keywords

Digital user behavior Fashion E-commerce Business model Fast fashion Luxury Premium

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

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Digital User Behavior in Fashion E-Commerce. A Business Model Comparative Study

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Patricia SanMiguel Teresa Sádaba Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNCS, volume 12204) This paper analyzes how consumers are interacting with brands in the new digital context. The question research is if there is any homogenization of user behavior when dealing with brands in the e-commerce or not.

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A very interesting study, this paper gave insight into which online marketing strategies were preferred by millennials. I used this as evidence when deciding how to market my collection.

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Longitudinal study of digital marketing strategies targeting Millennials

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Longitudinal study of digital marketing strategies targeting Millennials - Author: Katherine Taken Smith

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I have included the INP brief on my Padlet in order for me to easily refer back to it and ensure my work is innkeeping with the guidelines.

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When planning my INP presentation, I referred to this mind map in order to organise my work into the relevant sections. This was extremely helpful when working out how to present my work, and which order would be the most effective.

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To determine what trend idea my collection would follow, I used WGSN women's style trend concepts for ideas, and decided to go with Conscious Clarity. This fits well with my theme of timeless and sustainable garments.

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As part of my brand research I did an instore visit into Mango, where I examined how the items were laid out, the theme of the store, and what items they were selling. This was very useful when determining Mango's brand image.

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From looking at the products in Mango, some of them has labels demonstrating that they were made of sustainable materials as part of Mango's 'Committed' range.

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This article summarises the shopping habits of the different generations, and therefore gave me information on how my customer target would prefer to shop.

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Point of Sale Guides, White Papers & Webinars

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Welcome to our resource center! Explore content created to assist you as you run your business, including point of sale guides, white papers & webinars.

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This website compares the shopping habits of millennials and Generation Y customers, and states the findings of surveys that have been carried out amongst consumers.

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Like it or not, millennials, or Gen Y, will dominate the workplace, and change the workplace and leadership.

Who is Gen Y or Millennials?

The Millennial generation or Gen Y is transforming the nature of careers and the workplace. Their values, beliefs and life style are significantly different from the Baby Boomer generation. These differences will require organizations to adapt due to sheer numbers of Millennials who will dominate the workplace in the coming decade.

By 2020, nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce will consist of Millennials according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Stastistics. Another study predicts nearly 75% by 2025. In Canada, the figures are 75% by the year 2028.

I've had the privilege of working with scores of young Millennials in the Vancouver Board of Trade's Leaders of Tomorrow mentoring program, and I've found them to be passionate and driven to make a difference in the world, and confident they can assume the role of leaders early in their careers. And clearly they see their careers and the workplace very differently than current baby boomers.

Josh Berzin, an talent management expert, writing in magazine advises executives "Your ability to attract, develop, and retain young leaders will make or break your company in the coming years." Berzin argues "The way we move people around, the way we appraise people, the types of rewards we provide...and how we think about careers all need to change. Many of these changes throw sand in the gears of HR."

The Millennial generation has been widely characterized as the "me" generation-self-centered, lazy, and demanding-a reputation that is unbalanced and to some degree mud slinging by the predominant baby boomers, who upon close examination, haven't done so well. One thing is clear, the Millennials will soon be in control of careers and the workplace, and they will change.

The "Lost Generation," a term thought to be coined by Gertrude Stein, was the generation that came of age during WWI, and referred to young people whose prospects in life looked dim. The term was also used to refer to the generation of unemployed youth in the Great Depression. If that term can be applicable to today's Generation Y, it's in reference to their high aspirations yet what some would say are their dismal economic prospects. At the same time, it's clear Gen Y has a very difficult set of values for work and life in general, compared to the Baby Boomers.

What Surveys Say About Millennials

Virtuali, a leadership training firm and consultancy, and WorkplaceTrends.com, a research and advisory membership portal servicing forward-thinking HR professionals, announced the results of a new survey entitled " The Millennial Leadership Study ". Following a national survey of 412 millennials, the study found that 91% of Millennials aspire to be a leader and out of that, 52% were women. Almost half of Millennials define leadership as "empowering others to succeed" and when asked what their biggest motivator was to be a leader, 43% said "empowering others", while only 5% said money and 1% said power. When asked about the type of leader they aspire to be, 63% chose "transformational", which means they seek to challenge and inspire their followers with a sense of purpose and excitement.
Other findings in the survey:

55% of Millennials said that the most important leadership skill is the ability to build relationships, which 66% said was one of their strongest skills;

Millennials want to learn online and have mentors. When asked what type of training would be most effective for their development as a leader, 68% said online classes and 53% said mentoring. Only 4% of Millennials said University courses;

Millennials prefer to have fewer managers. 83% of Millennials said they would prefer to work for a company with fewer layers of management.

Millennials say that the biggest problems with their company's leaders is their ability to develop others (39%) and communication (50%).

Sean Graber, Co-Founder and CEO of Virtuali said: "Millennials embody the shift in today's workplace. They are motivated by a desire to transform themselves, their colleagues, and the world around them. This study confirms that Millennials respond and aspire to this type of transformational leadership. If companies want to build engaged and productive workforces, they will need to find a way to tap into the Millennial outlook."

Dan Schawbel, founder of WorkplaceTrends.com says: "This study confirms that Millennials choose to empower others over making money or being recognized." Schawbel goes on to say in my interview with him that "Millennials want companies to give back to society and make a difference instead of just making a profit. They aren't fond of the command and control "autocratic" leadership style of boomers and want to encourage others to succeed." When asked the question of the bottom-line for companies, Schawbel contends "Millennials want to align themselves with companies that have shared values. If a company can't communicate how it benefits society, then it's going to have trouble engaging Millennials. Millennial workers are most engaged when they are doing work that has meaning."

Kate Taylor, writing in states, "The 9 to 5 job may soon be a relic of the past if Millennials have their way...Freelancing and self-employment are on the rise. Meanwhile 60% of Millennials are leaving their companies in less than three years at a cost to the organization of $20,000 per person to replace."

A Millennial Branding study reported that 45% of Millennials will choose workplace flexibility over pay; 72% want to have a job where they can have an impact; and due to the impact of the recent recession and current high unemployment rate for young people, need economic security (according to a recent AP analysis, more than 53 percent of recent college grads are unemployed or underemployed). An MTV survey reported Millennials want more flexible hours and ability to work remotely with technology; they want to set their own hours and dress how they want; and they believe they can teach older workers and their bosses a thing or two.

According to Dan Schawbel, author of Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success, and an expert on the Millennials, says "Millennials have a different view of how work should be done and what a company's role should be in society. They want companies to give back to the community, to eliminate the traditional 9 to 5 workday collaboration,instead of isolation, and to create a organization fabricated by social media. Millennials, relative to older generations, are all about giving back to communities that align with their core values. They want to make a difference in a world."

Emily Matchar, writing in the Washington Post, "The current corporate culture simply doesn't make sense to much of middle-class Gen Y. Since the cradle, these privileged kids have been offered autonomy, control and choices... They've been encouraged to show their creativity and to take their extracurricular interests seriously. Raised by parents who wanted to be friends with their kids, they're used to seeing their elders as peers rather than authority figures. When they want something, they're not afraid to say so."

Jay Gilbert, writing in the Ivey Business Journal, contends "Millennials are creating a change in how work gets done, as they work more in teams and use more technology. Their social mindset, however, is also a significant factor. As Leigh Buchanon writes in Meet the Millennials, 'One of the characteristics of millennials, besides the fact that they are masters of digital communication, is that they are primed to do well by doing good. Almost 70 percent say that giving back and being civically engaged are their highest priorities.'"

A PWC study of Millennials, in collaboration with The University of Southern California, concluded, among other things, that organizations still embrace old models of work and talent and management, models that are inconsistent with the way Millennials want to work.

David Burstein, author of Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation Is Shaping Our World, and himself a Millennial, argues passionately, "Millennials are part of the quiet progression toward significant, scalable, and lasting change, and they are learning that they can do extraordinary things when they mobilize their peers ... Millennials are trying to incorporate issues, causes and beliefs they are passionate about into busy, complex, multifaceted lives. Millennials are looking for sustainable commitments that can engage them and allow them to contribute to society."

Todd G. Buchholz and Victoria Buchholz, writing in The New York Times, argue "sometime in the past 30 years, someone has hit the brakes and Americans-particularly young Americans-have become risk-aversive and sedentary."

University of New Hampshire management professor Paul Harvey concluded from his research that Gen Y is characterized by a "very inflated sense of self" that leads to "unrealistic expectations" and "chronic disappointment." This view was echoed by a study by Stacy Campbell of Kennesaw State University who says that when it comes to work, Gen Y wants high salaries and lots of leisure time.

In 2008, the renowned TV news program, 60 Minutes ran a story about Gen Y in the workplace described millennials as cynical, unaccustomed to hard work and having fragile egos because their childhoods filled with trophies and adulation didn't prepare them for the cold realities of work.

Bruce Tulgan, the founder of Rainmaker Thinking and an expert on Generation Y, says that "they are a pampered and nurtured generation, being both high performance and high maintenance, with a very high sense of self-worth. Tulgan calls them " Generation X on steroids."

Robin Marantz Henig observed in The New York Times Magazine that Gen Y has pushed back each of the five milestones of adulthood: completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having children.

We know from many studies and experts that Gen Y has grown up naturally collaborative, talented and open-minded, flexible and they thrive on social media, all characteristics well suited to the new economy. Gen Y demands only that the workplace reflect their values-personal growth; work that is meaningful and family first. The 2006 C one Millennial Case Study concluded that a large majority of Gen Y want to work for companies that care about and contribute to society, and would refuse to work for an irresponsible company.

Gen Y sees what is known as the American Dream or middle class dream as less about money and more about living a fulfilling, meaningful life. When asked in the 2011 MetLife Study of the American Dream what was more important to them, 33% said "close family and friends," compared to only 23% who said "having a roof over your head."

In an article in the Bloomberg News, Elliot Blair Smith contends "Generation Y professionals entering the U.S. workforce are finding careers that were once gateways to high pay and upwardly mobile lives turning into detours and dead ends." Cliff Zukin, a Rutgers University professor and senior research fellow argues "This generation will be on the lower path of income for probably all of their life-and at least the next 10 years." Michael Greenstone, who was the Chief Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisors in 2009-10 says the shift to a downwardly mobile society may be lasting.

According to The Wall Street Journal, almost 300,000 Americans with college degrees were working in minimum wage jobs, which constitutes 70% more than 10 years ago. Nearly 50% of the college graduate in the class of 2010 are working in jobs that don't require a college degree. Recently McDonalds issued a recruitment advertisement asking for applicants to have college degrees.

No group in America has been hit harder during recent tough economic times than young adults. Millions of them are graduating from college with virtually no money, lots of debt and very dim employment prospects. According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, the national rate of unemployment for Americans 25 and younger is almost 19%. According to the Pew Research center, approximately 37% of the Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have either been unemployed or underemployed at some point during the recession. The Pew Center also reported that only 61% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 are covered by some kind of health plan. A poll for Sun Life Financial Canada found 90% of people aged 18-24 reported feeling excessive stress because of economic instability and underemployment.

Gen Y and Leadership

A report by the Center For Creative Leadership (CCL) by Jennifer Deal and Regina Eckert dispelled some myths about Millennials including: they care more for compensation than previous generations; they are disrespectful of authority; and they aren't loyal, showing the data does not support those myths. The report underscored the importance of firms find cost-effective ways to train Millennials, particularly through the use of technology. The report also emphasized the importance of coaching and mentoring for Millennials, which provides opportunities for face-to-face personal growth.

Josh Bersin, writing in , reviewed a global study by Deloitte on Millennials. Among the conclusions Bersin provides are the following:

"Millennials want leadership and they want it their way;"

Millennials desperately want to acquire leadership skills;

Millennials value an "open, transparent and inclusive leadership style;"

Millennials want rapid career growth;Millennials "thrive on fairness and performance-based appraisal, not tenure."

Bersin concludes his article : "It's clear from our work with many companies that things need to change...Today's Millennials will definitely rule the world. Our job now is to make our organizations ready, so they can slip right into place and help us lead our businesses in their own special way."

Mara Swan, executive vice president of global strategy at human resources consultancy ManpowerGroup, says Gen Y's perceived skepticism toward traditional corporate structures should make them more democratic in their approach as leaders. Dropping command-and-control leadership models in favor of more collaborative, collective organizational reporting orders is likely to be a defining hallmark.

"It's going to be much more horizontal," Swan said. "They don't think of power as being something to warrant; they think about sharing it." With respect to leadership development "We have to stop one-way learning," said ManpowerGroup's Swan. "You have to talk about what you want them to do, and you have to let them experience it and teach each other. The instructor has to move from an instructor to a facilitator of learning, and it has to be very experiential. I also think learning has to be tied to the purpose of the company vs. the task you're trying to teach."

The Millennial Compass Report completed by the MLS Group and the Ashbridge Business School in the U.K. entitled "Truths About the 30-and-under Generation in the Workplace," concluded Millennials "are focused on achieving through personal networks and technology; having good work-life balance; and getting high levels of support from their managers. They don't want to be tied to an organization, a timetable, or a hierarchy, and they'd rather avoid the stress they see their senior leaders shouldering."

These reports show Millennials' different attitudes and expectations towards work and careers compared to the current dominant Baby Boomers. Also clear is Millennials' definition of loyalty to the organization and expectations for frequent career or job changes. Millennials have a very different perspective and expectation of the role and behavior of managers, seeing them more in an encouraging, coaching, and peer capacity, something that is currently at odds with the current generation of Baby Boomer managers who see their role as one associated more with power and position.

Kyle Borchardt, co-founder and chief operating officer of Virtuali, noted that millennials' desire for leadership roles, especially as entry-level employees, has contributed to their reputation as "entitled" in the eyes of older generations. But as the survey shows, Gen Y professionals aren't necessarily seeking a senior title out of the gate; they just want to feel empowered to lead

"[Millennials] don't really view titles as a determination of leadership," Borchardt told Business News Daily. "They can be leaders whether or not they have a vice president or director title. The traditional hierarchy of leadership is dated - organizations with a flatter structure have better [career] development, higher engagement and better leadership."

The reason this generation is so eager to take on leadership roles so early in their careers is because they truly want to make a difference in all aspects of their lives, said P.J. Neal, senior product manager at Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) and lead developer of HBP's "Employers should work to New Leader Program . develop leadership capabilities and a leadership mindset in millennials early in their careers, so they are ready to step up sooner into more senior roles. [First,] deliver small learning experiences at regular intervals, stretching the learning out over weeks and months. This will increase impact and behavior change best and ensure the learning sticks with employees well after the program is completed. Second, have employees practice new skills on an actual job they need to do and then bring that experience back into the development program. Third, make sure to build in reflection. Taking time to reflect on what you just did, or what you just learned, has been shown to increase knowledge retention and improve behavior change," says Neal.

"Any way you look at it, millennials want to have an impact," Neal said. "In the workplace, this manifests itself as an employee who wants to understand the big picture - your strategy, roadmap, market, client needs, etc. - and to link his or her individual performance to those broader goals. Organizations need to harness the enthusiasm of this generation of leaders, rather than being put off by it."

Millennials consistently rate leadership development among the most important employer benefits. At the same time, they expect it to be delivered differently from that to Baby Boomers, expecting it to be highly individualized and on-demand and experiential in nature. More than 60% of the respondents indicated companies are not providing sufficient leadership training.

It will be difficult for employers to keep top talent if there aren't additional incentives based outside job titles and financial compensation, respondents reported.

Ninety-five percent of Millennials surveyed aspire to be leaders in their careers, despite the fact that less than 50% have found leadership roles. Why? Because they have a more egalitarian perspective. They see leadership not as an organizational chart or direct reports, but rather as relationships , networking and developing others, regardless of titles.

Millennials value people-centric leadership, underscoring the importance of communication and relationship skills, and place less value on "hard skills" such as technical competence or industry knowledge.

Millennials identified coaching and mentoring as the most important developmental activities by a wide margin, which emphasizes also the importance of experiential learning.

Deloitte has released a report, "Mind the Gaps: The 2015 Deloitte Millennial Survey." The study collected the view of more than 7,800 Millennials representing 29 countries. Among the conclusions of the report were the following:

Millennials believe that business needs to "reset" in terms of paying as much attention to people and purpose as it does to products and profit;

More than 7% of those surveyed believe businesses should have a positive impact on society first;

Millennials want to know that businesses are acting ethically and in accordance with their own values;

Millennials view leadership in a way that runs contrary to how they see it today; they would like to see leaders place a higher priority on employee well-being and development rather than financial rewards;

Millennial women place a higher value on employee well-being than Millennial men.

Deloitte's latest Millennial Survey titled 'Winning over the next generation of leaders' , the survey unearths information pivotal for anyone who is hiring millennials, working with millennials or promoting millennials. If Gen Y are to be the future leaders of both existing and not yet conceived industries, forward thinking organizations need to be strategizing now about how to gain their attention and maintain it beyond the pivotal two year mark indicated by Deloitte's research. T he report points to the fact that millennials are less likely to wish to stay or lead in an organization that doesn't support their values or doesn't make active choices to support them as an individual within the organization. The report makes some suggestions on how organizations can take steps to retain Gen Y leaders, among which are:

Focus on team building to foster greater loyalty. While many millennials will still feel loyalty towards an organization, increasingly more are reporting loyalty as a result of being in a team that is productive and like-minded. There is a greater responsibility than ever for team leaders and department heads to consciously and proactively develop and maintain team cohesion. By using this to your advantage and focusing on building strong teams with enhanced interdepartmental interaction, you will be encouraging bonds to be made that are focused on group achievement and team directed innovation.

Encourage a mentoring program amongst millennial staff. Mentoring doesn't have to necessarily be between staff of different generations, it also has a place between millennial team members. For the mentor, the opportunity to demonstrate their values as they see them operate within the organization will solidify their own position and reasons for remaining loyal to their team and mentee. For the mentee, they will have a light of influence to look to who can directly relate to their perspective and ideals, but can also facilitate the alignment of these values alongside those of the organization.

Demonstrate the organization's values in action.

Millennials, particular those in more senior positions, are no longer just looking for that foot in the door. They are looking for purpose in their work and in the organisation they work for. Authenticity and the demonstration of this from their organization is perhaps the greatest retention strategy for millennials in any industry. Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk wherever and whenever you get the opportunity to. Millennials want to contribute to the positive impact they believe business has on a society, but in doing so they wish to hold onto their own beliefs while achieving those of the organisation. Knowing this, current leaders can start to initiate change in their organisation to support these desires of their millennial team members and leaders.

It's clear that Millennial or Gen Y will have a significant impact on the workplace just from the perspective of their large numbers. But also because their values about work-life, leadership and the purpose and impact of business on society and the world is of great importance to them.

And while progressive companies such as Google have taken positive steps to address the issues mentioned, most employers have yet to come to terms with how the Millennial generation is on the cusp of drastically changing how we view work and business. And may end up doing so at the cost of insufficient talent strategies and retention problems.

My Personal Experience with Gen Y

I've had the opportunity to coach and consult current leaders of organizations, most of whom are Baby Boomers, and a significant number of them express frustration and concern with Gen Y, because they don't share the same perspectives about work and life. The realistic current leaders, who understand that Millennials will soon make up between 50-75% of the workforce, are changing and adapting their workplace processes and structures to not just accommodate the new generation, but harness Millennials' passion for innovation and technology and more collaborative leadership style.
Read my latest book: Eye of the Storm: How Mindful Leaders Can Transform Chaotic Workplaces , available in paperback and Kindle on and Amazon in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia Barnes & Noble

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Millennials: How Gen Y Will Lead Us Into the Future - Ray Williams

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In my article in The Financial Post I show that although leadership training programs abound, they have failed to produce good leaders. We can add to this problem the fact that the next generation of leaders, Gen Y or Millennials, have vastly different expectations for leaders and how they want to be trained as future leaders.

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This is a screenshot from an Acorn classification that I used for my Mango customer profile. Using Acorn I found the postcode of a Mango customer and it demonstrated the habitats of a typical customer, both shopping and otherwise.

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Using UK tribes I could define the type of consumer that shops at Mango for my customer profile. I chose Urban, as it links to city living in multicultural hubs, which I think is the target audience for Mango.

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The Urban segment is intrinsically linked to inner city living - young people living in busy multicultural hubs, with rich and varied influences, where wealth and poverty sit side by side - and with access to the latest sounds, clubs and fashion.

Across all segments, Urban Tribes are strongly influenced by what they see and experience in their immediate environment - many cite family, church and the local community as huge influences. Being part of the 'local' scene is key - there's enthusiasm for supporting grass roots talent and local movements, and many Urbans identify themselves with a specific area in the city - such the grime duo Newham Generals or gangs across big cities.

Urbans are best known for music - from r'n'b, grime, UK bass and funky to old school jungle and rap. Members are proactive in their search for new sounds, getting behind new releases, picking up digital mix tapes and sharing them with their social networks. Urban Tribes play a hugely important role in dictating the artists that break through to the mainstream - just ask Tinchy Stryder!

Fashion-wise, street wear rules - from classic sports brands to independent urban labels, such as King Apparel. Drawing inspiration from US street fashion, these Tribes were among the first to adopt the baseball jacket and snap back combo - a look now adopted by Leading Edge Tribes aplenty.

There's no getting away from it, urban sounds and styles dominate the mainstream and mean big business. The explosion of grime and street wear is testament to this segment's wield over popular culture.

Get Paid Crew
Get Paid Crew are highly aspirational, driven by money and being their own boss.
More straight-laced than their innovative DIYer cousins and likely to be working hard to set up their own business, get a good job and make money, money, money - once connected to dodgy dealings, there is now a huge amount of respect for the success orientated GPCs.

Stylers
Still representing status and style, it's about partying, looking good and staying ahead of cool.
Stylers hold strong on the UK Tribes map - innately cool and stylish, the rising influence of Urban fashion and music have made them a hugely aspirational Tribe for youth today. As luxe sportswear and Urban high fashion has hit the Aspirants (check out the Hypebeasts), more young people than ever before are looking like a Styler and aspiring to their luxury lifestyle.

Trackies

Trackies are laid back enthusiasts motivated by the need to chill, whether that's gaming, watching films or listening to music.

They're all about hanging out, playing sports and computer games, ordering pizza and getting their hands on a bit of weed! Typically seen as those with the potential to achieve but lacking in motivation, these guys just want to chill out man!

Wasteman
Rebellious, loud and little bit dodgy.
Part Chaver, part Chav, part Trackie and part Get Paid Crew - this is the updated Chav, a low level wheeler dealer, likely to be shotting weed, wearing trackies and trading knock off trainers than being admired by other segments, in fact, most run a mile when they see them.

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The Urban segment is intrinsically linked to inner city living - young people living in busy multicultural hubs, with rich and varied influences, where wealth and poverty sit side by side - and with access to the latest sounds, clubs and fashion.

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This website was extremely useful for determining what shopping habits are used by millennials, and I added this to my customer profile.

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How Each Generation Shops in 2020 - Salesfloor

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Shopping habits of different generations.

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As part of my customer profile for Mango, I decided to interview some Mango customers on their style. I designed a short questionnaire for them to fill in, and contacted the interviewees via social media.

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I have uploaded my initial business plan which I completed half way through my project. This is a good way to demonstrate my progress and to reflect back on how my work is going.

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I found this website extremely useful when determining Mango's strengths for my SWOT analysis.

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Mango, the clothes retailer that is, not its name sake, the luscious mango fruit. When we think of Spanish retailer success stories, Zara immediately comes to mind and indeed it is still the number one clothes retailer out of Spain and one of the top 10 in the world. Zara and Mango are owned by the two richest men in Spain; Zara by Amancio Ortego and Mango by Isak Andic. These two Spanish giants have survived the recession of the last several years and are set to flourish if their predictions are to be believed. Zara is currently about 5 times bigger than Mango and has become a raving success story with its revolutionary turnaround time on getting the latest trends out to the masses. Mango, however is starting to catch up and has ambitious plans for the future. It was hit hard by the recent recession but is set to take the world by storm, one shop at a time - So how does it plan to do this and why does Spain turn out such world class clothing retailers?

In the words of the Fashions Houses owner Isak Andic "We create a fashionable product at an affordable price, in an environment that appeals to the consumer." Can it really be this simple?

Mango's turnover last year was €1.9 billion (US$2.6 billion) and already operates in 107 countries. Mango plans to open lots more branches and increase its turnover to €5 billion by 2017. Here's how it plans to do that - By mirroring the success strategies that have worked for Zara - Just like Zara copies high end fashion designs and churns out trendy clothes at cut cost prices.

1. Diversifying: Mango traditionally had a fairly limited range of just women's wear and accessories but has diversified its range in the past couple of years extending to men's ware, teenage wear, plus size range and children's ware. This has opened up a whole different market to them and broadened their customer base.

2. Changing focus of product line: Mango has been known for glitzier evening wear and basics in the past but it now focusing more on day wear. "We had gone way too far with our focus on clothes for parties and events," said Enric Casi, general manager of the Barcelona-based retailer. "Not even our employees wore Mango." Focusing more on daywear makes practical sense as if you look at a typical woman's wardrobe, you will see that the majority of clothes need to suit work and play for daytime. The turnover for daytime wear is also more often as clothes are worn more often.

3. Reducing Turn Around Time on New Trends: One of Zara's key success strategies has been making trends available with new looks being showcased every 2 weeeks, bringing customers into their shops and online more often. Mango is going to take a leaf out of Zara's book and plan to cut design to shop times. They will do this by bringing manufacturing from Asia to Europe but this may backfire as manufacture in Europe tends to cost more. Whether they can make a success of this remains to be seen.

4. Cutting Costs: Mango has made significant strides in catching up with Zara by slashing prices. Known generally for better quality, this has given Mango a decided edge. This strategy seems to be working with sales last year increasing by 9.3%

The key to Mango's continued success can be applied to any company; a willingness to be flexible and go with what works. Remaining stagnant is never an option if you want to grow. Keeping an eye on your competition and adopting best practices will help you reach your goals. As Mango moves onward and upward in 2015, I will be keeping a keen eye to see if they reach their ambitious €5 billion turnover goal by 2017.

Contact us

If you are looking to emulate Mango or indeed Zara's success in the clothing industry or in any other industry in Spain, then keep in mind that Healy Consultants Group PLC Pte Ltd have much experience with company startup services in Spain and in Europe. For more information, please contact us at
Useful Links:

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Mango Fashion - Another Spanish Success Story

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Mango, the clothes retailer that is, not its name sake, the luscious mango fruit. When we think of Spanish retailer success stories, Zara immediately comes to mind and indeed it is still the number one clothes retailer out of Spain and one of the top 10 in the world.

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Here I have attached a screenshot from Edited, comparing the percentage of types of garments in Mango, Zara and Bershka. This is very useful to compare the types of products that I should use for my range; for example, in all shops the greatest percentage of items is tops, so my range will include more tops than bottoms.

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In order to compare and score brands on their sustainability, I used a website called 'Good on You'. It gives brands a fair assessment of their environmental ratings, and is a good way to see how sustainable they are.

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Mango's environment rating is 'not good enough'. It uses some eco-friendly materials including organic cotton. There is no evidence it reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in most of its supply chain. There is no evidence it implements water reduction initiatives. There is no evidence that it has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals.

Its labour rating is 'not good enough'. Some of its supply chain is certified by Business Social Compliance Initiative Code of Conduct - BSCI and Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit - SMETA Best Practice Guidance in the final stage of production. It received a score of 21-30% in the Fashion Transparency Index. There is no evidence it implements practices to support diversity and inclusion in its supply chain. There is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. It does not disclose adequate policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19.

Its animal rating is 'not good enough'. It has a general statement about minimising animal suffering but not a formal animal welfare policy. It uses leather, down and exotic animal hair. It has a policy to source wool from non-mulesed sheep but does not provide evidence on how it is implemented. It does not use fur, angora or exotic animal skin. There is no evidence it traces any animal products to the first stage of production.

Mango is rated 'Not good enough' overall.

Last updated February 2022

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Mango's environment rating is 'not good enough'. It uses some eco-friendly materials including organic cotton. There is no evidence it reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in most of its supply chain. There is no evidence it implements water reduction initiatives.

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Week 1 of my project went well and I managed to complete all the tasks I had set myself apart from completing my INP proposal form. I went into a Mango store and took some pictures for primary research which I have uploaded to my Padlet. Visiting the Mango store was very useful when seeing what clothes they prioritise, how the store is laid out, and what their current pricing is. This was all very useful information for determining what clothes would suit the brand when designing my range, and how I would later decide to market them. I also did some research on Eliza Batten and justified why using her for the collaboration would be a strong strategy for the collection.

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This week’s tasks proved quite difficult when the government announced that the area in which I live would be going into tier 4 due to Coronavirus, meaning that shops would be closed. This meant that I was unable to complete my comp shop store visits, and I therefore had to change my original plan and complete the comp shop online using brand websites and Edited. In order to complete a questionnaire for my customer profile, I contacted two influencers from Instagram and they kindly offered to answer my questions. It was interesting to see their style tips and offer their opinion of why they shop at Mango.

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I managed to complete all of the tasks I had set myself to do this week. I really enjoyed creating my mood board and deciding what colours and prints I wanted to use in my range. I found it really interesting researching on WGSN what items will be on trend for A/W 21/22 and how I would include them in my range plan.

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My plan included a lot this week and I unfortunately did not manage to finish it all. The government announced that education would no longer be open meaning we could not go into college and use the software available to use on the college computers. I therefore had to download Photoshop onto my laptop in order to complete designing my range. I have rolled the remaining tasks over into next weeks plan.

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This week I completed the remaining tasks that I did not manage to do last week, including product development, price architecture, washing line and allocation strategy. As there is still uncertainty surrounding both Brexit and COVID-19, I did find it more difficult to create a sourcing strategy for the collection that I thought. I wanted to make sure that neither of these issues would become a problem when sourcing my range from different countries.

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I found it difficult this week to find the time to work on my INP because I started a three-week work placement at M&S. However, I managed to complete the merchandising excel spreadsheet and add this to my presentation. It was really interesting to understand how merchandisers work out the number of units to buy of each product, and how the profit margins are then calculated.

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I particularly enjoyed the tasks I had set myself this week and I found it really interesting deciding how to market my collection. This was due to using Eliza Batten as the influencer, and determining how she would advertise the range on her platform in order to reach the target audience. I did however, find it difficult to complete the space layout slide. Due to lockdown, I was unable to visit Mango stores and research how they would normally lay out their stores and determine how I would lay out my own collection. Luckily, I had visited a small Mango store when they were open and I could get some ideas from that.

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During this week for my final placement week at Marks and Spencer, I had to do a presentation on a competitive analysis that we performed as a group. I therefore did not have that much time to do my INP throughout the week however I managed to complete my evaluation as well as my executive summary at the weekend ahead of schedule, allowing me more time in the last week to perform checks and final adjustments of the project.

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As I completed my executive summary ahead of time, the only thing left for me to do this week was perfect my bibliography and make sure all information within my project was referenced properly. In order to make a bibliography for my project I created a Word document and added all the references that I had used from websites throughout the 9 weeks. I then used the A-Z tool on Word to make sure that they were in alphabetical order, and then copied the bibliography to my slides.

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An article that states what countries Mango currently sources from, including China where it sources 42% of its goods. I used this article to determine where I would source my range from as I wanted some countries to be the same as Mango uses because they would already have built relationships with suppliers.

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BARCELONA, Spain - Shoppers in the 109 countries where Spanish fashion chain Mango has stores recognise its celebrity faces well, but few know much about the company behind the clothes modelled by , Gerard Pique and Scarlett Johansson.

"Mango is from Spain, part of the Inditex group, isn't it?" said Maria Lekae, 29, a Russian shopper browsing in the branch on Barcelona's smart street Passeig de Gracia.

Her misconception that Mango is one of owner Inditex's cluster of brands is common. In fact, the 30-year-old Barcelona-based company is private and unrelated to the world's largest retailer, based in Galicia, northern Spain.

That could change if Mango successfully implements a 10-year plan to break out from under the shadow of its larger Spanish competitor and equal Zara's current level of sales, which topped 10.5 billion euros last year compared with Mango's 1.7 billion.

"We began later than them, that's why you need to give us 10 years to catch up!" Managing Director Enric Casi told Reuters in an interview at Mango's headquarters and design centre on an industrial estate 30 km from downtown Barcelona.

Mango has pushed out to even more markets than its larger listed peer, which opened its first store about 40 years ago. It aims to continue expansion at the rate of more than four new stores a week, entering four new countries this year.

It also said a new strategy to reduce production costs and prices of its clothes had halted a two-year profit fall, increasing net profit for 2012 by 82 percent to 113 million euros ($150.00 million).

Casi described how the firm recaptured European customers battling austerity, with designers creating less expensive clothes, less evening wear and more casual garments.

"In 2010, 2009, we made markdowns, but in 2011 we did so many we ate up half the profit," he said.

"We now start with a lower price but without discounts or markdowns later."
THE DANGEROUS MID-MARKET
Mango put prices alongside outfits in catalogues and advertising last year, in a similar way to H&M.

Budget retailers such as Primark, owned by Associated Foods , have thrived during the economic slowdown as consumers buy cheaper clothes. Some luxury brands have also held up.

But the mid-market is suffering. Mango makes 16 percent of sales and has 326 outlets in Spain, which is racked by high unemployment and recession. Even veteran department store El Corte Ingles is suffering.

The market repositioning is paying off, with 2012 global sales up 20 percent and the firm back in profit after dropping 32 percent in 2010 and 38 percent in 2011.

Cheap labour in China, source of 42 percent of Mango clothes, and countries including Turkey, South Korea, Morocco and Bangladesh will remain a central strategy for the company, Casi said.

The collapse of a building in Bangladesh, killing 1,129 people has raised questions about conditions in producing countries. Forms for a Mango sample order were found in April in the rubble of Rana Plaza.

"Today, if you want to produce textiles, apart from the cloth, you know the countries of the world where you must buy and if you buy in other places you go wrong and you fail," he said. "In China, they sew better than in Europe nowadays."

Mango's founders, the Andic brothers, Isak and Nahman, opened their first store at 65 Passeig de Gracia in 1984, when Casi worked as a consultant for them.

"It was an old fur shop and I remember we opened up so quickly we still had the name of the fur shop there and Mango's sign in red letters," he said.
NEW VENTURES
Since then, Mango has notched up about 2,600 stores. By comparison, H&M has over 2,900, while Inditex has more than 6,000, of which over 1,700 are Zara.

The retail empire has made Mango President and his family the fourth richest in Spain, according to Forbes. Andic, who loves yachts and art, resists giving interviews.

"We're now in another market, we're competing with Inditex, with H&M, and we're very satisfied," said Casi.

Key to Mango's 10-year strategy lies in developing a group of brands for men, children and older women, building on its Mango Touch accessories line started in 2011 and H.E. by Mango.

"It seems they want to use an umbrella brand and the doubt is whether they'll have the ability to not only grow but also adapt their structure to this new strategy," said Gerard Costa, marketing professor at Barcelona-based ESADE business school.

In Mango's 12,000-square-metre design centre El Hangar is a pilot shop where the display of the new formats is worked out.

Samples for the line Mango Kids, launching this summer, include gold hotpants costing 27.99 euros.

Mango also launches its Sport&Intimates underwear line this summer; next year, it plans to bring in lines targeting teens and mature women.

It aims for group sales of 1.98 billion euros by year end.
Additional reporting by Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm; Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Pravin Char

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Spain's Mango Takes on Retail Fashion Rivals Inditex and H&M

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BARCELONA, Spain - Shoppers in the 109 countries where Spanish fashion chain Mango has stores recognise its celebrity faces well, but few know much about the company behind the clothes modelled by , Gerard Pique and Scarlett Johansson. "Mango is from Spain, part of the Inditex group, isn't it?"

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I used this article for information on why China is a good country to source from and how it achieves its low manufacturing and labour costs.

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Chinese manufacturing is a practice that U.S. and international businesses have recognized as an essential asset to reducing prices for their products. It's utilized by some of the most prominent brands and it has become a staple to successful manufacturing. As domestic prices rise, the need for affordable overseas manufacturing grows.

China has answered that call and today, you see the "Made in China" tagline on many custom products including clothing, furniture, and toys. Their manufacturing capabilities have continued to grow since the inception of China manufacturing, and their factories produce private label products worldwide. In 2002, China had over 80 million total employees in the manufacturing sector. By 2009, that number had grown to approximately 100 million. The United States, the next closest, maintained a steady decline in manufacturing employees through this period, with 15 million manufacturing employees by the end of 2009.

China has the lowest labor costs in the entire world for manufacturing employees. At the same time, it has grown an economy responsible for bringing more people out of poverty than any other country. Lower costs of living make China's low wages manageable for the common manufacturing worker, and their factories are thriving by producing goods for the entire world. and other companies help transition businesses to the profitable and successful move of manufacturing in China.

Lower manufacturing costs

The cost differential between manufacturing domestically and manufacturing in China is significant. Domestic manufacturers have higher overhead with steep training costs and high turnover. China's affordability makes overseas manufacturing ideal for the common business.

Cheaper labor

Outsourcing to China gives you access to that factory's cheap labor without having to train the employees, provide access to a computer, or endure any of the other hardships of hiring locally. Wages are significantly lower in China and tapping into those savings is as easy as establishing a relationship with a factory.

Higher production capability

China-based factories produce goods for the global economy. They have scaled their manufacturing capabilities well beyond what was ever believed possible. When you outsource to China, you're working with time-tested factories that have been producing quality products in similar industries as yours for years on end, and in massive supply.

Better expansion and diversification opportunities

Have you wanted to expand your business and offer new product lines or tap into upcoming markets, but didn't see that being possible through existing wholesalers ? Outsourcing to China manufacturers allows you to do this on-the-fly. You can expand and diversify your product offerings, as well as sell your products to international markets much easier.

You can still cut lead times

When you manufacture domestically, you become accustom to an immediate lead time. You're manufacturing on-site, so there's no real delay from when you place an order to when you receive it. This results in considerable savings because you can manufacture only the amount of stock that is needed, without over-manufacturing and eating into the budget.

This is often seen as a drawback of outsourcing the manufacturing process to an overseas provider. Your lead times are significantly increased, which means you might have to order more than is needed to account for the delay. However, with China manufacturers there are actually ways to cut lead times and experience quick deliveries of your product, which allows you to carry less stock and spend less.

Some of the ways you can do this include:

1. Order more often... By increasing the frequency in which you place orders, you will have a continuous supply of incoming product. Many factories have minimum order quantities, but they're often set at reasonable amounts or are negotiable by arranging for more frequent orders. By placing orders more often, you won't feel the pressures of low inventory and have a dire need to manufacture more product. This might be a more expensive approach since you won't get reduced bulk shipping, it will save your business money in carrying costs. Keeping too much supply on hand is a costly mistake that can be a damaging move to a startup.

2. Send automated information... When you place an order for product with your supplier, are there manual processes that must take place for the order to be approved? If you can, work on automating the delivery of that information. Whether it's a purchase order, invoice, or inventory sheet, start using software to automate the process. Inventory management software allows for auto purchase order generation and reorders once inventory levels reach a certain criterion.

3. Share your data... By providing your supplier with forecasts on inventory levels, you can allow them to track the same data and automate a purchase order on your behalf when needed. There are many suppliers that will happily integrate with your inventory management software and take the burden of monitoring SKUs and their inventory levels off your shoulders. Rather than having to expedite shipping for an order because inventory is low, the factory will already have kept tabs on the situation and done this for you.

Production efficiency

Domestic manufacturing can be extremely expensive. Between labor and training costs, complications in the manufacturing process, and equipment costs, U.S. and other mainland manufacturing companies must have considerable profit margins to manufacture at home successfully. These are industries such as aerospace, where profit is considerably high and sometimes even government-backed. Startups and businesses that are new to the industry have little chance of competing. China eliminates the high rate of failure that is so common in domestic manufacturing. Production efficiency is extremely high and because labor costs are affordable in China, complications like defects rarely derail the operation. Things can continue running smoothly and at little expense to your business.

Scam prevention

One of the biggest concerns with manufacturing in China is the potential for being scammed. When you aren't working face-to-face, when there are language barriers, when the location of the factory is across an ocean, there's a tendency to grow worried. Companies like Sourcify actively work to protect businesses by connecting them with trusted and vetted overseas factories. You can immediately build a relationship and start outsourcing your manufacturing to China, without having to worry about being scammed or taken advantage of. Their system is a fool-proof way to get started that essentially guarantees you success in choosing a factory.

Product duplication capabilities

Is there a competing product that hit the nail on the head? You love what they did, you think it's fantastic, and you'd like to produce something similar for your own business. You don't want any legal trouble though, so you know it must be a duplicate and not an exact copy. China's product duplication capabilities are superior, and they can copy products at faster speed and with better accuracy than almost anywhere else. This is the exact process that made China the manufacturing kingpin to begin with. They used American and Japanese made products as inspiration and produce replicas that are essentially the same thing, but from materials that cost less and with a cheaper labor force. If you already have a working concept of a product you would like to rebrand manufacture for yourself, China's factories are a dependable and trustworthy place to make it happen.
Why is copycat manufacturing such a big deal?
Without the ability to duplicate an existing product and do it better and for less money, manufacturing would never evolve. It's the copycat culture that empowers the competition and allows for improvements. Quality may vary depending on the factory that implements the duplication, but one thing is for certain, it continues to improve with each iteration and becomes closer to exact resemblance of the real thing, or possibly even a better version. It's not uncommon at all to find a better quality and better priced replica from a China-based factory. Many times, the replica comes from the exact same factory as the original product.

Communicating and negotiating with factories

Traditionally, a drawback of working with an overseas supplier would be the language barrier and communication deficiency. Today, that barrier has almost been eliminated entirely.

With Skype and other communication technologies, there are many ways to get your message across and communicate with your factory of choice. You can send emails and text chats, talk through VOIP, connect on a conference call, share screens with voice chat, create videos, or use virtually any communication medium you wish. Most factories have English speaking representatives there to solve your problems and answer questions. They understand the need for a personalized experience.

Being able to negotiate with factories is another key advantage to China manufacturing. The competitive nature between factories means that you can shop for the most affordable and most responsive factory to produce your products. You have complete freedom to shop around, so-to-speak, and resources like Sourcify help put that power in your hands.

How to find a manufacturer

When it comes to manufacturing a new product in China, there is a reason that so many businesses choose Sourcify . It's one of the only tools that connects you with real, vetted factories, based in China, that have reputable histories with thousands of other entrepreneurs. It's a platform that enables products to go from the innovative stages of conception and modeling, to a genuine reality. You can create better products for your business and save time by working with an exclusive community of factories that are the real deal, not some fly-by-night operation.

Conclusion

If your business could benefit from lower manufacturing costs, China manufacturing might be the single best move your company could ever make. There are hundreds of quality suppliers established in China with real factories. Consider outsourcing your ideas or products overseas to get the most out of your business and improve your bottom line.

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The Advantages of Manufacturing in China and the Benefits It Brings to your Business | Sourcify

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Chinese manufacturing is a practice that U.S. and international businesses have recognized as an essential asset to reducing prices for their products. It's utilized by some of the most prominent brands and it has become a staple to successful manufacturing. As domestic prices rise, the need for affordable overseas manufacturing grows.

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Bershka is owned by Inditex.

Its environment rating is 'not good enough'. It uses few eco-friendly materials. It has set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations and supply chain but there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target. It has fast fashion traits such as on trend styles and regular new arrivals. There is no evidence it minimises textile waste when manufacturing its products.

Its labour rating is 'not good enough'. Little of its supply chain is certified by labour standards which ensure worker health and safety, living wages or other labour rights. It received a score of 31-40% in the 2021 Fashion Transparency Index. There is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. It discloses some policies to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19. It has been linked with sourcing cotton from the Xinjiang region in China at risk of using Uyghur forced labour and has taken insufficient steps to remediate.

Its animal rating is 'it's a start'. It has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with Five Freedoms but has no clear mechanisms to implement. It uses leather. It has a policy to source wool from non-mulesed sheep but does not provide evidence on how it is implemented. It does not use fur, exotic animal hair, angora or exotic animal skin. There is no evidence it traces any animal products to the first stage of production.

Bershka is rated 'Not good enough' overall.

Last updated February 2022

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Bershka is owned by Inditex.Its environment rating is 'not good enough'. It uses few eco-friendly materials. It has set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations and supply chain but there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target.

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Zara - Sustainability Rating - Good On You

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Zara is owned by Inditex.Its environment rating is ‘not good enough’. It uses few eco-friendly materials. It has set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations and supply chain but there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target. It has fast fashion traits such as on trend styles and regular new arrivals. There is no evidence it minimises textile waste when manufacturing its products.Its labour rating is ‘not good enough’. Half of its final stage of production is undertaken in Spain, a medium risk country for labour abuse. It received a score of 31-40% in the 2021 Fashion Transparency Index. There is no evidence it ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. It discloses some policies to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19.Its animal rating is ‘not good enough’. It has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with Five Freedoms but has no clear mechanisms to implement. It uses leather and exotic animal hair. It has a policy to source wool from non-mulesed sheep but does not provide evidence on how it is implemented. It does not use fur, angora or exotic animal skin. There is no evidence it traces any animal products to the first stage of production.Zara is rated ‘Not good enough’ overall.

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Our "Planet" rating evaluates brands based on the environmental policies in their supply chains, from carbon emissions and wastewater to business models and product circularity. Here we rate H&M "Not Good Enough". These are a few factors influencing its score:

It uses some lower-impact materials including recycled materials.

It follows an unsustainable fast fashion model with quickly changing trends and regular new styles.

It has set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations and supply chain but there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target.

It's published a biodiversity protection policy that applies to some of its supply chain.

Workers' rights are central to our "People" rating, which assess brands' policies and practices on everything from child labour to living wages and gender equality. Here we rate H&M "Not Good Enough". These are a few factors influencing its score:

Little of its supply chain is certified by crucial labour standards that help ensure worker health and safety, living wages, and other rights.

It received a score of 71-80% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index.

There's no evidence it supports diversity and inclusion in its supply chain.

There's no evidence it ensures workers are paid living wages in its supply chain.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not disclose adequate policies or safeguards to protect workers in its supply chain from impact of the virus.

Brands' animal welfare policies and, where applicable, how well they trace their animal-derived products are the focus of our "Animals" rating. Here we rate H&M "Not Good Enough". These are a few factors influencing its score:

It has a formal policy aligned with the Five Domains of animal welfare.

It appears to use leather, exotic animal hair, and silk.

Responsible Wool Standard certifies some of the wool it sources.

Responsible Down Standard certifies the down it uses.

It doesn't appear to use fur, angora, or exotic animal skin.

It traces some animal-derived materials to the first production stage.

Based on all publicly available information we've reviewed, we rate H&M "Not Good Enough" overall.

Last updated November 2023

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Our "Planet" rating evaluates brands based on the environmental policies in their supply chains, from carbon emissions and wastewater to business models and product circularity. Here we rate H&M "Not Good Enough".

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As part of my comp shop I compared Mango to Zara's website in order to see what Mango was doing right, or ideas on how to improve.

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I included Bershka in my comp shop as it is another Spanish brand and one of Mango's competitors. Although the target audience might be slightly younger for Bershka, I found the website really useful when thinking of new ideas for Mango's marketing.

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Women's Clothing, Footwear and Accessories | BERSHKA

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Update your looks with BERSHKA's New Collection of fashion for women. The latest trends in Dresses. T-shirts, Footwear, accessories, jeans, sweatshirts and jackets.

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I decided to include H&M as a competitor in my comp shop because it is well known for its sustainability efforts, and I thought it would be useful to use for inspiration for my collection.

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H&M | Online Fashion, Homeware & Kids Clothes | H&M GB

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H&M is your shopping destination for fashion, home, beauty, kids' clothes and more. Browse the latest collections and find quality pieces at affordable prices.

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Identifying the key areas that brands could become more sustainable in was essential for when starting my project and how I was going to make my range sustainable.

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Mango's size guide online shows the generic sizing for Mango and sizing conversions.

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* The measurements in the guide are based on measurements taken directly from the body, not the garment. If your measurement is between two sizes, we recommend you select the larger size.

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The measurements in the guide are based on measurements taken directly from the body, not the garment. If your measurement is between two sizes, we recommend you select the larger size.

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In order to decide how my collection would be laid out in store and marketed, I used the primary research photos I took when I went into a Mango store in order to see how Mango usually displays their collections.

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A book defining sustainable fashion and why brands should invest in it due to the demands of consumers. It outlines brand strategies for this and the driving forces behind it.

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Asimananda Khandual

Swikruti Pradhan

Part of the Textile Science and Clothing Technology book series (TSCT)

Abstract

'Sustainable fashion' is one of the most widely used terms in the fashion industry today. It is not only about the trend of socially responsible brands with eco-friendly products or coming up with some regulatory policies but also for catering to upcoming demands of conscious consumers to adopt sustainable fashion. Consumers have evolved over the ages and have become educated about the materials and manufacturing process, which results in their growing interest to make socially responsible choices while updating their wardrobes with a value tag. In fact, International brands like Patagonia, People Tree, H&M, Thought, Indigenous, Rent the Runway, Stella McCartney have become more focused to approach fashion in as ethical and transparent manner as possible considering both environment and customers. Emerging slow fashion brands like 11.11, [Ka] [Sha], Doodlage, Raw Mango, Bodice, Rustic Hue etc. are dedicated to design and offer clothing made using fair and ethical means such as providing safe working conditions to the factory workers, working with handloom weavers and artisans to create handcrafted products, sourcing organic or recycled raw materials and up-cycling post-production and post-consumer wastes. The gradual shift from fast fashion to a sustainable and socially responsible fashion is clearly visible around the globe. Both new and old fashion brands, are undergoing transformation day by day with new business models, new age fashion labels and supply chain practices to address the awareness and demand for sustainable clothing. This chapter discusses on the forms of sustainable fashion, sustainable fashion brands strategies, consumer transparency and the driving forces and scopes; how fashion brands and consumers are advancing towards sustainable fashion.

Keywords

Sustainable fashion Eco-friendly Up-cycling Post-consumer wastes Bio-degradable Slow fashion Circular economy

" You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. "

-Jane Goodall

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References

1. Cataldi, C., Dickson, M., & Grover, C. (2010). Slow fashion: Tailoring a strategic approach towards sustainability.

2. Feel-Good Fashion. (2018, April 1). Times Life, TOI, Nupur Amarnath, 1-4.

3. Khandual, A. (2016). Green flame retardants for textiles. In Green fashion (pp. 171-227). Singapore: Springer.

4. Khandual, A., & Sahu, S. (2016). Sabai grass: Possibility of becoming a potential textile. In Sustainable fibres for fashion industry (pp. 45-60). Singapore: Springer.

5. Khandual, A., Luximon, A., Sachdeva, A., Rout, N., & Sahoo, P. K. (2015). Enhancement of functional properties of cotton by conventional dyeing with TiO ₂ nanoparticles. Materials Today: Proceedings, 2(4-5), 3674-3683.

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Fashion Brands and Consumers Approach Towards Sustainable Fashion

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Asimananda Khandual Swikruti Pradhan Part of the Textile Science and Clothing Technology book series (TSCT) 'Sustainable fashion' is one of the most widely used terms in the fashion industry today. It is not only about the trend of socially responsible brands with eco-friendly products or coming up with some regulatory policies but also for catering to upcoming demands of conscious consumers to adopt sustainable fashion.

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This article was very useful when defining why consumers want transparency in their brands and where their products come from, and how this can be a very good strategy for brands.

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Information transparency has mostly been associated with financial institutions, and little is known about its application in the apparel supply chain. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that may influence consumer attitude and purchase intention with respect to apparel products from businesses that are transparent about their supply chain. An interpretive analysis, through interviews with consumers, revealed that attitude and intention seemed to be affected by prior knowledge about the apparel industry, distrust on the business' efforts, values (hedonic and social responsibility value) gained by consumers by consuming transparent products, as well as price and quality of the product. The study uses the theory of reasoned action to explain the relation between attitude and intention and combines with the concepts of consumer value and price and quality. Implications, limitations and scope of further research are also discussed.

Hultgren, F.H. ( 1989). Introduction to interpretive inquiry. In F. H. Hultgren & D. L. Coomer (Eds.), Alternative modes of inquiry in home economics research (pp. 35-42). New York, NY: State University of New York.
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Levis Strauss & Co. (2011). Product impact information. Retrieved March 23 from http://levistrauss.com/sustainability/product/product-impact-information
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Patagonia. (2010). Environmentalism: The footprint chronicles. Retrieved August 09 from http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=23429
Google Scholar

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (2010). Transparency. Retrieved February 18, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transparent
Google Scholar

Zeithaml, V. ( 1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality and value: A means-end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52, 2-22.
Google Scholar

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Do Transparent Business Practices Pay? Exploration of Transparency and Consumer Purchase Intention - Gargi Bhaduri, Jung E. Ha-Brookshire, 2011

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Information transparency has mostly been associated with financial institutions, and little is known about its application in the apparel supply chain. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that may influence consumer attitude and purchase intention with respect to apparel products from businesses that are transparent about their supply chain.

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This article from Global Data was very interesting when stating that Mango has released a new collection for young adolescents. This was encouraging for my project as I think there is a still a gap in Mango's market for older adolescents, above 15, and my range is designed to target that.

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I used the Edited website to determine what Mango's assortment mix is in their current collection, so I could recreate similar garment proportions when designing my range.

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Eliza Batten article on how she became an influencer due to her stint on the TV programme Made in Chelsea, and her stance on fast fashion.

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One would not expect Eliza Batten, the latest It-Girl on Britain's much-loved reality TV series, Made in Chelsea, to be quite so casual and down-to-earth as she sits down with indigo to discuss her excitement to be part of the show. And yet, it is clear as she reveals her casting journey that she reacted just as any of us would, if we were invited into a world of dinner parties, luxurious getaways and masquerade balls.

I would have regretted not giving it a go, so I went for it!

"When they got in touch with me to be part of their summer series, I hadn't watched the show in years," she says, "instead, I went travelling that summer and when I got back, I called up Fred [Ferrier] to hear about his experience on the show and finally decided I would have regretted not giving it a go, so I went for it!"

When asked about how the role has impacted those around her, Eliza shares that Made in Chelsea is still an 'alien world' to both her parents, particularly her father: My dad hasn't really watched it... He watches my clips; he doesn't keep up with the show because he has never really been into reality TV, and he's not going to start now!" But she does sheepishly admit that her younger sister and her friends do encounter many questions from curious fans hoping to get an inside scoop on her or their favourite cast members. "It's funny because a fair number of people ask me about Made in Chelsea - just not as much as they ask my friends," she laughs.

Eliza also jokes that filming the show is pretty much the same commitment as playing a DU sport, and she has only become more diligent with meeting her deadlines because there is so much time to work on the train down to London. "But I do have my fingers in many pies at the moment, so I really want to find that balance between them this year," she adds, when we later discuss our new year's resolutions.

Indeed, this year will be a busy one for Eliza. On top of her filming schedule, she will be walking once again in the university's highly-anticipated annual charity fashion show, DUCFS. "It was my highlight of 2018, and I am so excited for it this year - it's going to be bigger and better," she gushes.

I am going to be picky about the brands I want to work with...

The event is shedding a light on sustainability in fashion, a cause that is close to her heart. Not only is she a huge fan of charity and second-hand shopping, she also runs a successful Depop account to sell her own pre-loved clothes. "Quality matters a lot to me. I always ask myself, 'How long will I be able to wear it for?'" she says, before holding up her chic, second-hand sheepskin coat, exclaiming that it was 'only £10 and great quality... an absolute bargain!'
Batten has previously modelled for Morville Beachwear and luxury British eyewear, Taylor Morris (pictured above)
She concludes that, "if I get brand deals in the future, as a result of doing the show, I know that I am going to be picky about the brands I want to work with and support because of what I know now about fast fashion".

I'm just a little weird and don't take myself too seriously

Batten hopes to show more of her personality on the next series of 'Made in Chelsea'

And indigo predicts that brand deals will very much be in her future, as she quickly reached her first celebrity 'milestone' after her first episode on Made in Chelsea: online trolls. On how she handles the influx of comments and tweets on her and oftentimes, on her appearance, she comments that it is strange that 'people forget that I am a human with feelings' but explains that she developed a thick skin during her stint as a full-time model during her gap year: "I found rejection hard when I was doing castings at 18 but now, I can laugh off the odd troll on Instagram - like, I do have a massive forehead!"

The 21-year-old also shares her ambitions of making documentaries, inspired by her 'heart-breaking' and 'eye-opening' encounters with villagers in Sri Lanka during a field trip. She is unsure if her TV presence will help or hinder her dream, but she makes it clear that for now, she just wants to have a good time at university and on Made in Chelsea: "I'm just a little weird and don't take myself too seriously, and I hope that comes across in the next series".
Feature image credit to recent Durham graduate, Ben Stevens for Morville Beachwear

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One would not expect Eliza Batten, the latest It-Girl on Britain's much-loved reality TV series, Made in Chelsea, to be quite so casual and down-to-earth as she sits down with indigo to discuss her excitement to be part of the show.

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This article was an interview with Eliza Batten on her 'Depop drops' and about the money she has raised for charity. I wanted to use her for the collaboration because this interview explains that she is passionate about the environment and what brands she uses.

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"Throughout the lock-down period, it has given me a huge sense of purpose and I have found it extremely fulfilling. I am grateful to be able to push my fundraising further by using the platform I am lucky to have on Instagram, and I am conscious to use this as an opportunity to incite positive change."

Made In Chelsea's Eliza Batten has been busy this lock-down selling her own clothes and other donated pieces on Depop. She has been raising large amounts of money for four different charities over the past few months, including: The Trussell Trust, Time 4 Children, The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and the Southall Black Sisters.

Eliza returned to her family home in the countryside to isolate and has created a new way for people to be able to donate their clothes while the charity shops have been closed due to covid-19. Eliza has called on her followers to pass unwanted clothes on to her, and in turn, she sells them on Depop with all funds going to charity.

We discuss her recent charitable initiative, her experiences of moving back home, finishing her degree from Durham in her bedroom, and advice on how to stay positive.

Eliza Batten appears on Made In Chelsea on E4 every Monday, exclusively represented by KMPR publicity

The Batten family have a history of working with charities and helping those who are most in need. When asked how the idea came about, Eliza explained that: "Whilst I hadn't sold clothes for charity before, this project came about after a visit to the local food bank with my mum and talking to volunteers who explained the precarious situation many families had found themselves in since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Donating a food parcel in March was an extremely humbling experience and I was keen to be able to make the food donations a weekly thing - so I went home, cleared out my wardrobe and began uploading onto Depop to start fundraising!"

Eliza's innovative project started out by raising £150 after the first Depop drop and gradually escalated into £5,000. Eliza explained her shock at the pace at which the project continues to expand: "After exhausting the wardrobes at home, I reached out to local friends for other old and unused clothes lying around, and the next drop made over £400! I then decided to do a shout out on Instagram for clothes donations and it spiralled from there. I was amazed at the number of people donating and shopping the clothes, and thanks to everyone's' generosity we have now raised over £5000! This is a phenomenal amount of money and I could have never predicted being able to contribute so much to charity in such a short time."

Eliza initially chose to raise money for Trussell Trust, a charity which works to stop hunger and poverty in the UK and Time 4 Children, a charity which supports the emotional wellbeing of children. When asked the reason for supporting these two charities Eliza said: "We chose the Trussell Trust after visiting and donating to our local food bank, and my Mum volunteers every week for Time 4 Children, a really amazing charity local to us in Sussex. As she does half of the Depop work behind the scenes, I thought it was only fair to go 50/50 with a charity of her choice."

Instagram has played an important role in spreading the word and accumulating clothes. Eliza has 54k followers on Instagram and has highlighted the importance of using social media in a positive way: "It is such a privilege to have an Instagram following, one that I do not take for granted, and I always want to use it to make a positive difference. Without this volume of clothes donations, I would not have been able to continue raising money in this way, so it is definitely a team effort! I've been lucky that during lockdown lots of people have had a clear out of their wardrobe, and with charity shops closed they've had nowhere to offload them - enter me!"

Behind the scenes, Eliza, together with her mum and sister have been busy packaging, labelling and sending clothes to their new owners. She explained the arduous process behind the project: "I am not going to lie; it is very stressful! I love Depop, but it isn't the easiest app for mass sending. There are no shortcuts - we have to print each label individually and match it to the package. For the packaging we use everything from our recycling, from cereal boxes to pizza boxes to bread bags. Anything goes!"

The Depop drops feature a range of different clothing items such as tops, bottoms and dresses. "Each category is dropped separately at half an hour intervals with everything selling within five minutes" said Eliza. The demand and attention which the project has attracted takes up the majority of the week. When asked if she plans on continuing the project post covid-19, she said: "It is unlikely I will be able to carry on at this level after lockdown, as I won't (hopefully) have as much free time! However it is definitely something I would love to continue to do either on a smaller level or just less frequently. Perhaps a drop once a month?"

Eliza's most successful Depop drop to date took place last Thursday and raised £1500 in under two hours. She explains the reason behind its success: "I think the success was due to a couple of factors: amazing quality donations (lots of new with tags), lots of friends of mine sharing details of the drop on social media, and a change of charities to two anti-racism organisations in the UK. The money raised from Depop allows me to give financial support to this vitally important work as well as raise awareness and encourage engagement and education amongst my Depop buyers and followers in general."

After raising money for Trussell Trust and Time 4 Children, Eliza moved on to support The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and the Southall Black Sisters. She explains the reason behind this choice and the importance of putting words into action: "Given the current events surrounding George Floyd's murder and protests centred around the Black Lives Matter movement, it is imperative that we educate ourselves on the serious contemporary issues of racism, inequality, injustices, white privilege in society. The more I learn, the more determined I am to make a difference and put words into action. I did further research into various Black Lives Matter charities based in the UK, knowing that I wanted to find anti-racism charities that focussed predominantly on young people and vulnerable women.

"The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust works with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds building up careers and stronger communities whilst also helping create a more inclusive culture, and The Southall Black Sisters challenge all forms of gender-related violence, with particular focus on Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women, as well as empowering these women to gain control over their lives."

Talking about advice for people who want to follow in Eliza's footsteps, she said: "I think go for it! So many of us have unworn clothes lying redundant in our wardrobes. I would always advocate selling them on. Not only does it raise money for charity, it gives clothes a second life and promotes sustainable shopping. Win win!"

Like many of us, Eliza moved back home to isolate with her family during the covid-19 pandemic. Beforehand, she was spending half of her time at the University of Durham where she studied anthropology, and the remainder of her time in London where she is part of E4's Made In Chelsea cast.

Speaking about moving home and living with her family again Eliza said: "Surprisingly, my family have been quite fun to hang out with! Every week we have a themed dinner party which has definitely kept morale high. My favourite theme was 'female film leads' where my Mum painted herself green to go as Fiona from Shrek, and my Dad dressed as an old lady to be Mrs Doubtfire! A classic memory that I will treasure forever. As for university, I never thought I would be completing my degree from my bedroom, but if anything, having work has kept me busy which is no bad thing! I am desperate to go back to normal life from a social perspective, however I am nervous for my peers and me going into the working world in today's economic climate."

While we are all finding new ways of dealing with every day life, Eliza wants her followers to remember that: "It is okay not to be okay! This is the first time in my life I have nothing set in stone and no form of education to go back to in September. If I think about that too much, I feel a bit sick. However, I try to always stay busy and open minded, and during times like this I am particularly thankful for family and friends in my life. Stay grounded and be grateful for the little things."

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Interview: Made In Chelsea star Eliza Batten - The Focus

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"Throughout the lock-down period, it has given me a huge sense of purpose and I have found it extremely fulfilling. I am grateful to be able to push my fundraising further by using the platform I am lucky to have on Instagram, and I am conscious to use this as an opportunity to incite positive change."

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An article explaining that Eliza has a big Instagram following and is an influencer for many brands so is no stranger to collaborations.

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Model and Influencer, Eliza Batten has appointed KMPR Publicity Management for worldwide management. Eliza is a model who is the current face of Never Fully Dressed and Taylor Morris eyewear, she was also walked in London fashion week and shot editorial for magazines including 1883 and caked. Currently appearing on the hit TV show made in Chelsea, Eliza is also an established influencer with a keen Instagram following where she has worked with many High Street retailers.

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Eliza Batten signs to KMPR Publicity Management - Fashion & Beauty Insight

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Model and Influencer, Eliza Batten has appointed KMPR Publicity Management for worldwide management. Eliza is a model who is the current face of Never Fully Dressed and Taylor Morris eyewear, she was also walked in London fashion week and shot editorial for magazines including 1883 and caked.

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This FAQ's page about Mango was extremely informative and useful for my brand summary. It described what Mango's aim is to do when designing ranges, and gave facts including how many stores Mango has worldwide and how many countries the brand is present in.

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MANGO is an internationally famous multinational which designs, manufactures and markets women's and men's clothing and accessories.

At present, MANGO has over 7,800 employees, 1,850 of whom work at the Hangar Design Centre and at its Headquarters in Palau Solità i Plegamans (Barcelona). However, beyond the statistics, it is made up a young and enthusiastic team, with an average age of 28, and 85% of which is female.

Hangar Design Centre, the biggest design centre in Europe, has a total surface area of 10,000 m2 and houses more than 600 professionals dedicated to creating fashion garments and accessories for women. The Design, Purchasing and Quality departments are located there.

The central offices have a total surface area of 150,000 m2 and their own structure, which comprises the departments of Image and Advertising, Property Management, Expansion, Production Control and Stores Distribution, Store Architecture and Interior Design, in addition to Logistics, Administration and IT systems.

MANGO currently has a total of 1,220 stores in 91 countries worldwide. Our expansion continues with the recent entry in countries such as Georgia, Argel and Martinica. Our latest store openings have taken place in cities of the stature of Ciudad del Cabo, Hanói, Boston, Jerusalén and Nantes.

The keys to our success can be summarised in three points: Concept, Team and Logistics System.

We can be differentiated for having a highly-defined concept. The MANGO concept is based on an alliance between a quality product, with an original design and a coherent and unified brand image. Dressing the modern, urban women for her daily needs is the formula we have analysed, adapted and applied in all the countries in which MANGO is present: it has been and remains one of the keys to our commercial success and international prestige.

MANGO's greatest asset is its people. Above all, the secret lies in banking on a motivated and flexible work team, able to adapt to and promote change. Professionals who come up with ideas in order to bring MANGO closer to the largest possible number of women.

Logistics system

MANGO bases its logistics on an in-house system which has developed progressively since the opening of our first store in 1984 until the present day, in which MANGO has become Spain's second largest textile exporter.

In order to develop a truly integral implantation, MANGO supplied its stocks to its franchisees under a deposit system. In 2000, MANGO completed a logistics system created with its own personality, acquiring and adapting the latest technologies at its facilities, making it possible to classify and distribute 30,000 garments per hour.

Last year, MANGO put its new Dynamic Distribution Centre (CDD) into operation in Parets del Vallès (Barcelona). This 24,000 m² warehouse specialises in the distribution of folded garments, goods which until now were managed from the central offices, thus leaving the central offices to specialise in hung garments.

At the CDD all processes are automated: loading, storage, invoicing and dispatch. This reduces the workload and increases the workrate of employees, thus making the CDD the most efficient in its sector, with a management system that is 5 to 7 times faster than the competition.

The SLM (MANGO LOGISTICS SYSTEM) is based on speed, information and technology, its aim being to ensure that every store has the goods it needs at any moment, according to rotation speed and sales forecasts. With a production and distribution of 90 million garments a year, this guarantees the continuous renewal of goods and a production rate in accordance with market demand, both in terms of volume and variety.

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MANGO is an internationally famous multinational which designs, manufactures and markets women's and men's clothing and accessories. At present, MANGO has over 7,800 employees, 1,850 of whom work at the Hangar Design Centre and at its Headquarters in Palau Solità i Plegamans (Barcelona).

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On the Bershka website there is a section about the company. It gives really useful information about the brand including when it was founded and what group it is part of.

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A very interesting article on how Mango has achieved their low-turnaround times and how this is one is their strengths.

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Mango's digital transformation

Last year, Mango invested over 50 million euros in the digital transformation of the company, a strategy devised to prioritize the customer every step of the way. This approach came on the heels of a highly successful year: online sales grew by over 25%, and overall sales were the highest in the company's history. Mango progressed by leaps and bounds in a variety of aspects in 2019 thanks to Toni Ruiz's penchant for innovation, particularly technologically-speaking, from production logistics to social media strategies.

Furthermore, the company's move to go forward with their RFID project, or tracking IDs in layman's terms, has proven even more successful than predicted. Having been tested in a number of company stores across Spain, these tracking IDs allow for Mango to have greater visibility and traceability of their stocks. This way, overstock and undesirable assortment can be more easily avoided.

Another digitally-driven approach has been the brand's reworking of their online presence. They have invested significantly in improving the customer experience on their site and apps, both on desktop and mobile. Their decision to implement a new omnichannel approach has improved engagement significantly, and shopping is made not only possible but streamlined no matter which channel the customer is interacting with. Shopping feels more personalized and conscious, such is the case of the brand's Mango likes you loyalty program, a system in which customers can exchange likes for purchases to receive discounts and experiences in return. The program is expected to reach 4 million participants when it takes off in more countries in Europe. They also launched a campaign dubbed Your choices make us, in which the consumer votes via Instagram story for their favorite accessory or article of clothing, contributing to collection planning in a modern, interactive fashion.

Evidently, Mango's digital transformation has come in various shapes and sizes, and all are part of a greater move to put the customer at the center of the brand's decisions. After three years of stagnant sales online and in-store, Mango's revenue began to chin up again at the end of 2018 following Toni Ruiz's new, digital strategies. He confessed to Vogue Business, "We are a fashion company with digital transformation and data in our hands, and we want to deliver meaningful changes." The future lies in the digital, and Mango's success depends upon its ability to move as quickly as tech innovation and consumer evolution.

Listening to the customer: A push for sustainability

Today, e-commerce counts for about 25% of the Mango's total revenue. These numbers ride on the coattails of 2019, during which the Mango webpage received more than 600 million visits, 80% of which were conducted on mobile. As previously mentioned, Ruiz credits this success to Mango's new approach to collection planning: more localized production and faster turnover. Instead of replenishing sold-out inventory, the brand replaces it with new looks to avoid overstock and to keep their collection dynamic. However, this is taken from Zara's current strategy, and it's no secret that the fast fashion giant is the one to beat. Mango's Spanish concurrent releases 500 new designs every seven days.

This approach of microcollections, while lucrative, is difficult to harmonize with Mango's public move toward sustainability. Last year, the company joined the Fashion Pact, a global coalition with the goal of supporting eco-consciousness in the fashion and textile industries. They also joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a similar organization fighting for environmental improvements in textile supply chains. Luckily, sustainability is a good space to live in right now, particularly because consumers of fashion are placing ethics and environmentalism increasingly high on their list of values.

In Dazed Media's 2020 Report on the future of youth culture, for instance, a reported 67% of Gen Zers cited sustainability and ethics as vital to a brand's credibility. A whopping 85% claimed that they would stop buying from a brand if they were to find out the brand's practices were ostensibly unethical. A good example of such a business model is Promod, a French clothing brand, who marries customer input with sustainability: one of their main initiatives has been to create an in-store drop-off for used clothing for customers to then purchase as they please. The initiative has been well-received, and other brands including H&M have even jumped on the bandwagon.

As the consumer would have it, transparency is key. Mango's moves thus far to include the customer in collection decisions, such as their Your choices make us initiative, are a good step toward greener fashion. But then there's the question of how exactly to manage inventory and plan collections in a sustainable way, all while listening to the consumer and staying on top of fast-moving trends.
So what if Mango could know what their customers wanted, even before the customers themselves to avoid overstock and waste?
Building a collection thanks to trend forecasting

Collections have been picking up the pace for years now, but in the wake of Covid, there's been a reordering of the collection calendar, and not only fast fashion brands. Gucci recently announced their transition to two shows per year instead of their previous five in a move to reduce waste and slow down production in fashion, for instance. But microcollections don't have to be so vilified if done right: Mango's strategy to replace rather than replenish is already a positive step toward reduced apparel waste. That said, this strategy depends entirely upon the accuracy of the collection assortment. Cue trend forecasting.

Trend forecasting is the act of predicting fashion trends including colors, fabrics, silhouettes, patterns, styles, and more. The source of the data required to make such predictions varies between trend forecasting companies, as does the methodology. Some draw from runways, some from street style, others from past sales data, and still others from social media. In today's market, social media is the keystone to accurate forecasting, as this is often where trends are born and phased out. Influencers, trending hashtags, brand campaigns: trends propagate in a variety of different ways, the trick is knowing where to look depending upon one's brand identity and audience.

Heuritech's methodology in particular uses artificial intelligence technology to analyze over 3 million shared images per day from social media, in particular Instagram and Weibo. This in-house technology detects over 2,000 attributes from color to texture to shape in order to determine both market trends and product trends, as such it can identify a Chanel Boy Bag just the same as it can identify houndstooth print. When evoking words like "pattern" and "fabric" perhaps the most evident application of this technology is for design teams. But Heuritech's technology goes beyond that.

Heuritech aligns not only fashion designers but merchandisers, planners, and buyers to produce collections that are equal parts desirable and eco-conscious. Design teams at Mango can use trend prediction to back their intuition: they keep a close eye on the market as it is, so trends backed by hard numbers give the green or red light for their design planning. For womenswear in Europe Spring 2021, for instance, Heuritech's analysis asserts that ditsy print will be up by +46% compared to last year.

This sort of data can help guide designers for upcoming collections so as to not miscalculate their audience's desires. And with the language of data, in turn, merchandising and buying teams are able to communicate more effectively with design teams who at times operate in two different worlds. Quantitative trend data allows planners, merchandisers, and buyers to know exactly when to launch a collection, for which audience, and in what assortment and quantity. If knitwear, for instance, is predicted to peak among mainstream consumers in Winter 2020 but fade out completely by Winter 2021, these teams can plan accordingly. This quantitative foresight via trend prediction is a way for Mango's planners, merchandisers, and buyers to avoid a number of common fashion industry hiccups and achieve the following:

Avoid overstock

Streamlining production

Optimizing turnover

Understanding one's customer desires

Find out how SS21 trends are adopted in the US vs Europe

And to nourish Mango's data-driven spirit, communication and digital teams are just as implicated to be aligned with the other teams once collections are ready to be debuted. The benefits of trend forecasting bubble up from the designers, planners, and merchandisers to be ultimately diffused by these communication and digital teams. The medium through which this functions is of course social media. Presence and engagement on social channels are vital for a brand's success, particularly if one's audience is largely millennial and Gen Z, as is the case of Mango. Mango has already understood the value of social channels as seen in their direct-to-consumer approach for input in their collection planning, so imagine the impact of real-time, daily data from social media on the brand's future.

Particularly now, in a time where Covid-19 has led e-commerce and online ubiquity to pick up the slack for and even reorder in-store and physical engagement, data is a means to reduce incertitude for fashion brands. With trend forecasting, Mango can keep a constant ear to the ground on their customers' desires, day by day, season by season.

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Trend forecasting on social media: Helping Mango know their customer

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Last year, Mango invested over 50 million euros in the digital transformation of the company, a strategy devised to prioritize the customer every step of the way. This approach came on the heels of a highly successful year: online sales grew by over 25%, and overall sales were the highest in the company's history.

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A strength of Mango is that they are going to release homeware products to expand their brand and customer audience. This was released part way through my INP so I had to adapt this from a weakness to a strength that Mango didn't, but now have.

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Catalan fashion retailer Mango is trying to secure a foothold into a new market segment. Confronted with last spring's pandemic shockwave, Mango managed to adapt and respond to new trends, like the boom in e-tail and high demand for sportier, more casual outfits, and it now intends to make a foray into the home linen and home decoration markets.

In a press release, Mango stated that "[the group] has created this new line in order to extend the brand's presence to the homes of its customers, and beyond their wardrobes. This will allow the company to enlarge its product range and offer its customers an improved service, by enabling them to purchase complementary products." The group is keen to tap the current popularity of home decoration products, prompted by the lockdowns, remote working and generally by the restrictions to people's movements introduced in recent months, which mean potential customers are spending an increasing amount of time at home.

Mango's new homeware range will be available from Q2 2021. To begin with, Mango will launch a capsule collection of home linen products, featuring bed and bathroom linen and a series of textile products for the kitchen. According to information provided by the group, the range will gradually expand, extending to other categories, such as tableware. Approximately 80% of all products will be produced locally. Style-wise, the collection will be distinctive for its Mediterranean aesthetic and contemporary influences, with a strong focus on neutral hues and pared-down design. The collection will be available in some 20 European countries, and its articles can be viewed on Mango's e-shop and at the label's physical stores, on the tablets used by shop assistants.

"Our customers are asking us for products for their homes," said Toni Ruiz, CEO of Mango. "They want the same comfort and style they look for in clothes, to decorate the rooms of their homes," he added. The forthcoming homeware launch is a further step towards diversification for Mango, which entered the activewear segment last October. As a result, the group will be able to offer a range as attractive as that of other fast-fashion giants that already feature specific lines and operate dedicated chains, like H&M and Zara Home.

Mango was founded in 1984, and in 2019 it generated the highest revenue in its history, with sales for €2.374 billion, 24% of which came from e-tail. The group hopes to close the 2020 financial year with an e-tail revenue alone of €800 million, and it recently forecast it will top the €1 billion mark in online sales in 2021.

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Mango to diversify by launching homeware line

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Catalan fashion retailer Mango is trying to secure a foothold into a new market segment. Confronted with last spring's pandemic shockwave, Mango managed to adapt and respond to new trends, like the boom in e-tail and high demand for sportier, more casual outfits, and it now intends to make a foray into the home linen and home decoration markets.

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Describes the incident in Bangladesh at one of Mango's sourcing factories and how clothing brands side-stepped the blame. This is a weakness of Mango's as there was criticism from the fashion industry.

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A fashion designer at an office of Mango in Barcelona, where the workplace is in contrast to factories in places like Bangladesh. Credit... Samuel Aranda for The New York Times

PARETS DEL VALLÈS, Spain - From a sleek gray distribution center near Barcelona, the global fashion brand Mango ships 60 million garments in a year. Automated conveyor belts whir through the building like subway lines, sorting and organizing blouses, sweaters and other items to be shipped around the world. Human hands barely touch the clothes.

Five thousand miles away in Bangladesh, the Phantom Tac factory in the industrial suburb of Savar was a hive of human hands. Hundreds of men and women hunched over sewing machines to produce garments in an assembly line system unchanged for years. Speed was also essential, but that just meant people had to work faster.

Last spring, as it pushed forward with global expansion plans, Mango turned to Phantom Tac to produce a sample order of polo shirts and other items. Then, on April 24, the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people in the deadliest disaster in garment industry history, and destroying Phantom Tac and other operations in the building.

Now, eight months later, the question is what responsibility Mango and other brands should bear toward the victims of Rana Plaza, a disaster that exposed the murkiness and lack of accountability in the global supply chain for clothes. Under intense international pressure, four brands agreed last week to help finance a landmark $40 million compensation fund for the victims.

But many other brands, including Mango, have so far refused to contribute to the fund. Mango argues that it is not responsible because it had not "formalized a commercial relationship" with Phantom Tac. Company officials say that Mango was still conducting quality inspections and factory audits of Phantom Tac, and that the factory had not started producing samples for an order of 25,000 items.

But in interviews conducted over several months, supervisors and other employees from Phantom Tac said work to make samples for Mango had already begun when Rana Plaza collapsed. Fabric was being marked and cut, and some workers say some sample shirts were already being stitched.

"There was an urgency among the bosses," said Mohammed Mosharuf Hossain, 28, who worked in a cutting section. "The managers told us to finish the Mango products urgently. They said if we could finish this work quickly, we might get more orders from Mango."

For global brands and retailers, Rana Plaza has forced a reckoning over how to reconcile the mismatched pieces in their supply chains. Technology and investment are transforming the upper end of the industry, enabling Mango and other brands to increase sales, manage global inventories with pinpoint precision and introduce new clothes faster than ever - all as consumers now expect to see new things every time they visit a store.

But these brands depend on factories in developing countries like Bangladesh, where wages are very low and the pressure to work faster and cheaper has spawned familiar problems: unsafe buildings, substandard work conditions and repeated wage and labor violations. Consumers know little about these factories, even as global brands promise that their clothes are made in safe environments.

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The Mango company last year shipped some 60 million garments from its Barcelona site to stores. Credit... Samuel Aranda for The New York Times

This growth strategy comes after Mango responded to the global recession by slashing prices, expanding offerings and opening stores in countries like China and Russia. This increased sales but has placed a premium on efficiency, cost and speed. In the past, Mango sent new items to stores every four to six weeks; now it is every 15 days. Technology has enabled Mango's distribution center in Spain to track global sales, down to a single item in a single store, and then ship out boxes of refill orders within eight hours.

"The new facility will be faster, bigger and more efficient," said Jordi Torra Marin, a project manager.

In Bangladesh, the business environment presents a sharp contrast. Phantom Tac was on the fifth floor of Rana Plaza, which was named after the family of the building's owner, Sohel Rana. Mr. Rana, now in jail awaiting charges in the collapse, was a local political strongman, with close ties to elected officials in Savar and a reputation for criminal activities. Workers inside Rana Plaza say that when Mr. Rana needed people to stage a political march or a protest, he demanded that factory bosses release some workers from each factory to participate.

Mr. Rana also extracted profits: He controlled food services that served snacks to workers during overtime. Several workers complained about the foul taste of the food. Mr. Rana also claimed the leftover remnants of fabric produced by each factory and sold them into the lucrative local recycling market. And, workers say, he took any garments that did not meet quality standards and sold them in local markets.

"He was so powerful," said Mohammad Liton, 25, a quality controller at Phantom Tac. "He had his own gang. They used to operate businesses."

David Mayor was a buyer when he met Aminul Islam, who was operating a different factory in the center of Dhaka, the national capital. They started Phantom Tac together, which seemed like a good fit, since Mr. Mayor had connections with foreign brands, especially those in Spain. Soon, Mr. Mayor was bringing in orders, workers said, or leading foreign buyers on tours of the factory.

Mr. Mayor also had a social agenda. In 2007, Mr. Mayor joined with Brother Massimo Cattaneo, a Roman Catholic missionary, and financed a training program for young girls from rural Bangladesh. He eventually hired about a dozen of the graduates into his own factory.

A Mango store in Barcelona. Credit... Samuel Aranda for The New York Times

It worked. Labor activists searching the rubble of Rana Plaza found order forms from Mango to Phantom Tac for adult polo shirts and some children's items. By April, but before the collapse, the fabric for the Mango order had already arrived, several employees say. Work was underway on samples to be sent to Mango for approval. One worker, Mohammed Sohel, said some sample shirts had already been sent for quality testing by Mango, only for Phantom Tac to be told of a flaw in the collar.

"David came to the factory and explained how to correct the collar," Mr. Sohel said.

Another employee, Mohammed Sumon Prodhan, who worked in quality control, said seamstresses had been making samples of green polo shirts for Mango the day before Rana Plaza collapsed.

In a recent interview at Mango's design center in Spain, Jose Gomez, vice president of international business development, cited Mango's involvement in a major consortium of brands that have agreed to help finance safety upgrades to Bangladeshi factories as evidence of the company's commitment to improve conditions.

But on the separate issue of compensation for victims, Mr. Gomez denied that Mango had started production at Phantom Tac because, he said, the company's auditing process was not complete.

Asked if he was certain no work was underway, Mr. Gomez said, "What I understand is what I told you."

Eva Kreisler, a coordinator for the anti-sweatshop group Clean Clothes Campaign in Spain, said that Mango's explanation was unconvincing and that the company had a moral obligation to help the victims of Rana Plaza.

Another Spanish retailer, El Corte Inglés, is one of four brands that have agreed to contribute to the $40 million fund. Officials say other brands must come forward if full funding is to be achieved.

"Definitely, they should contribute to the fund," Ms. Kreisler said of Mango. "It is quite shameful that they still won't contribute to bring justice to the workers."

On the day before Rana Plaza collapsed, cracks appeared in the third floor of the building. It was temporarily closed, and an engineer, upon inspecting the cracks, said the building should remain closed. But Mr. Islam, the co-owner of Phantom Tac, called a longtime factory supervisor and implored him and others to return to work, citing pressing deadlines.

Mr. Islam even went to the building himself and made his ritual evening prayers.

"He called me," said Mohammad Minhaj Uddin Nannu, the longtime supervisor. "He said, 'Why are you all scared? You shouldn't be. I'm here.' "

The next morning, Rana Plaza collapsed, before Mr. Islam arrived at his office.

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Clothing Brands Sidestep Blame for Safety Lapses (Published 2013)

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PARETS DEL VALLÈS, Spain - From a sleek gray distribution center near Barcelona, the global fashion brand Mango ships 60 million garments in a year. Automated conveyor belts whir through the building like subway lines, sorting and organizing blouses, sweaters and other items to be shipped around the world.

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The strength of the pound has decreased since Brexit so overseas goods are more expensive.

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The pound to euro rate started the new year with an almost 0.050% gain for the single currency traders return from the Christmas and New Year holidays. The pair had seen a three-day rally in the pound after Boris Johnson's deal brought an end to the drama of Britain's exit from the trading bloc. Johnson's deal passed the UK Parliament and House of Lords with hours to spare and ensured that the country would avoid World Trade Organisation tariffs on goods in 2021.

The pound to euro rate was trading at 1.1140 as the week began and the coronavirus spread is likely to dominate the start of the year.

UK Ramps up Vaccination Program as Cases Rise

With Brexit finally done, attention will turn to the spread of the coronavirus in the UK and Europe, whilst governments look to increase their vaccination efforts. The UK is now moving to administer the first shots of its vaccine from AstraZeneca and Oxford today, after the jab achieved approval last week.

Much of the UK is stuck in Tier 4 lockdowns but the government is warning of further restrictions as cases reach almost 50k per day. The Prime Minister is also under pressure to keep the country's schools closed. Europe has also seen a rise of cases and a spread of the newer strain of the virus and this will drive the outlook for GBEUR in early-2021.

Scotland is now expected to move to another national lockdown, which is likely to last until spring, while restrictions are also being imposed further in European countries. The excitement that surrounded the emergence of the vaccine may not lead to the first half economic bounce that some had hoped.

German Data and Inflation Ahead

This week will see a return to economic data from the German economy and tomorrow will see German unemployment released. The unemployment rate is expected to remain stuck at 6.1% as lockdowns persist in the country. The EU's largest economy will also see inflation figures out on Wednesday. The market is looking for a print of -0.3%, which would see the country still stuck in deflationary territory.

The European Central Bank was critical of a stronger euro last year and the pressures that it puts on inflation. Officials even warned of intervention in the currency to bring it lower and this may continue to make headlines if US dollar weakness continues. Now that Brexit is over, it also gives the UK an advantage if the euro strength since the referendum continues to hold.

The GBPEUR traded around 1.3000 around the time of the referendum and the signing of the Brexit deal has yet to see a significant rebound in the pound. That may change as the new year gets underway. Investment funds will want to include more UK stocks and investments as the country sees the Brexit risk premium removed, while it also has safe haven status in the event of a European economic event.

Get in touch using the form below to discuss these factors in further detail.

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Pound to Euro Retreats After Brexit Strength - Pound Sterling Forecast

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The pound to euro rate started the new year with an almost 0.050% gain for the single currency traders return from the Christmas and New Year holidays. The pair had seen a three-day rally in the pound after Boris Johnson's deal brought an end to the drama of Britain's exit from the trading bloc.

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Brexit has caused uncertainty about how England will trade with other countries.

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Brexit Uncertainty and Trade Disintegration

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Abstract. We estimate the uncertainty effects of preferential trade disagreements. Increases in the probability of Britain's exit from the European Union (Brexi

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This website explains that Mango are using clothes bins in their stores to recycle and reuse old clothes that consumers no longer want. This has taken large effect in Spain, however there are not many stores that offer this in the UK

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SECOND CHANCES

Recycle your clothes today for a better tomorrow

MANGO has implemented an in-store garment recycling project in collaboration with KOOPERA (a cooperative promoted by Caritas). MANGO has placed in-store garment collection boxes in 80 national stores throughout Spain and 17 in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

All clothing and footwear collected is processed at KOOPERA's recycling plant located in Bilbao, Spain. All garments collected there are classified into more than 50 categories in order to ensure they all receive a second chance. Garments are classified according to their composition and condition in order to:

Be recycled into raw materials

Be up-cycled for new functions as car mats or insulation

Be treated in order to create energy

This way 100% of all clothing and footwear collected in MANGO's SECOND CHANCES take-back boxes is given a new life.

Find your nearest SECOND CHANCES take-back box and give your used clothes and footwear a second chance.

You will be collaborating to close the loop of textile waste and contributing to the social and employment reintegration of people at risk of social exclusion through KOOPERA.

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MANGO has implemented an in-store garment recycling project in collaboration with KOOPERA (a cooperative promoted by Caritas). MANGO has placed in-store garment collection boxes in 80 national stores throughout Spain and 17 in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

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The article goes into detail about the impact of customs duty and Brexit and how this will affect businesses.

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The United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union's (EU) single market on 1 January 2021. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was agreed on 24 December but many detailed aspects of Brexit remain unclear. However, from that date, the UK becomes as far as the EU is concerned a 'third country'. Businesses have become importers and exporters between the EU and the UK and they need to take urgent action to minimise the disruption to their business.

Accountants are instrumental in helping their clients make the necessary plans, so it is important that accountancy bodies make their members aware of the fundamental changes in the way trade will take place, to better advise their clients.

This Q&A provides practical information on the main changes known at mid-January 2021. It is not a comprehensive document.

EU-UK trade changed significantly from 1 January 2021, and will change again for e-commerce from 1 July 2021. Businesses should take the following main actions:

speak to their logistics providers / customs agents

speak with their suppliers and customers about the changes

get familiar with customs requirements and classify their goods

apply for a GB / EU EORI Numbers and VAT registrations where applicable

be clear on the rules of origin contained in the TCA between the EU and UK and the administrative processes for claiming preferential tariffs

consider the implications of the E-Commerce changes

remember EU VAT refunds - 31 March 2021

Accountants with clients who engage in trade between the EU and the UK, and vice versa, should further research the technicalities and are strongly advised to contact their relevant clients as soon as possible to discuss their specific circumstances. Unrepresented businesses are strongly advised to take specialist advice to ensure the continuity of their business.

We have also highlighted some of the changes that could occur as a result of Brexit in respect of other taxes. The impacts of these often depend on the provisions of double tax treaties between the UK and individual EU Member States and specialist advice should be sought. Brexit & direct taxes is available on this page.
Question 1: A trade deal between the UK and the EU has been agreed and adopted before 1 January 2021. No tariffs are charged on the supply of non-excise goods. Surely, I have nothing to worry about?
Answer: Absolutely not! The TCA has removed the possibility of general quotas and other restrictions on the importation of goods. It has also prohibited tariffs on some imports between the UK and the EU - but only in certain circumstances and with the correct documentation.

The TCA covers very little in the way of the provision of services between the EU and the UK, apart from some basic principles and a commitment to further examine cooperation in this area. Substantial uncertainties remain in areas ranging from the ability of financial services providers to provide their services in the other party's territory(ies), to the mutual recognition of qualifications and regulatory standards.

In respect of accounting for VAT, and the requirements for customs clearance of goods, there are significant changes - the details of most of which are already known.

Businesses must urgently review their processes to be sure that they are ready for the changes that took effect on 1 January 2021. Failure to provide the correct paperwork is likely to result in shipments being delayed at borders, and possible fines (for example, for failing to obtain a Kent Access Permit).

Question 2: Does it make any difference if I am a UK business selling into the EU or an EU business selling into the UK?

Answer: Not really. The changes are broadly equivalent on both the EU and UK sides. The main difference is that there is more certainty in respect of the procedures (and custom tariff rates) in the EU because these are already fully established. However, there is significant variation in procedures and rates of VAT across the 27 Member States, so UK exporters importing into the EU will, depending on their terms of trade, need to acquaint themselves with the local rules of each Member State into which they make supplies.

Also, there is currently a critical distinction in respect of supplies of goods made between Northern Ireland and the EU (and vice versa) and the rest of the UK (for the purpose of this document, subsequently referred to as 'Great Britain' - GB). We will look at this issue in more detail below.

Supplies of Goods - VAT
Question 3: I sell goods between the EU and GB. What changed for me from the 1 January?
Answer: Such supplies ceased to be intra-EU supplies. Consequently, they are treated as exports from the country of dispatch and imports in the country of arrival. This has important implications for VAT, customs and excise duties. It also impacts on other regulatory requirements that will have to be met for goods, such as those subject to health checks (for food, medicines, live animals, etc), chemicals, medicines, weapons, and dual-purpose goods.

The goods leaving the country are treated as exports. This means that they are exempt\zero rated from VAT - so no output VAT will be charged on the supply of goods. You must, however, be able to provide proof that the goods have left the EU, or GB for exports to the EU.

Different rules apply to Northern Ireland - EU supplies of goods and to Northern Ireland - GB supply of goods (See below).

The goods entering GB for supplies to the EU and for supplies from the EU to the UK are treated as an import. VAT will have to be charged at the local rate of VAT of the country of import for that type of good. A searchable 'Taxes in Europe' database has been developed for EU Member States, which shows Member States' VAT rates for specified goods.
Question 4: Who accounts for and pays the VAT?
Answer: That depends on the terms of business, who is identified as the importer and who receives the goods.

General guidance is available here (in respect of where to tax) and here (in respect of who is liable to pay the tax).

If your organisation imports for your its own use - in manufacturing or for resale for example - then you are liable to register for VAT in the country of import and account for the import VAT under the local VAT reporting requirements.

If you make distance sale of goods, the situation is more complex.

If you make B2B supplies, then your customer would normally be expected to account for the VAT on import, which would be charged by customs at the point of import.

If you make B2C supplies of goods, you have the choice as to whether your business terms provide that you will deal with the customs duty and import VAT yourself ('Delivered Duty Paid - DDP') and thereby price the goods to include these costs. With DDP, you would be required to register and pay the VAT in the country of the customer- and\or use an agent.

Alternatively, you could opt for 'Delivered at Place' (DAP) - where only the net price and delivery costs would be shown, and the customer would be liable to pay the VAT and customs duty. This would typically be collected by the courier or national postal service and goods would be withheld until payment is received. It is possible that in some Member States the national postal service will pay the import VAT and reinvoice the supplier.

The rules are complicated and specialist advice should be sought.
Question 5: You mentioned distance sales. I thought I only had to register in other countries if I made a lot of sales there?
Answer: The national exemption thresholds for distance sales of goods only cover sales between two Member States to non-VAT identified customers in the second EU Member State. Therefore, from 1 January 2021 this simplification regime does not apply for EU-GB sales and GB-EU sales.

You must then choose whether to use the DAP or the DDP terms described in Question 4. If they chose DAP then the VAT would normally be paid at the point of import by the customs declarant (e.g. the courier, postal operator or by a customs agent) and then recovered from the customer before the goods are handed over.

If the DDP method is chosen, an EU supplier must register with HM Revenue and Customs and declare and pay VAT for distance supplies made to the UK. Simplification procedures will be available for small value consignments (see Question 6 below).

GB suppliers making distance sale of goods under DDP into the EU will normally be required to register for VAT in each Member State into which they make supplies of goods originating outside the EU. Currently, there is no exemption threshold for non-EU established businesses and EU Member State local registration and reporting requirements differ greatly. For example, many EU Member States require that 3 rd country suppliers (i.e. non-EU registered businesses) formally appoint a tax representative that will have joint and severable liability for any unpaid VAT. One example of this is France, as shown in this article.
Question 6: But I only sell small items through a sales platform. Surely, I don't have to worry about this?
Answer: Unfortunately, you do. There are big changes in both the UK and the EU in 2021 in respect of distance selling to consumers of low value items. The changes are similar, but the timing is not - the changes applied in the UK from 1 January 2021 and will apply from 1 July 2021 in the EU.

EU to UK distance selling

On 1 January 2021 the UK's low value consignments exemption for goods not exceeding £15 in value was withdrawn. This will make all imports subject to import VAT (and potentially customs duties). At the same time, a small consignment import simplification process is in place and online marketplaces (OMPs) must account for VAT on behalf of suppliers that use their platforms.

A simplification is available from 1 January 2021 for low value consignments where the total value of the goods (not the individual value of each item) does not exceed £135, excluding shipping costs and duty. EU suppliers must register with HM Revenue and Customs and charge VAT at UK rates at the point of sale and then account for the VAT using normal VAT return procedures. The goods will then not be delayed by the requirement for VAT to be charged by customs at the point of entry.

If such goods are sold via an OMP, it is the OMP that would account for VAT at the point of sale.

The options for e-commerce sellers from GB to the EU, and how the changing roles that the OMPs will play in this, are shown in the graphic below:

This is a complex area and specialist advice should be sought as soon as possible.

GB to EU distance selling

Very similar measures will be introduced in the EU but have been postponed until 1 July to allow for delays caused by the Coronavirus crisis.

This means that where Member States have adopted this option, the EU's €22 exemption will be maintained until 1 July 2021 (note that not all Member States have adopted the maximum threshold, which is, for example €1 in France €17.05 in Cyprus, DK80 in Denmark and €nil in Sweden).

However, all other distance sales of goods from GB into the EU will be subject to import VAT from 1 January in the Member State where the good are imported into. Consequently, GB suppliers will have to register and account for VAT in each Member State where they make distance supplies. The different ways with which e-commerce imports into EU Member States are accounted for, for VAT purposes, between 1 January and 30 June 2021 are shown below.

From 1 July 2021 the simplified procedures for low value consignments come into effect in the EU for consignments with a total value of up no more than €150. These mirror the simplifications that the UK introduced on 1 January 2021, with the important addition of the ability in the EU to use the import One Stop Shop (IOSS).

From this date GB businesses can choose a single EU Member State of Identification and then use the IOSS to make a single return of all small value consignment distance supplies of to each Member State.

Additionally, the EU's rules on the distance sales facilitated through an online platform will come into effect on 1 July. However, in the intervening period, you may not be able to rely on your digitalised sales platforms to deal with the necessary formalities. Indeed, Amazon have already confirmed that they will not allow cross-channel sales from Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA). Cross-channel traders will be required to transfer goods to a fulfilment centre in the UK or EU as relevant - which after 1 January 2021 has VAT and customs duty consequences for the supplier. The options for e-commerce sellers from GB to the EU, and how the changing roles that the OMPs will play in this, are shown in the graphic below:

Again, this is a very complex subject and expert advice should be sought to deal with your individual circumstances.
Question 7: You can't always assume that customers will receive their goods by the expected date. What happens if goods were in transit on 1 January 2020?
Answer: Any EU-UK supplies made on or before 31 December will be treated as intra-EU supplies until 31 March 2021. Consequently, they will follow the current intra-EU supplies VAT and duty treatment. However, it is possible that some goods may be stopped at Customs until the supplier is able to demonstrate that the despatch of the goods took place before 1 January 2021.
Question 8: I'm lucky. I only sell digital services and we already have the Mini-One-Stop Shop (MOSS). Surely, nothing changes for me?
Answer: Yes, it does. If you are a UK established supplier of digital services selling to non-VAT registered customers in the EU you will still be able to use the Mini-One-Stop Shop to make your return filing.

However, from 1 January 2021 the £8 818 (€10 000) threshold disappeared for supplies of digital services between the UK and EU non-VAT registered customers. UK suppliers must register in a single EU Member State and use the Mini One-Stop Shop (or else register in every EU Member State where the clients are established) for digital services to declare all of the EU sales, and the VAT thereon.

For EU businesses selling digital services into both UK and the EU, you will be able to use the MOSS for EU supplies but for UK supplies you must register in the UK and declare your sales to HMRC - you can no longer use the MOSS for these supplies from 1 January 2021.
Question 9: I have a complex supply chain that involves movements of goods between the UK and EU. Is there anything else I should be concerned about?
Answer: Almost certainly, but the impact will depend on your business model and the nature and scale of your cross-border supplies.

In the short-term at least, EU and UK VAT legislation will remain reasonably aligned (although Member State options already mean that there are considerable differences between Member States local VAT rules) but may well diverge in the future ( e.g. in respect of financial services). However, even before the rules diverge further there will be practical issues to deal with - especially in respect of access to EU systems and to simplifications directly related to intra-EU supplies of goods. As an indication, we can consider the Quick Fixes that came into effect from the 1 January 2020.

Non-established suppliers will be able to use the call-off stock simplification after Brexit, as can be seen from this Explanatory Note from the European Commission, section 2.5.25. However, in respect of chain transactions, section 3.6.2, this simplification will only apply to intra-EU movements of goods so movements of goods from 3rd countries must make use of other simplifications, if available (or else be VAT registered in an EU Member State).
Question 10: If I incur input VAT in respect of EU-GB supplies but am not required, and have not chosen to, register in the country where the VAT was incurred, will I still be able to recover it after 31 December.
Yes. However, for supplies made after 31 December the claim for refund must be made directly to the authorities of the country concerned, providing that there is a reciprocity agreement. Such claims cannot then be made through the electronic refund claim system.

The one exception to this rule being in respect of goods or services supplied up to 31 December 2020. In such cases the electronic system can be used by all UK and EU businesses until 31 March 2021 to recover the VAT incurred in 2020.

Supplies of Goods - Customs Duties/Tariffs
Question 11: I have not had to worry about import duty for EU-GB transactions before. What is going to be the impact on me?
The TCA introduced a prohibition on the imposition of tariffs on the supply of goods Answer: originating in either the EU or UK and supplied into the territory to the other party. However, the 'preferential tariff treatment' is not automatic and must be claimed - either at the time of importation via the customs import documentation or, by derogation, retrospectively for up to three years after the date of importation.

The origin of the product is critical in determining whether the preferential tariff treatment will apply. The general principles will be considered in further detail under the Import Tariffs section below.

Urgent Action

Cross-channel suppliers must take some urgent administrative steps:

1. Suppliers must be sure that they have an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number otherwise they will not be able to clear goods at customs. In certain circumstances, they may need both a UK and an EU EORI number.

2. They should acquaint themselves with the relevant exit and entrance customs documentation for supplies made after 31 December - otherwise it will not be possible to export the goods or, goods may become stuck in customs at the point of import. Some points of departure will require pre-lodgement of customs declarations before movement of goods takes place, so certification may have to be lodged in advance of the 31 December deadline.

3. Suppliers need to choose the right standardised commodity identification (customs) code for all of their products. Getting this wrong could result in the wrong tariff being applied or the goods being blocked by customs.

4. Suppliers should also review their commercial terms (e.g. Incoterms) to determine whether they or their customers will be responsible for paying the customs duties.

5. Suppliers should comprehensively review their supply chain and or production process to determine the origin of the goods that they supply. In the case of manufacturers, this could be a very complex process as each component of the finished good must be considered to determine whether the products' origins are from the EU\UK or from another third country

6. Where suppliers source goods or components outside of the EU\UK, systems must be put in place to segregate these from items originating from the EU\UK either physically or by means of accounting procedures.

Import tariffs

As mentioned, for the supply of goods originating in the EU or the UK to the territories of the other party, there is the possibility of a preferential tariff treatment (zero tariffs). Import tariffs will apply on the WTO most favoured nation basis if:

the products do not originate from either the UK or EU

the supplier is unable to verify the origin of the products

the supplier chooses not to apply for the preferential tariff treatment

The UK applied its own import tariffs from 1 January 2021, which are not the same as EU tariffs. The UK tariffs can be found here. The UK Global Import Tariff essentially reduces the overall duty payable on imports compared to the current EU Tariff Free Lines (i.e. UK 47%, EU 27%; Average Duty rate UK 5.7%, EU 7.2%).

From 1 January 2021, importers of non-controlled goods into the UK are subject to basic customs requirements and can delay their supplementary customs declarations until July 2021. They can also defer submitting confirmation of the goods' origin to claim the preferential tariff treatment until this date. For importers using this delayed filing, the payment of duties and VAT can be delayed to the time when the supplementary declaration is submitted. Full customs procedures are required from 1 January 2021 in respect of controlled goods - e.g. alcohol and tobacco products.

From 1 January 2021, goods brought into the EU from the UK are subject to full customs procedures. This means customs formalities will have to be observed at importation of the first EU country at which the goods arrive.

Duty suspension will no longer automatically be available - excise duties and VAT are due at the point of importation. Documents required to establish the origin of the goods will be required at the point of importation if the supplier wishes to claim the preferential tariff treatment immediately.

From 1 January 2021 UK economic operators can no longer use the EU's Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS) for imports of controlled goods into the EU from Great Britain.
Rules of Origin for the supply of goods
Correct understanding and implementation of these rules is essential if the preferential tariff treatment is to be successfully claimed. The rules are strict and complicated and require supporting documentation to be maintained.

Fundamentally, to benefit under the TCA goods must meet the EU-UK preferential rules of origin. Generally, these will apply when the goods have been:

'wholly obtained' from within the territory of the EU or UK without using materials from any other country - such as crops grown in one territory or the manufacture of an item in a territory using materials totally sourced from that territory

'substantially transformed' in line with the relevant Product Specific Rule. Depending on the product, this could be based on the amount of value added, whether the process leads to a change of tariff category or specific manufacture from certain products or through specified processes

'Substantially transformed' requires a considerable element of operation on the product. There is a list in Article ORIG.7 of processes that are insufficient to be accounted as substantial transformation. These include labelling and simple packaging, simple mixing of products, simple assembly of parts etc. In this context, 'simple' means that neither specialist equipment nor skills are required for the operation.

Within the Product Specific Rules there are specific tolerances that permit some non-originating elements in determining local origin for the final product. For certain products this is based on weight (i.e. under 15% non-originating material) or by value (i.e. under 10% of value added can come from non-originating products), with amendments to these rules for textiles.

Once a product has gained originating status, for example by substantial transformation in accordance with the relevant Product Specific Rule, it would henceforth be considered as fully originating and the non-originating element disregarded.

Suppliers are required to segregate good, physically or by accounting procedures, products that originate from their territory from those that do not.

Northern Ireland
Question 12: I move goods between the EU and Northern Ireland and, sometimes, on to Great Britain. What will change for me?
Answer: Under the Withdrawal Agreement, Northern Ireland remains part of the EU Single Market until at least 31 December 2024, with the possibility for the Northern Ireland Assembly to extend this period.

Consequently, supplies of goods ( not services) between Northern Ireland and the EU Member States from the 1 January 2021 continue as intra-EU supplies, with economic operators having to use the EMCS and SEED systems for all movements, and the EU online refund mechanism still being available. Equally, current reporting requirements such as Intrastat and EU Sales Lists (ESL) continue.

Movements of goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain and vice versa are treated as exports and imports respectively. Consequently, the impacts will be the same as those discussed previously for movements of goods directly between Great Britain and the EU Member States, including the rules of origin.

The latest HM Government advice for moving goods under the Northern Ireland protocol can be found here.

Supply of services
Question 13: I supply services between the UK and the EU. How will this impact me?
Answer: Free trade agreements concentrate on supplies of goods, rather than services (albeit there is the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)). Consequently, there are significant changes in how supplies of services cross-channel are accounted for VAT purposes.

The TCA contains provisions in respect of the mutual recognition of lawyer qualifications (when performing certain services) but otherwise contains no agreement on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. Without this, it may not be legal for a service provider in a regulated profession (i.e. medical, accountancy, architectural) to provide cross-channel services - and this can depend on the national rules of the specific country where the services are to be conducted.

The degree to which you may be affected can be gauged by using the European Commission's regulated professions database.

For non-regulated professions, there are provisions to ensure a liberalised market for services provided from the EU to the UK, and vice versa. Visa-free business trips are permitted of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Question 14: OK. I am not practicing in a regulated profession. How will the rules change for me after 1 January?
Answer: The current EU VAT legislation is already quite complex in respect of the determination of place of supply of services, which can depend on factors, such as the nature of the service, whether the recipient of the service is a taxable person, where the service is performed etc.

Where the current rules indicate that the service is 'supplied' in another country, the supply will be subject to VAT in that country. Consequently, if, for example, the place of supply is deemed to be in a Member State for services provided by a taxable person based in the UK, it would be an outside the scope of VAT supply in the UK (zero-rating) and taxable in the Member State where the place of supply of the service is located.

The reverse would apply for an EU taxable person making supplies of services where the place of supply was the UK.

B2B supplies of services are situated where the customer is established. As a rule, the customer will be liable for the payment due of VAT in the country where they are established. There are, however, exceptions to this rule.

B2C supplies of services are generally situated where the supplier is established so consequently a VAT liability will be incurred in the country where the supplier is established.

However, the place of supply rules for services are complex and expert advice should be taken.

As with the supply of goods, there will be many specific circumstances where the end of the transitional period could result in uncertainties and issues for specific business models.

For example, Art 59a of the VAT Directive permits Member States to override the normal place of supply rules if the effective use and enjoyment of these services takes place outside the EU despite being performed in their Member State, and vice versa. This is a measure to prevent double taxation, or non-taxation, and is often used by Member States to tax services that would otherwise be out of scope of VAT. If EU Member States were to apply this to certain supplies made by suppliers established in the UK, or vice versa, there could be issues in respect of recovering VAT already paid - thereby leading to double taxation and the question of how this double taxation could be recovered.

Next steps
Question 15: What should I do next?
Answer: If you make EU-UK supplies or have a supply chain that relies on EU-UK deliveries, you should immediately assess the risks to your business and make the necessary registrations. A useful checklist can be found here.

With the late agreement of the TCA there will still be many businesses that haven't prepared for the changes and there will be further pressure to effect VAT and customs registrations and obtain tax advice. If you leave it too late you may find that you are unable to obtain the necessary authorisations and registrations for some time, leading to additional business disruption.

Specialised businesses (for example, those requiring licenses or those with complex supply chains) should take expert advice as soon as possible. This is especially the case for the complex rules on origin, which may require businesses to make structural changes as to where they source, distribute or even manufacture goods in order to deal with the issues.

Getting this wrong, or doing nothing, could be very costly. For example, hauliers are already refusing to collect goods from some businesses who may not have implemented the necessary processes - as one package without the correct documentation can prevent the entire consignment clearing customs.

In the longer term, it will be necessary to monitor the legislative developments in both the EU and the UK to identify new divergencies between the two VAT systems and the practical issues that these may cause.

By virtue of the UK's Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018, on 1 January 2021 the UK's VAT rules effectively remained largely aligned with those of the European Union, to avoid any cliff edge effect on that date. At the same time, this Act adapts UK law to remove, for example, in relation to Great Britain, the concepts of intra-EU acquisitions of goods as they become imports from 1 January 2021.

Over time though, we could see divergence in areas such as the VAT treatment of financial services (the UK government recently announced that UK financial services businesses will be able to recover input VAT in respect of supplies made to the EU), VAT groups, and partial exemption, for example.

Currently there is no clear indication of what such changes will be, or when they will occur.

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Brexit, VAT and customs duty - prepare now - Accountancy Europe

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The United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union's (EU) single market on 1 January 2021. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was agreed on 24 December but many detailed aspects of Brexit remain unclear. However, from that date, the UK becomes as far as the EU is concerned a 'third country'.

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An article describing the top 22 technologies that are creating the future of fashion, including artificial intelligence and the use of sustainable materials.

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When it comes to fashion innovation, consumer adoption, and constant technological development are critical.

As both industries are future-driven and consumer-focused, adoption happens naturally.

But, when it comes to technology, not all developments are suitable for the fashion industry.

From digital influencers to AI and material innovation, are the top 21 fashion innovations of 2020, shaping the future of fashion.

22. Virtual Influencers

Following on the steps of Lil Miquela Sousa, the world's first virtual influencer and digital supermodel, a new influential virtual persona has emerged: Noonoouri.

Created by the Munich-based designer and creative director Joerg Zuber, this digital persona has become a significant player in the fashion world.

She has over 300,000 Instagram followers and partnerships with major brands such as Dior, Versace and Swarovski.

Just like Miquela, Noonoouri's Instagram features product placement.

In the past, she 'pose' with a bottle of Calvin Klein's Eternity perfume, receiving over 10,000 likes.

21. Fabric From Seaweed

Algiknit is a company that produces textile and fibres from kelp, a variety of seaweed.

The extrusion process turns the biopolymer mixture into a kelp-based thread that can be knitted, or 3D printed to minimise waste.

The final knitwear is biodegradable and can be dyed with natural pigments in a closed-loop cycle.

20. Biodegradable Glitter

BioGlitz is the world's first company to produce biodegradable glitter.

Based on a unique formula made from eucalyptus tree extract, the eco-glitter is compostable and biodegradable.

Excellent fashion innovation as it allows for sustainable consumption of glitter without the environmental damage associated with microplastics.

19. Circular Fashion Software

BA-X has created a cloud-based innovative software that interconnects circular design with circular retail models and closed-loop recycling technologies.

The system enables fashion brands to design, sell and recycle garments in a circular model, with minimal waste and pollution.

Clothes are appended an identification tag that links to a reverse supply chain network.

18. Textiles From Trees

Kapok is a tree that grows naturally, without the use of pesticides and insecticide.

Moreover, it is found in arid soil not suitable for agricultural farming, offering a sustainable alternative to high water consumption natural fibre crops such as cotton.

'Flocus' is a company that has designed a new technology to extract natural yarns, fillings, and fabrics from kapok fibres.

17. Leather From Apples

Apple pectin is an industrial waste product, often discarded at the end of the manufacturing process.

However, a new technology developed by Frumat allows the use of apple pectin to create sustainable and compostable materials.

The brand uses apple skins to create a leather-like material durable enough to make luxury accessories.

Moreover, this type of vegan apple leathers can be dyed and tanned without toxic chemicals.

16. Fashion Rating Apps

The number of fashion renting apps is on the rise.

These apps are designed to provide ethical ratings for thousands of fashion brands.

These ratings are based on the brands' impact on people, animals, and the planet.

The rating system aggregates standards, certifications and publicly available data into consumer-ready point scores.

These apps promote transparency across the fashion industry and to allow customers to make conscious purchasing decisions.

15. Biodegradable Polyester

Mango Materials is an innovative company that produces bio-polyester, a form of biodegradable polyester.

The material can be biodegraded in many environments, including landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and the oceans.

The novel material can prevent microfibre pollution and also contribute to a closed-loop, sustainable fashion industry.

14. Lab-Made Fabrics

Technology has finally reached the point where we can re-program the self-assembly of collagen molecules in the lab, and build leather-like fabrics.

The next-generation fabric delivers a more efficient and sustainable alternative to leather without harming animals.

Two companies worth mentioning here are Provenance and Modern Meadow.

13. Monitoring Services

'Reverse Resources' is a platform that enables fashion brands and garment manufacturers to address pre-consumer waste for industrial upcycling.

The platform allows factories to monitor, map and measure leftover fabrics.

These scraps become traceable through their following life cycles and can be reintroduced into the supply chain, limiting the use of virgin materials.

12. Knitting Robots

Scalable Garment Technologies Inc. has built a robotic knitting machine linked to a 3D modelling software.

The robot can make custom seamless knit garments.

Moreover, this unique knitting device enables the digitisation of the entire production process and on-demand manufacturing.

11. Rental Marketplaces

Style Lend is an innovative fashion rental marketplace that uses AI and machine learning to match users based on fit and style.

Renting out garments is a new business model that extends the life cycle of clothing and delays from ending in the landfills.

10. Needle-Free Sewing

Nano Textiles is a sustainable alternative to using chemicals to attach finishes onto fabrics.

This innovative material embeds fabric finishes directly into the fabric via a process called 'cavitation'.

The Nano Textiles technology can be used on a wide range of products such as antibacterial and anti-odour finishes, or water repellency.

Moreover, the system protects consumers and the environment from hazardous chemicals.

9. Fibres From Oranges

The orange fibre is extracted from the cellulose found in discarded oranges during industrial pressing and processing.

The fibre is then enriched with citrus fruit essential oils, creating a unique and sustainable fabric.

8. Bio Packaging

'Paptic' is a company that manufactures bio-based alternative packaging materials made from wood.

The resulting material has similar properties of paper and plastic used in the retail sector.

Yet, the material has higher tear resistance than paper and can be recycled alongside cardboard.

7. Nanotechnology Materials

Thanka to 'PlanetCare' there's a microfibre filter that can be integrated into washing machines to capture microplastics before reaching wastewater.

The system is based on water microfiltration, and it works thanks to electrically charged fibres and membranes.

This nanotech technology contributes by reducing microplastics pollution the world's waters.

6. Digital Runways

Because of COVID-19 and following the cancellation of fashion shows on a global scale, the industry is looking at digital environments.

In the early phase of the outbreak, Tokyo Fashion Week rethought its runway show by streaming concept presentations online, without a live audience.

Inspired by Tokyo's effort, other cities have turned to technology to communicate with their now 'stay-at-home' audience.

A host of other events surrounding the international fashion weeks are also restructuring around the never-ending pandemic.

For example, trade shows have re-established as live online events, and LFW Designer showrooms are now digitised.

5. Clothing Reward Programs

Clothing reward programs are gaining ground fast, be that in "bring them back to recycle" or "wear them longer" aspects.

For example, Tommy Jeans Xplore line comprises a smart-chip technology that rewards customers each time they wear the garments.

All 23 pieces of the line are embedded with a Bluetooth smart tag, which connects to the iOS Tommy Hilfiger Xplore app.

The collected points can be redeemed as discounts on future Tommy products.

4. 3D Printed Sustainable Apparel

The constant R&D in 3D printing took us to a point where we can now print with advanced materials.

Carbon, nickel, alloys, glass, and even bio-inks, are mere formalities.

In the fashion industry, we are seeing growing interest in printing leather and fur-like materials.

3. Fashion Blockchain

Anyone interested in fashion innovation is looking to leverage the power of blockchain technology.

Just like the Internet changed the world as we know it, blockchain technology has the potential to reshape the way businesses procure, manufacture and sell fashion.

Blockchain can create a universe of informational exchanges as perpetual information and experiences we employ, utilise and exploit, every minute and every hour of the day.

2. Virtual Clothes

Superpersonal is a British startup working on an app that allows buyers to try on clothes virtually.

Users feed the app with basic information such as gender, height and weight.

The app creates a virtual version of the user and starts appending digital modelling clothes on the virtual silhouette.

The app was launched at the London Fashion Show in February and is already available for download.

The company also has a commercial version of Superpersonal for retail outlets.

It allows retailers to create personalised shopping experiences for their customers.

1. AI Designers and Stylists

Modern algorithms are increasingly powerful, adaptive and versatile.

In fact, AI makes the next generation of in-store robots appear to possess human-like intelligence.

For example, the London-based Intelistyle has launched an artificial intelligence stylist able to work with retailers and customers.

For retailers, the AI designer can 'complete looks' by generating multiple outfits based around a single product.

It can also recommend alternatives for out-of-stock items.

For shoppers, the AI recommends styles and outfits based on body type, hair and eye colour and skin tone.

The AI personal stylist can be accessed on any device, allowing customers a seamless move between online and offline shopping.

Conclusion

Fashion innovation is paramount to commercial value and longevity.

It is critical to how we shape the industry beyond the current crisis.

Fashion innovation can help to replace wasteful materials with sustainable alternatives.

It can end low-paid human jobs, repetitive and dangerous.

Innovative fashion will allow us to function and interact in a digital world.

A world of autonomous cars, smart homes, and connected objects.

There is no way back, not to pre-pandemic fashion and not if we want fashion to remain relevant.

The only way forward is fashion innovation, development and adoption.

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Fashion Innovation - Top 22 Technologies Creating The Future Of Fashion

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When it comes to fashion innovation, consumer adoption, and constant technological development are critical. As both industries are future-driven and consumer-focused, adoption happens naturally. But, when it comes to technology, not all developments are suitable for the fashion industry. From digital influencers to AI and material innovation, are the top 21 fashion innovations of 2020, shaping the future of fashion.

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A decrease in customer loyalty shown from a survey demonstrating results that customers are more likely to switch to a brand that provides a better experience.

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Ignoring or not properly investing in your customer service efforts comes at a cost ... your business!
Getty

A recent study of more than 34,000 consumers worldwide by Verint® Systems Inc., the Customer Engagement Company ™, (carried out in partnership with Opinium Research, LLC) shows that customer loyalty and retention are declining. Specifically, two-thirds of consumers surveyed said they are more likely to switch to the competitor that provides the best customer service or experience. What does that mean for you? Ignoring or not properly investing in your customer service efforts comes at a cost ... your business!

How can that be? Most organizations recognize the importance - and the power - of delivering a good customer experience. It is surprising that the numbers are trending in the wrong direction. Aren't companies giving their customers a better experience? Isn't service getting better? The answer to both questions is yes. However, is "better" good enough? More on that in a moment, but first, here is the data from the study - along with some commentary.

83% of consumers say that customer experience is a major factor in selecting their service providers. That number seems to get higher and higher as time goes on. That's why so many businesses have invested heavily in customer service and CX. All those predictions from research companies four or five years ago that said investment in CX would be a priority by 2020 are coming true.

77% of consumers say that convenience is a major factor in selecting their service providers. Furthermore, 68% of consumers globally feel more loyalty toward the brands and organizations that make it easy and convenient to engage with them. This is what I've been preaching for the past two years and it's the core theme of my most recent book. Convenience is the new currency in business and the next step in customer service and experience.

Self-service and online account management nudged out the phone as the preferred way people like to interact with an organization. 34% of consumers would rather take matters into their own hands with self-service versus 30% on the phone and 29% in person at a store or branch. It's taken time, but customers are getting used to taking control of their customer service experience. When they have an easy question, self-service can be more convenient than finding the phone number, picking up the phone, waiting on hold and describing the issue to a service rep (or two or three ...).

When it comes to getting answers quickly, interacting with a human took precedence. More than a third chose to go to the phone, and a quarter chose digital channels such as email, social media, messaging, web chat and more. Even though customers are getting accustomed to self-service, if the organization makes it easy to connect with a human - either on the phone or via a digital channel - customers will take that path.

48% of customers are more likely to be loyal to the brands that use the latest technology to engage and connect with them. Realize that an investment in technology that makes the customer's experience better will create loyalty. Customers will comment, "They are so easy to do business with." What they are really referring to is the technology-driven process that was created to drive that easier experience.

So, here's my take on the numbers. Yes, most organizations are providing better customer service and experience. But "better" isn't always enough. Customers' expectations of their experience have changed because of the amazing companies that deliver the experience they want. This sets the bar higher for everyone. I've written this and shared it in speeches many times before. We compete with direct competitors, but our service is compared to the best the customer has received from anyone at any company.

This is where the disconnect exists for many companies. They think "better" is enough. They need to start thinking "as good as" when it comes to developing a customer experience strategy - but not as good as their direct competitor. They need to think about driving an experience that is equal to the best from anyone or any company. It could be from a server at a restaurant, a store at the local mall or a major national (or international) online retailer.

That's why companies are struggling with a decline in their loyalty and retention ratings. They are comparing themselves only to the direct competition. They need to realize it's not their competitors that set the bar - it's the rock-star companies that do.

... Read More

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Customer Loyalty And Retention Are In Decline

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A recent study of more than 34,000 consumers worldwide by Verint® Systems Inc., the Customer Engagement Company ™, (carried out in partnership with Opinium Research, LLC) shows that customer loyalty and retention are declining. Specifically, two-thirds of consumers surveyed said they are more likely to switch to the competitor that provides the best customer service or experience.

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A report on United Kingdom labour costs and how they have risen in recent years.

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United Kingdom Labour Costs | 1977-2020 Data | 2021-2023 Forecast | Calendar

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Unit labor costs in the UK rose by 5.9 percent from a year earlier in the third quarter of 2020, driven primarily by an increase in the labor costs per hour, which dominated a smaller increase in output per hour.

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A BBC article on the unemployment rates since COVID-19. COVID hit the economy and thousands of people lost their jobs, leading to less spending and a decrease in consumers for brands.

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By Robert Cuffe and Nicholas Barrett

About a quarter of people of working-age - around 10 million people - don't currently have jobs.

In the Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out a series of measures designed to encourage people to find work, or increase their hours.

How many people are unemployed?

But the unemployed represent only a small part of the 10 million working-age people (aged 16-64) who aren't in a paid job.

Nearly nine million of them aren't called "unemployed". That's because they're not actively looking for work, or available to start a job.

In fact, more of them say they want a job (1.7 million people) than are officially unemployed.

Who isn't working - and why?

The main reasons for not working vary according to age.

Most of the 2.7 million "inactive" people under 25 are students, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The majority of them don't want a job.

You can see that in the graphic below. Click on the darker border surrounding any age group to see the spilt between men and women.

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Things are different in other age groups.

Among 25- to 49-year-olds, 1.1 million people don't work because of caring responsibilities (about a million of whom are women).

About 940,000 people in this age group are not working because of illness (more evenly split between men and women).

About a quarter of those who are sick or caring say they want a job.

Does it matter that people aren't looking for work?

Many people have chosen to do something else: studying, retirement or caring.

But for others it's not a choice.

Some people can't afford childcare if they return to work, others are too sick, or have given up on finding a job.

As the chart below shows, sickness and caring responsibilities are the most common reasons for inactivity given by those who actually would like a paid job.

The number of people not working has a broader effect.

Since people on benefits generally have less money to spend than those in work, it also means less spending on the high street.

That in turn is bad for businesses and how many people they want to employ.

In turn, that can affect how many jobs are available for those who are job hunting.

How does the UK compare with other countries?

During the pandemic, all major countries saw their workforce shrink.

But while most leading economies have since recovered, the UK still has about 400,000 more people not working than in December 2019.

Since its publication, the number of retirees has fallen back to pre-pandemic levels.

It also said there was a mismatch between available jobs and those that might, for instance, tempt someone out of retirement.

For example, the vacancy rate is highest in restaurants and hotels - an industry often offering shifts, physically-demanding jobs and low wages.

What can be done to get more people into work?

A series of reforms were announced in the Budget to help some people get jobs or increase the hours they work. The measures were particularly aimed at:

older workers

people on benefits

parents and carers of young children

those with health conditions

These include letting people save more in private pensions, extending free childcare and offering more support to help disabled people find paid employment.

Broadening the pool of people given support to return to the job market is key, experts argue.

Helen Gray from the Learning and Work Institute believes job centres should widen their focus and offer more tailored support.

At present, "only one in 10 out-of-work older people and disabled people get help to find work each year," she says.

Louise Murphy from the Resolution Foundation says ministers must look beyond those who left work during the pandemic as many retirees, for example, may never come back.

She says the government should focus on supporting people with disabilities and long-term health problems, as well as parents with children.

Data visualisation by Nicu Calcea

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Unemployment: Who are the millions of Britons not working?

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The unemployment rate is close to its lowest point since the 1970s, but millions aren't working.

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This is the final business plan for my project. It includes the planning and progress for my project, as well as how I have demonstrated key skills needed for a buying or merchandising role that I have learnt throughout this project and my course. I have also included my weekly reflections, demonstrating how I overcame challenges that I faced each week.

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This article describes its new logistics centre in order to speed up deliveries and fulfilment. This means Mango will be able to respond to trends faster as fast fashion becomes more competitive.

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Mango's automated centre consolidates the company's logistics, giving it more control over customer experience and product allocation.

The strategy is to speed up shipping and delivery times to better respond to trends as fast fashion gets more competitive.

Since opening the centre, Mango has tripled the number of garments processed per hour and can ship items within days.

LLICA D'AMUNT, Spain - Every item of clothing sent to Mango's 2,100 stores in 110 countries around the world first passes through the Spanish fashion label's new logistics centre in Llicà d'Amunt, a picturesque town outside Barcelona. Approximately 600 people work six days a week at the highly automated facility, where around 400 operations are machine-driven, to process items for store deliveries.

The company has so far invested €232 million in the 186,000-square-metre facility, which can stock up to 7 million hung garments and 20 million folded garments and accessories at the same time. It was completed in 2016 but became fully operational last summer. By incorporating the latest automation technologies, the centre is able to process 75,000 garments an hour, tripling the retailer's former capacity.

As soon as hung garments arrive at Llicà d'Amunt, they are unloaded onto one of nine automatic loading bays, which can process 27,000 garments an hour. Each bay is equipped with a classifier that separates the garments by size and style. They then travel along a 24-kilometre rail to be shipped out to stores or held in the warehouse. According to Mango, its hanging garment installation is one of the most automated in Europe.

On the opposite side of the logistics centre are automatic loading docks that can process 1,000 boxes of folded garments and accessories per hour. The boxes are passed through a weighing and labelling area and identified with a tracking ID so they can be located at any time. Like the hung garment area, the folded garment warehouse prepares boxes to be either shipped or stored based on in-store sales information.

"We are a fashion company with digital transformation and data in our hands, and we want to deliver meaningful changes. We can do this if we control our operations," says Mango's general manager Toni Ruiz, who pledged to allocate an additional €35 million to expand the space by 295,000 square metres in the coming few years.

Fast fashion's efficiencies

Fast fashion retailers like Inditex have set the pace for agile supply chains by sourcing production close to its headquarters to make its lead times speedier. Today, its Zara brand takes about 10 to 15 days to bring a new item from concept to shop floor. In comparison, British online retailer Asos, which has many factories in continental Europe, takes four to six weeks - about the same time as Mango.

This shift toward speed has forced companies like Mango to rapidly update their bricks-and-mortar retail models for the digital age. Both Mango's folded and hung garment operations in its new hub feature temporary storage spaces where products are ready to leave the facility in a few days or be kept up to four to five weeks. Items are selected to be shipped to stores according to predictive models and data analysis systems, carried out by the company's integrated Warehouse Management System.

Following Zara's footsteps, Mango does not replenish but instead replaces sold-out styles with new looks. That way, shoppers know to purchase an item when they see it because they might not have the opportunity to again, resulting in fewer markdowns and stronger margins. About 35,000 boxes of garments leave its logistics centre daily in roughly 70 trucks.

Ruiz hopes that Mango's focus on streamlining logistics and automating its warehouse technology will help it better compete worldwide amid significant changes in the industry. The rapid rise of online competitors - from e-commerce upstarts like Boohoo and Nasty Gal to established giants like Amazon - is driving greater online fashion consumption. Companies like Mango have had to respond.

"Mango's store network has gone through a very quick and important transformation," says Antonio Pascual, Mango's supply chain director, noting that the retailer has increased the average surface of its stores by almost 50 per cent, from 500,000 square metres of floor space in 2012 to over 800,000 square metres today. The larger, revamped stores offer shoppers a more complete online-offline experience, including easier returns and click-and-collect.

New logistics

The opening of the Llicà d'Amunt site marks the first global distribution centre for Mango, whose operations were previously run out of smaller warehouses spread across multiple locations. By co-ordinating production and leveraging the latest technologies such as automation and tracking IDs, Mango can continue to get its latest styles onto the sales floor, satiating consumers' need for newness. In the new centralised logistics centre, Mango's clothing - produced in one of its 1,200 factories - is ready to be shipped in less than four hours if necessary.

"It guarantees we can do everything in the same place," says Pascual. "It's not about loading more trucks and garments, but maintaining a good level of service."

After three years of stagnant sales, revenues picked up in 2018: Mango reported revenues of €2.23 billion, an increase of 1.8 per cent from the 2017 financial year. It reached the breakeven point in operating profit, despite a net loss of €35 million for the year. Gross profit increased by 36 per cent year on year, with EBITDA up 17 per cent to €135 million.

Ruiz says this was driven by the success of Mango's new collections and online sales, which grew 31 per cent year on year to €445 million. He declined to forecast sales figures for 2019, but noted that the next six weeks of holiday season would be "super important".

While Mango has its main e-commerce warehouse in Palau-solità i Plegamans, garments from the facility can also be used to fulfil e-commerce orders if necessary. Investments in transforming the store network and logistics system have had a halo effect on online sales. E-commerce accounted for 10 per cent of total company turnover in 2015, and now accounts for 20 per cent of turnover, two years earlier than expected. Executives forecast that the channel will represent 30 per cent of sales by the end of the year.

Facing competition

While the efficiency of Mango's new logistics centre has contributed to a gradual turnaround, Pascual says there's plenty more to be done, and the company is working on more solutions to tackle challenges such as returns, which "force us to constantly adjust our reverse logistics", he says. The company has also designed a flexible network of eight satellite distribution centres, with one opening in Mexico just a few months ago, "to be closer to our customers and offer the best service possible".

Mango's new strategy is poised to make it more up-to-date and dynamic. But keeping up with Zara is no easy feat: the company updates its inventory about twice a week, releases on average 500 new designs every seven days.

Pascual asserts that it isn't Mango's priority to compete with Zara. "Mango offers a great product in terms of value," he says. Pascual stresses that the brand prefers to embrace relevant moods each season, rather than copying styles from the runway. "This is a key difference versus our competitors and a bet for value for our customers and the key to our success over the past 35 years."
To receive the Vogue Business newsletter, sign up here. Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com. More from this author: Vestiaire's ex-CMO brings luxury bag rentals to the UK How to sell fashion on Instagram without traditional influencers H&M's millennial brand bets on livestream shopping

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Mango is building a faster fashion brand

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Mango's automated centre consolidates the company's logistics, giving it more control over customer experience and product allocation. The strategy is to speed up shipping and delivery times to better respond to trends as fast fashion gets more competitive. Since opening the centre, Mango has tripled the number of garments processed per hour and can ship items within days.

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The benefits of using Bangladesh as a sourcing country and how the textiles industry is developing rapidly.

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Textile News, Apparel News, RMG News, Fashion Trends

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Rahbar Hossain, Mir Abdullah Al Mahfuz

Posted on December 20, 2018 4:26:23 pm Last updated at January 14, 2019 5:15:24 pm
Bangladesh is entering into a new era
Bangladesh's textile industry is progressing with a vision of US$ 50 billion export by 2021. To achieve this export target, significant positive changes are happening here. The industry is seeing a huge transformation in human capital, automation, workplace safety and newly developing with ultra-high facility economic zone establishment. Workers wage increased to almost 51%, which is already implemented from this December, and it is another significant happening. Alongside these positive things, there were many unfavorable situations like the devaluation of the currency, unwanted incidents, utility crisis, wage hike etc. but the industry growth was in an up-trend in 2018 and still counting. Now Bangladesh is a trustworthy name for international buyers.

Bangladesh textile and apparel industry is moving towards digitalization and automation. Industry 4.0 is expecting to be implemented by the next year, which is considering as the new era. The whole industry is trying to do business in a digital way aiming to maximize profits while achieving zero inventory loss, zero leftover stock, zero lost sales opportunity and most importantly zero waste emission through smart, speedy and sustainable production. Without the automation and integral decision making, it won't be possible. Machinery companies are continuously working on bringing new featured machinery focusing customers demand.

Industry 4.0 gains momentum in the manufacturing world. The use of artificial intelligence, processing of big data and connecting the dots together in quick and fast decision-making would be the key changes in the industry's success of Bangladesh.
Human capital transformation is getting a trend of industry
Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority ( BEZA) has been working to set up 100 economic zones by 2030, which will create jobs for about one crore people and produce goods and services worth US$ 40 billion. BEZA has identified 74 locations across the country for setting up economic zones.

Though automation trend is increasing but it cannot replace an efficient workforce significantly. At present, the manufacturers are investing immensely to build skilled workforces. This is the year where many factories associated with Textile Today in the march of 'Human Capital Transformation'.

Although automation is making a significant impact, still the textile and apparel industry needs more skilled people. Because of the lack of skilled manpower, foreign professionals are taking away almost 5-6 billion dollars every year from the country.
Implementing sustainability
Bangladesh government has already raised the minimum monthly wage for the workers to TK 8,000 ($95) which was TK 5,300 ($65). Now it is time for the workers to be more efficient as the government has kept their demand.

Sustainability has been the most uttered word throughout the year 2018 and a number of significant developments happened in this arena. Bangladesh has taken the leading position in sustainable green industrialization with the world's several top-ranked Green factories. As of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Bangladesh's RMG sector now has 67 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green factories. Among them 13 are LEED Platinum rated while more than 280 garment factories in Bangladesh would get the LEED certification soon.
Bangladesh is the next hotspot for apparel sourcing
A lot of awareness activities done by many stakeholders including Textile Today. It has launched a training and capacity building program in collaboration with Engineering Resources International (ERI) Ltd aiming to make efficient professionals for the textile industry who will run the Sustainability Department and implement Sustainability Management System (SMS) in the factories and help the same to get the social, environmental and economic benefit and make the textile and apparel industry sustainable in the long run.

Bangladesh will remain the apparel sourcing hotspot for international retailers and brands because of competitive prices and China's declining market share in the garment business, says a global survey. At the same time, the apparel sector improved workplace safety and other compliances after fixing the structural, electrical and fire loopholes.

However, to continue the higher export growth, the government should improve the infrastructure and make sure that the Chattogram port and the national airports are running smoothly.

In July-November period of the current fiscal year, export earnings from the readymade garment sector went up by 18.59% to US$14.18 billion, which was US$11.96 billion in the same period last year, according to the Export Promotion Bureau ( EPB).

It is expected that the growth trend will be continued throughout the 2019 and many more new horizons will open for Bangladesh textile and apparel industry.

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Bangladesh's textile & apparel industry- safe, sustainable and has more potentials to offer

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Rahbar Hossain, Mir Abdullah Al Mahfuz Posted on December 20, 2018 4:26:23 pm Last updated at January 14, 2019 5:15:24 pm Bangladesh is entering into a new era Bangladesh's textile industry is progressing with a vision of US$ 50 billion export by 2021. To achieve this export target, significant positive changes are happening here.

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This Drapers article shows that Portugal is on the rise when it comes to sourcing countries, and that Portugal has always had a significant manufacturing industry.

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Why Portugal is a sustainable and environmentally friendly country to source from. It is a country at the forefront of respecting human rights.

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Harvard Reference Generator | FREE Referencing Tool

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The Harvard Reference Generator below will automatically create and format your citations in the Harvard Referencing style. Simply enter the details of the source you wish to cite and the generator will do the hard work for you, no registration is required!

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In 2017, Portugal was the leader in FTTP access in Europe with almost 90% of territory covered.

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Portugal is the 4th most peaceful in the world, meaning it is very stable and secure when it comes to politics and that would not affect the sourcing from it.

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This is a screenshot I took from Photoshop where I created my range using WGSN cads. I used this to develop garments and design my range according to the principles in my concept. I had a screenshot in Photoshop of my key colours and prints in order to directly use the colours and patterns for designing my range.

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Using the CAD tab on WGSN I was able to choose the designs I wanted for my range. On the website you can select different seasons, genders, garments etc. so you can search for exactly what you want.

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Using the WGSN buyers' briefing for key items, I used the WGSN analytics to justify why I have included certain garments in my range and how they are performing in the general assortment mix.

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In order to complete my colour and print mix diagram, I used the website Piktochart, where I could fill in the percentages of how much each colour was, and then upload the correct colours from Pantone.

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Below are screenshots from Edited of Mango's current pricing architecture. I used Mango's current pricing to determine how I would price my range and whether products would be entry/mid/exit in the pricing structure.

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How brands can source fabrics sustainably helped me to choose my fabrics and why. It was important to be that as much of my range as possible had a sustainable aspect.

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If you want to become a more environmentally friendly fashion brand, the fabrics you work with is a great place to start. Our friends at SupplyCompass weigh in on the pros and cons of different sustainable materials and where to find them.

By noissue - 02 December, 2020

SupplyCompass is a digital production platform for fashion brands and manufacturers that aims to transform the way products are designed by having sustainability as a core focus. We had a chat with their team about the different types of sustainable materials on the market, as well as how to find the material that's best suited to your business.
When it comes to a fashion brand's environmental footprint, why is sourcing sustainable fabrics so important? How big a part do the materials you use play?
It is estimated that 60-80% of a product's impact is determined in the design stage which includes choosing materials. This is one of the most fundamental areas for building a robust sustainability strategy for the brand. Choosing the right materials also has impacts on how and for how long the garment is used, and what happens to it after it is disposed of. For example, a blend of a natural and a synthetic material can make the recycling process extremely difficult, while choosing polyester for a garment that is washed often, can mean increased shedding of microplastics into waterways.

Every textile fibre has a certain social or environmental impact attached to it, whether it be water or energy consumed, land use, impact on local communities or a carbon footprint. Hence it is important to make an informed decision when choosing materials-generally the regenerative, organic and recycled versions have a lower impact than their conventional counterparts.

What are the pros and cons when it comes to the sustainable value of different clothing materials?

Switching to more sustainable fabrics is the easiest step towards building a sustainable supply chain. Let's take a look at cotton and linen:

Organic cotton fabric

Pros

The most popular environment friendly fabric and it's produced in 35 countries

The great aspect of organic cotton is it's produced without any pesticides, with 85% less water consumption to that of conventional cotton. This organic farming process reduces the carbon emission by 46% to that of conventional cotton

Organic cotton fibre is of better quality as they are hand picked. The long fibres give it smooth finish

Cons

The separation of fibre and seeds is an energy intensive process

The cost of organic cotton fabrics is slightly higher than conventional as the yield is low, increasing the cost of production, and the supply chain needs to be certified by a third party organization.

Linen fabric

Pros

Natural, biodegradable fabric made from flax plant

Absorbs 20x water without being damp, which makes it highly breathable and moisture wicking and perfect for summer collections

Resilient crop and requires less water to grow

Softness of fabric increases with time

Cons

The production of fabric is a mechanical process when the fibre is retted, beaten and combed to produce fabric. As it has sturdy nature, the fibre breaks easily if the machines are run at higher speed. Hence this increases the costs

Only 1% of linen is used in global apparel production

To better understand each of these materials, you can download our free range of sustainable material guides here. Our guides take a deeper look into the production process of the most common materials, understanding the human, animal and environmental impact, alternatives and what to consider when designing collections.

How does a fashion brand choose a sustainable material that's right for them? What are the first steps they should take, or factors they should consider?

Choosing sustainable materials completely depends on what products the brand is making, how the fibre is processed, where they are located and where their supply chain is set up. Products like tees can be made from organic cotton or hemp, while activewear or swimwear may necessarily need a synthetic fibre, in which rPET or Econyl is the best choice.

Hemp and bamboo are usually grown very sustainably but are often processed with copious amounts of chemicals; look for low carbon and closed-loop production instead. At the same time, it is also important to understand where you are sourcing from and comparing the carbon footprint of each material to the other. If you are manufacturing from India for example, it is better to source the material as close to the processing and making facility as possible, rather than import it from the other side of the world.

Some indexes such as the Higg MSI and existing Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) measure the impact of various materials and are useful reference points but do not always account for the impacts during use and disposal stages or for human and animal rights, and can slightly differ from each other. Two things to remember are to always look for certifications from recognized bodies that can certify both the social and environmental impact, and that it's always ideal to have a fibre basket rather than solely depending on or utilising a single fibre only.

What are some alternatives to leather on the market, and what are the pros and cons of these materials?

There are several alternatives to leather in the market and range from PU, fish skin, apple and pineapple to coconut, mushroom, cactus and plant waste. Many of these are as durable as commercial leather, are made from renewable or waste materials and can have the look and feel of real leather. For a deep-dive into all the leather alternatives currently sold in the market, download our free guide here.

The disadvantages of leather alternatives are that they are often times more expensive and may not have the same wide range of grains and finishes as commercial leather. Some of them need to be scaled up to be fully available commercially as they may still be in the R&D stages and not all of them are fully compostable as they are coated with a PU/chemical finish. However both the supply and demand for these alternatives has escalated rapidly so expect to see products from leather alternatives all around you in the near future.

What are some innovative eco-friendly materials you've seen enter the market recently, such as Allbirds crab shell t-shirts?

There are several new exciting materials being developed and released that are viable alternatives to some of the concerns that conventional materials have. Companies are using technology to explore the core of natural systems to integrate their properties and create new biomaterials with minimal environmental impact but great material output and design. For example Vegea leather made from grapes and Mirum by Natural Fibre Welding are exciting options for leather alternatives. Orange Fiber is a cellulosic fibre from citrus by-products and companies like SeaCell and AlgiKnit are harnessing the power of rapidly renewable sources like seaweed and algae.

Then there are several innovative recycled fibres such as Evernu, Renewcell and Recover that recycle discarded textiles into new materials, and Re:Down that recycles post-consumer down and feathers for insulation in the apparel and bedding industries. These companies are established but are constantly improving their technology.

Even with fibres that have been used for centuries, there are several new developments that make the process more sustainable. With hemp for example, one of the most sustainably grown fabrics, processing can be outdated and chemical intensive. However, we are partnering with hemp companies in India who are developing new technologies to both produce and process hemp sustainably while maintaining transparency back to the farm. Stay tuned for further updates from us soon. The Sustainable Angle's Future Fabrics Expo (where we exhibit at too) is a great place to find and source new materials and innovations every year.

What about trims and other details, such as buttons, zips, tags and labels? Are there ways to be more environmentally friendly when it comes to selecting materials for these smaller details on clothing?

It's always important to look at the smaller details and trims form a very important and often overlooked part of the sustainability embedding process. That is why we have partnered with several innovative companies in the space so that designers have a range of options readily available to them at every stage of the design and decision making process. For labels, see if you can work with organic cotton canvas or recycled polyester tape material. For buttons, look at wooden or corozo nut. Both buttons and zippers can also be made from recycled ocean plastic; our partner Oceanworks, a global marketplace has a range of options in this material.

For hangtags, use FSC-certified recycled paper or recycled cotton pulp waste paper; our partner in Southern India is a specialist in this.

Hangers are often called the disposable straws of the fashion industry since billions of them are bought and disposed of every year by brands and retailers. Our partner Arch & Hook is a sustainable hanger brand creating durable, quality-driven hangers from FSC-certified wood as well as recycled plastic.

Do you have any final advice or tips for we haven't covered when it comes to sourcing sustainable fabric for your fashion business?

Data around sustainability can often be confusing and limited. There is no one right way to approach sustainability and fabric that is considered the most sustainable, so at the end of the day it is up to you to make decisions based on what values are most important to you and why you are making a product.

It is important to do the required amount of research but ask for help from specialists with practical experience when you need to. Create measurable, ambitious but achievable targets and use a cradle-to-cradle approach when it comes to choosing a fabric. Remember that sustainability is a journey, not an end goal, and that progress is more important than perfection.

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How to source sustainable fabrics for your fashion brand

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If you want to become a more environmentally friendly fashion brand, the fabrics you work with is a great place to start. Our friends at SupplyCompass weigh in on the pros and cons of different sustainable materials and where to find them.

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I used this article as it demonstrated statistics about consumers showing more interest in sustainability.

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Drapers research: how sustainable is the fashion industry? | News | Drapers

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A WGSN article on using recycled materials for fashion. In my range will include the use of recycled polyester in order to reduce Mango's carbon footprint.