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Repreve is a certified leading brand within recycled polyester, I have chosen to use a brand when sourcing recycled poly from due to the fact that it will not lengthen my critical path as without a brand I would have to seek out getting certification for the polyester I source. Their sourcing is in line with my concept through the majority of the bottles they recycle are collected from polluted oceans. They are also able to work closely with the factory as well as providing a certified hanging card that can be attached to the labels and packaging of the products so that we are able to openly claim that it is recycled poly which is part of achieving a recognised sustainable and ethical system within the fashion industry.

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REPREVE® Performance Technology | Taking Sustainability Further

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Learn about REPREVE® recycled fiber, made with wicking, water resistance, comfort stretch, cottony touch and more. Trusted. Sustainable. Certified. Made by Unifi.

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Creating a sustainable range means ensuring that the material I use has a sustainable background and especially due to the fact that I am aiming to highlight plastic pollution I felt strongly that this needed to be incorporated into the material. Therefore I researched into companies like Seaqual and Waste to Wear who are committed to taking plastic found in the oceans and recycling it into polyester to create yarn for clothes to help produce a closed loop system within the fashion industry.

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The Ocean Plastic Project is an initiative of Waste2Wear to find solutions to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans. 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year.

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Measurements for the dress are relatively equal front and back. However there are a fair amount of testing and constraints that will need to be followed in a precise and detailed manner due to the nature of the range being for children. Important checks regarding needles, chemicals and sensitivity checks from fibre composition must be carried out and and testing reports below grade 4 will have to be rectified as soon as possible

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The SEA LIFE Trust

Our registered charity (no. 1149058) dedicated to the conservation of marine wildlife and the environment.

With our partner charity, The SEA LIFE Trust, we are proud to develop and support projects that protect marine wildlife and habitats across the world.

Through SEA LIFE, the Trust can reach a huge audience with the key messages about its areas of focus: marine protected areas, sustainable seafood, plastic pollution, and improved protection for sharks, seahorses, turtles and marine mammals.

Last year we raised over £300,000 globally to support the Trust's projects and partner organisations, protecting sharks, rays, turtles, whales, dolphins, seahorses, otters, penguins and many other creatures.

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SEA LIFE Trust - Official Partner Charity of SEA LIFE

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The SEA LIFE Trust Our registered charity (no. 1149058) dedicated to the conservation of marine wildlife and the environment. With our partner charity, The SEA LIFE Trust, we are proud to develop and support projects that protect marine wildlife and habitats across the world.

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SEAQUAL is an eco friendly fibre, made from recycled plastic collected from the oceans it is turned into a high quality recycled polyester fabric.

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SEAQUAL is an eco friendly fibre, made from recycled plastic collected from the oceans it is turned into a high quality recycled polyester fabric.

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Seaqual, recycled fabrics for a clean ocean

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With so much seafood now containing plastic, the question is no longer are we eating plastic, but how bad is it for our health? In seawater, plastic absorbs chemicals like PCBs and DDTs which have been linked to endocrine disruption and even some cancers, becoming more powerful as they work their way up the food chain. Microplastics have now been found in human blood and disturbingly known to pass from mothers to their unborn children through the placentae.

The beach is where we go to connect with nature. It's simply not the same if it's covered in plastic. And with coastal tourism worth £5.5 billion to the UK economy, many of us count on it being clean for our livelihoods.

Even if you don't eat fish or go to the beach, everybody breathes. And all that essential oxygen? Marine plants produce a massive 70% of it.

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Immerse yourself in plastic trash and its shocking impact on our blue planet to better understand the big issues at play.

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Looking on WGSN I found Pitti Bimbo's latest trade shows for Kidswear 2020, from which I took inspiration for my range and sea life trend due to the fact that their was both an emphasis on sustainability as well as ocean conservation within the trade shows.

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H&M are a big competitor when it comes to sustainable ranges. They can be seen to be leading the game within the industry. When researching into the ability to create a range collaborating with a charity such as Sea Life Trust I discovered that H&M had also collaborated with conservation charity WWF a few years ago bringing attention to caring for wildlife, therefore this helped to justify my concept of collaborating with a large charity that knows about how to conserve the oceans and what fashion companies can do to implement changes.

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The second-largest polluter after oil - the fashion industry - is becoming more and more aware of how its processes affect both the environment and the people involved in the production process.

More and more big brands are coming up with better ways of producing the clothes that we buy and wear, including high street stores.

And this week, Swedish retailer H&M - which is known for its Conscious range - became the latest name to inspire people to care for the planet.

Joining forces with the World Wide Fund (WWF) - the world's leading independent conservation organisation - H&M has launched a new childrenswear collection made entirely of sustainable materials.

With items available for babies and children up to 14-years-old, the collaboration includes everything from cosy sweatshirts and soft leggings, to fun hooded dresses made from organic cotton.

The best bit it is that 10 per cent from the sale of each item will be donated towards WWF's conservation work.

"We only have one planet and we all need to team up to preserve it for generations to come," says Anna Gedda, head of sustainability at H&M Group.

"We believe in a sustainable future where fashion is made and consumed in a way that's sustainable for the planet. We have an ambition to be fully circular, and as part of that we have set the goal to only use recycled or other sustainably sourced materials by 2030".

WWF shares the same excitement for the collaboration with H&M and hopes that it will not only raise funds for conservation work, but also inspire a new generation of environmental champions.

"The collection stands testament to how it is possible to produce at scale clothing that is better for both the environment and little ones", says David Bloch, head of corporate marketing partnerships, WWF International.

This isn't the first time the two have come together though. Since 2011, H&M has been working in partnership with WWF to focus on water stewardship, climate action and sustainability strategy, with the aim of making H&M and the broader fashion industry more sustainable.

The Swedish retailer is also home to the Conscious Exclusive collection which, now in its seventh year, is designed to promote the use of recycled materials.

H&M aside, there are a number of sustainable and ethical brands on the rise within the fashion industry that either offer whole collections or ranges within it that meet the credentials.

Fancy investing in some new glad rags that are kinder to the environment? Check out brands like Though, P.i.C Style, Finisterre and People Tree.

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H&M collaborate with WWF to launch sustainable childrenswear collection

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The second-largest polluter after oil - the fashion industry - is becoming more and more aware of how its processes affect both the environment and the people involved in the production process. More and more big brands are coming up with better ways of producing the clothes that we buy and wear, including high street stores.

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The financial data I found on global data highlighted both strengths within Next's profits due to their multi-channel selling strategies. However it also brings to light their declining profits within their high street retail which have negative impacts on their overall margins achieved.

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Next does highlight their commitment to ethical problems with regards to chemical usage and treatment of workers and labour force. However they have minimal impact when it comes to sustainability which is a large focus currently for consumers when they purchase products.

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A new era of sustainability is rising, and it's touching every corner of the world. Consumers in markets big and small are increasingly motivated to be more environmentally conscious and are exercising their power and voice through the products they buy. But why do these shifts feel so urgent? There is mounting evidence to support that in many parts of the world, sustainability has become a life and death matter.

Health issues like asthma and typhoid have been linked to deteriorating air and water quality, and in extreme cases, decreased brain function and death. The World Health Organization estimates that 12.6 million people die from environmental health risks annually, and that environmental factors in developing countries carry roughly 25% of the disease burden. Air and water pollution are top of mind for global consumers in our recent online survey, but regional differences can be seen in what issues respondents say matter most.

In light of these concerns, consumers around the world are making adjustments in their shopping habits. While still juggling convenience, price and awareness along with their need to better the world, they're looking for companies to step up as partners in their quest to do good.

In fact, a whopping 81% of global respondents feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. This passion for corporate social responsibility is shared across gender lines and generations. Millennials, Gen Z and Gen X are the most supportive, but their older counterparts aren't far behind.

Regions that are rife with emerging market consumers-many of whom are dealing with environmental hazards in their everyday lives-show higher expectations than developed markets. In search of better solutions, it's no surprise that these consumers are more demanding of companies.

"Facing rapid urbanization and a growing disparity between classes, many people in emerging markets are experiencing the harsh reality of pollution in this post-modern industrial age," said Regan Leggett, Executive Director, Thought Leadership and Foresight, Global Markets, Nielsen. "As a result, sustainability has become an urgent opportunity for companies to connect with consumers who are excited about change," said Regan Leggett, Executive Director, Thought Leadership and Foresight, Global Markets, Nielsen.

Corporate responsibility and sustainability strategies may take different shapes around the world, but one thing is clear: Consumers are using their spending power to effect the change they want to see. They key to being benevolent and bankable partners in their efforts is in understanding where current sales spikes can be seen and embracing the changes that are on the horizon.

For a closer look at the trends that are driving sustainable shopping, a deep dive into specific sales indicators being seen in major markets and a roadmap for future success, check out Nielsen's Sustainable Shoppers Buy the Change They Wish to See in the World report. You might also enjoy our recent episode of the Database podcast on sustainability.

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Global Consumers Seek Companies That Care About Environmental Issues

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A new era of sustainability is rising, and it's touching every corner of the world. Consumers in markets big and small are increasingly motivated to be more environmentally conscious and are exercising their power and voice through the products they buy. But why do these shifts feel so urgent?

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The increasing developments within AI provides an ideal opportunity for Next to update their mobile app to provide customers with an experience both on their mobiles as well as in store that meets all of their needs.

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Expanding on their success from Emma Willis' collaboration they could grow incorporate her family to create an extended range as Next are known to be a family brand.

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Emma Willis | Clothing & Accessories | Next Official Site

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Taking inspiration from Emma Willis, shop clothing & accessories from this latest range. Next day delivery and free returns available.

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Data regarding mobile app usage shows that more and more people are downloading and using apps than ever before, Next can use this to their advantage to expand upon their mobile shopping app.

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If you take a second to look up from your phone during the day, I'm sure you'll notice that everyone else has their eyes glued to a mobile device as well.

We use our phones at work, at home, on the street, while we're eating, in bed, and even in our cars. You might be reading this from a mobile device right now.

This is encouraging news for anyone who owns an app or plans on developing an app. But in order to be successful in this space, two things need to happen.

These two seemingly simple actions are what inspired me to write this guide. Sure, we know that people are using apps more than ever before. But that's just barely scratching the surface in terms of the available data on this usage. You can't develop an app based on this information alone.

That's like saying, "People like to eat, so I'm going to open a restaurant."

If you want to compete and claim your share of this multi-billion dollar industry, you need to have a better understanding of exactly how people are downloading and using mobile apps.

Key Mobile App Statistics

Mobile apps are expected to generate $189 billion in revenue by 2020.

The Apple App Store has 2.2 million apps available for download.

There are 2.8 million apps available for download on the Google Play Store.

21% of Millennials open an app 50+ times per day.

49% of people open an app 11+ times each day.

57% of all digital media usage comes from mobile apps.

The average smartphone owner uses 30 apps each month .

Mobile App Downloads

Apps can't succeed without downloads.

It sounds simple, but all too often I app owners overlook this. You could have the best app on the planet, but if nobody is downloading it, you won't make a dime. So before you can get people to download your app , you need to take the time to conduct the proper research. To get you started, I've found the most relevant mobile app download statistics for 2019.

Global downloads

People all over the world are using smartphones and tablets.

We're seeing growth in app downloads each year. This trend will continue in the coming years as well.

Last year, there were more than 205 billion app downloads. That's a 15% increase from the year prior.

As you can see from the graph, experts predict that there will be a 25% increase in global app downloads between 2018 and 2022. So we're not expecting to see a steady 15% growth rate year over year like we did from 2017 to 2018.

Free vs. paid downloads

When you're creating a mobile app, one of the first things you need to figure out is your monetization strategy.

That's why you're building an app in the first place, right? To make money.

Charging for app downloads might be something that's crossed your mind. But will people download your app if you make them pay for it?

This visual comparison clearly shows what people are downloading. The vast majority of global downloads are all free.

In fact, 98% of app revenue worldwide comes from free apps. Just a fraction of people are willing to pay for downloads.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that you should completely dismiss the idea of launching a paid app. Depending on the type of app you have, there are benefits to both strategies.

If you charge for downloads initially, fewer users will download the app. That's because the majority of people are used to being offered free downloads.

Just look at your own mobile device. Do you have any apps that you paid to install? You're in the minority if you do.

However, people who download paid apps are more likely to be engaged. They aren't going to spend money on something and then never use it.

But you don't need to charge for downloads to make money with your app.

For those of you who own an existing business and have an app as an extension of that business to improve the customer experience should definitely be offering free downloads.

Even if you're launching an app as a completely new business, you can still make money by offering your app for free. There are plenty of other monetization strategies, such as offering in-app purchases.

Google Play vs. App Store Downloads

There are to places where the overwhelming majority of users are downloading apps.

Users with iOS devices download apps from the Apple App Store, while Android users download from the Google Play Store.

Worldwide, there are more downloads coming from the Google Play Store. But as you can see, both stores saw an increase in the percentage of downloads from 2017 to 2018.

The Google Play Store downloads grew by 14%, while the Apple App Store had just a 3% growth rate.

In short, the Google Play Store has more downloads and is growing at a higher rate.

I expect to see these trends continue in 2019.

Apple App Store Download Statistics

We've already looked at how the two app stores compared to one another. But now it's time to break these numbers down even further and take a closer look at each platform.

Let's start with the Apple App Store download statistics.

Most popular App Store categories

In order for your app to be successful, you need to understand what consumers want. This is especially true if you're building a new app.

Your app might be revolutionary in terms of the software or concept, but if there's no market for its usage, then you're going to struggle to get downloads.

The gaming category dominates the App Store.

But unless you're planning to build a new app from scratch, you're probably not going to have a game. For example, let's say you have an ecommerce store. It doesn't make sense to launch a gaming app for your business just so your app can fall into a more popular category.

Your app category needs to be relevant to the purpose and functions of your app. So if you own a business or lifestyle app, you can't just categorize it as a game to try and get more downloads.

Violating these terms can get your app removed from the App Store. Obviously, nobody will be able to download your app if this happens.

So don't try to trick the system. Your app can still be successful even if it's not in a top category. Those categories have more competition. Depending on your strategy, you could potentially target a niche category that's less saturated and try to dominate a larger share of a smaller market.

Apple App Store availability

As I just said, the mobile app industry is highly competitive.

The number of available apps is continuing to rise each year.

Based on all of the statistics we've analyzed so far, this makes sense. More people have mobile devices than ever before, and app downloads are at an all-time high. So it's only natural that more apps are being sent to market.

But are app download numbers on the rise because more apps are available? Or are more apps available because so many more apps have been released?

It's tough to say, and you can argue both sides. We'll have a better understanding of this reasoning after we analyze the Google Play Store.

Google Play Store Download Statistics

Now it's time to look at the download statistics from Android devices.

I took the time to create a more in-depth analysis of the Google Play Store.

Google Play store availability

As you can see, the graph doesn't have the same trajectory as the Apple graph for this same category. We're actually seeing a drop in app availability after mid 2017.

Why is this happening?

The Google Play Store is highly competitive. Some apps just weren't able to survive.

However, I don't expect to see this trend continue in a downward direction. It should stay level and eventually rise again in the coming years.

As we already saw, Google Play Store downloads are still rising, even though the number of apps available for download has dropped a bit.

Let's tie this back into our Apple discussion. The Apple App Store app availability numbers are rising each year, but the download growth rate is a lower percentage compared to the Google Play Store. Based on this information, I think it's safe to conclude that the number of apps available on each store isn't linked to rising app downloads overall.

Most popular Google Play store app categories

Some of these categories need to be taken with a grain of salt. For example, look at the top three categories on the list. Those apps likely come pre-loaded on all Android devices.

But aside from that, this list is a good indication of what types of apps Android users have downloaded. However, just because an app has been installed on a device, it doesn't mean that it's being used. We'll discuss this concept in greater depth as we look at mobile app usage statistics.

Mobile App Usage

Now that you've seen how users across the world download apps, it's time to analyze how people are using mobile apps.

The majority of mobile time is spent using three apps.

Even though the average person uses 25 apps per month, 96% of that time is split between just ten apps.

If the average person has 60-90 apps on their phone, this means that more than two-thirds of those apps don't get used every month.

What does this mean? It's simple. People are downloading apps and not using them.

We'll dive deeper into app usage statistics as we continue through this guide.

Mobile app retention and churn

As you just learned, app usage is not guaranteed after a download. Some of you might be aware of this if your app has already been brought to market.

You may have had some initial downloads, but you're struggling to make money because people just aren't using the app. It's a common problem that I see when I'm consulting with app owners.

71% of app users churn within the first 90 days of downloading an app.

What does this mean for you and your app?

Basically, you need to track these metrics. Give users a reason to keep coming back and using your app down the road.

You'll never have 100% retention, so you always need to be coming up with ways to get new downloads. But with that said, it doesn't mean you should be ignoring existing users.

If your app doesn't perform well and has glitches, bugs, or UX flaws, people will be more likely to churn. No app is perfect. Even the top apps have bugs now and then. But it's your responsibility to identify those errors. Come up with updates and new versions of your app to improve the performance and user experience.

Most essential apps

Earlier we talked about app popularity in terms of what's available for download, as well as penetration by category.

But just because they are available, it doesn't mean they are being used. In fact, just because they are being downloaded, it doesn't mean that they are being used either. We already saw the data to back that claim.

If you look at this list, it makes sense. All of the top apps are used for different purposes and could be used on a daily basis.

For those of you who want to develop a new mobile app, I can't say I recommend building something that competes with one of these top apps.

Can you build an app with GPS map services? Sure. But will it surpass Google Maps? Probably not.

Apple and Android global spending

As we've seen, there are clearly some download and usage differences between Apple and Android devices. Why?

In 2017, 85% of global smartphone sales were for Android devices. Apple accounted for just 14% of those sales.

However, even with a smaller market share, Apple users still spend more money.

While your app should be appealing to all users, you'll have better luck getting iOS users to buy premium upgrades and other in-app purchases.

Mobile app usage by age

You probably assumed that younger generations spend more time using mobile apps than people who are older. If so, that assumption was correct.

However, that doesn't mean you can't target other age groups. As you can see from the graph, people between the ages of 45-54 spend two hours per day using mobile apps. That's just 36 minutes less than people in the 25-34 age range.

Even users over the age of 65 spend 1 hour and 36 minutes using mobile apps every day.

Mobile App Usage by Device

Not all mobile usage is created equally. In addition to the differences between operating systems, the usage will also vary by the type of mobile device that people use.

Smartphone app usage

Digital content can be consumed from so many devices.

People have smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and laptops. You can even access content and apps from smart TVs, watches, smart home devices, and smart vehicles.

In the United States, 96% of digital time using maps came from smartphones. 86% of digital weather content was consumed through smartphone apps.

Logically, it makes sense. People need to access maps and GPS services on the go, so a smartphone is obviously the best choice.

But if you look farther down this list, you'll see other categories that aren't as obvious.

For example, 47% of retail consumption comes from smartphone apps. People have so many ways to buy online, yet they still choose to use smartphones at a high rate.

News and information is another category that jumps out at me. While the smartphone usage is just over 40%, it's still high considering all of the other platforms and outlets at our disposal.

Smartphones vs. tablets

Smartphones and tablets have some differences as well.

People download more apps on their smartphones and use more smartphone apps on a monthly basis. But as you can see from the visual, tablets aren't too far behind.

Considering the fact that smartphones are seemingly always within an arm's reach, it makes sense that they would be used more.

However, tablets outperform smartphones by a hair when it comes to paid apps or subscription purchases via an app. This could be a category that tablets will continue to control in years to come.

Tablet usage

While tablets may not be as popular as smartphones, they are used for specific purposes.

Here's another instance where gaming ranks first on a usage list. If you compare this graph to the previous one, you could conclude that a user is more likely to pay for gaming apps that are installed on a tablet.

Since tablet screens are larger, the gameplay and user experience will be enhanced. That's probably why tablet users are willing to pay more for downloads and subscriptions.

Mobile App Usage by Country

Like nearly everything else, behavior changes by location. This same concept can be applied to app usage.

We'll take a look and analyze how people in different parts of the world use mobile apps. You can use this information to learn about the audience you're targeting, or potentially see an opportunity in new markets.

Number of apps used

Japan and China have the highest average number of apps installed on smartphones. However, the percentage of apps being used isn't nearly as high.

Then look at how that compares to a country like India. They have the second lowest number of apps installed per device, but the highest number of apps used per month. So the usage ratio is much higher there.

So if a person in India downloads your app, there is a greater chance that they'll use it, at least on a monthly basis.

Daily app usage

Now let's see how many apps people are using each day.

It's fairly even across the board for these ten countries. All of them are right above or around the ten app per day mark.

Average minutes per day

While the number of apps being used isn't too different from country to country, the amount of usage time varies quite a bit.

Since Android dominates the global market share, it makes sense to use this platform for comparison purposes. These are the average minutes per day that Android users in different countries spend using apps.

Compare this data with the previous graph.

South Korea ranked second to last in terms of the number of apps being used per day. They are just one of two countries that use less than 10 apps each day, on average.

However, they ranked first in the number of minutes per day spent on apps.

There is one thing that remains consistent across the board for each of these countries. The time spent on mobile apps is growing each year.

Conclusion

Mobile apps are part of our daily lives. 2019 will continue to a big year for the mobile app industry.

Even though mobile usage and penetration are at an all-time high, every piece of data that we analyzed shows we are still trending upward. This is encouraging for anyone who has a mobile app or plans to build one. But you can't just develop and manage an app without staying up to date on the latest research and trends.

So use this guide as a reference to help you understand the mobile app industry from a download and usage perspective.
What metrics are you tracking to measure the usage statistics for your mobile app?

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Mobile App Download and Usage Statistics (2019) - BuildFire

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With over 2.7 billion smartphone users across the world, it's no surprise that the mobile app industry is thriving. App usage and smartphone penetration are still growing at a steady rate, without any signs of slowing down in the foreseeable future. Now factor in the 1.35 billion tablet users worldwide, which is a number that ...

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I created a board compiling all the tasks I needed to complete for my INP so that I ensured I wouldn't miss anything out. They are colour coded into particular sections with everything that I need to include for that particular section of my project. I found this an efficient way of dividing my workload to ensure I completed it all on time.

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Both profiles customers at the mid/high end of the millennials age bracket as these have a higher percentage of currently having children that are ofthe age the range is aimed towards.
Being Millennials they respond to social media, experiences and more recently studies show that millennials are more and more interested in companies that do well for the environment. These are the profiles that my customer base will be aimed towards regarding marketing, pricing and the overall sustainable concept of the range. The theme and vibrant colours will hopefully attract the attention of the children.

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Headed by newly elected chair Anne Main MP, the group launched with an introductory meeting this week that was attended by retailers, and industry and recycling bodies.

Last month the government rejected all recommendations made by the environmental audit committee's report, Fixing Fashion: Clothing Consumption and Sustainability' last month.

Over the coming months, the APPG will analyse evidence from the industry and make recommendations to the government for action in the clothing and textiles sector.

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Headed by newly elected chair Anne Main MP, the group launched with an introductory meeting this week that was attended by retailers, and industry and recycling bodies. Last month the government rejected all recommendations made by the environmental audit committee's report, Fixing Fashion: Clothing Consumption and Sustainability' last month.

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Government have proposed to achieve a net zero emissions for 2050  however at the same time have rejected plans to put a 1p charge on clothing items

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The cross-party environmental audit committee (EAC) submitted its Fixing Fashion report to the government inFebruary following a period of intensive consultation with the fashion industry.

Included in the report was the suggestion of mandatory environmental targets for retailers with a turnover of £36m and above - a proposal widely supported in the industry. More than 90% of respondents in Drapers' recent sustainability survey agreed with this idea.

It is unusual for an industry to welcome legislation, so the government's wholesale rejection of all the EAC's recommendations is a disappointment.

EAC chair Mary Creagh said: "The government has rejected our call, demonstrating that it is content to tolerate practices that trash the environment and exploit workers, despite having just committed to net zero emission targets."

Ulric Jerome, CEO of Matchesfashion, agreed: "If we want the UK fashion industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, we have to have greater support and leadership from the government."

His views are in line with 85% of respondents in Drapers' survey who said the government is not doing enough to help the fashion industry become more sustainable.

For the fashion industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, we have to have greater support and leadership from the government

Ulric Jerome, CEO of Matchesfashion

Although the government's response is frustrating, Kerry Gwyther, partner law firm TLT who heads its commercial regulatory practice, said he is not surprised: "[The government] believes its Resources and Waste Strategy will take care of most of the recommendations, coupled with existing legislations such as the Modern Slavery Act.

"The practicalities are that introducing legislation to cover the recommendations would involve a major piece of environmental legislation against the backdrop of a parliament grid-locked by Brexit."
Emergency action
Clare Lissaman, director of content and impact at sustainable business network Common Objective, said the government's response is "short sighted and missing the mood of the moment".

That mood is one where fashion brands and retailers readily acknowledge the climate change emergency and accept net zero emissions targets as essential.

The starting point for most brands and retailers is operational reductions focusing on energy efficiency within corporate offices, stores and transport fleets ( see box below).

Be part of the solution

Drapers Sustainable Fashion is an unmissable opportunity for the industry to get together and discuss what we can do to tackle the issues facing the industry as it strives towards a more sustainable future. To find out more go to Drapers Sustainable Fashion 2020.

New reporting obligations known as SECR (Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting) came into force in April and require businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to assess and share their organisational emissions footprint.

"A fair number of companies are doing this already, so the policy will bring in the laggards," said Pauline Op de Beeck, client executive of the Carbon Trust.

The greater challenge for UK fashion businesses are emissions created outside their immediate control in their global supply chains. That is also where the biggest gains can be made.

WRAP's (Waste and Resources Action Programme) 2016 Valuing Our Clothes report found that extraction of fibre during production was the biggest contributor to clothing's carbon footprint globally.

It's a hard time for the high street commercially but we do a disservice if we separate sustainability issues from business issues

Susan Harris, technical director at sustainability consultancy Anthesis Group

With future emissions targets likely to include the impact of their supply chains, fashion businesses will need to work with manufacturers to help them become more efficient. This could include helping suppliers switch to renewable energy sources, for example.

As one of the world's largest fashion retailers working with a huge global supply chain, H&M group has outlined an ambition to achieve a "climate positive value chain" by 2040.

Giorgina Waltier, sustainability manager for UK and Ireland, explained: "This means we will reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than our entire value chain emits. We want to go beyond our own stores to address suppliers, transport and distribution centres."
New business models
The fashion industry could make progress towards net zero targets by rethinking business models to cover the full garment lifecycle.

When clothing is re-used or recycled, it potentially displaces the sale of a new item and reduces the need for emission-heavy fibre extraction at the production stage. Brands are therefore starting to take circularity seriously, observed Susan Harris, technical director at sustainability consultancy Anthesis Group.

"Different approaches such as 'take-back and re-use' schemes, or fibre-to-fibre recycling are all valid," she said.

The rise of resale apps highlights the appetite among consumers, especially younger ones, for reuse. New research conducted by Fashion Retail Academy revealed that the number of people selling their clothes via resale apps has increased by 113%.

Introducing legislation to cover the recommendations would involve a major piece of environmental legislation against the backdrop of a parliament grid-locked by Brexit

Kerry Gwyther, partner law firm TLT

This bodes well for the fashion industry which lends itself to circularity more than other industries. It even gives it a chance to lead as an industry.

The challenge for fashion businesses is how to rethink the model during difficult trading conditions.

Harris said: "It's a hard time for the high street commercially but we do a disservice if we separate sustainability issues from business issues."

Small steps are in evidence. Asos plans for all its designers to be educated in circular-design principles by 2020. So far, 15 members of the design team have piloted a circular-design training programme in partnership with the London College of Fashion.

Barriers to net zero

The reality of price and the challenges of the production are obstacles to achieving net zero carbon emissions. Polyester is responsible for 2% of greenhouse gases globally, as estimated by Common Objective, but is a tempting low-cost option for designers and buyers under pressure.

For UK fashion retailers to achieve net zero targets they need to introduce new metrics across all dimensions of their business, stated Lissaman: "Sustainability-led KPIs should not just be for the sustainable expert, but also design, buying and so on. That's how to embed sustainability and create a system that supports individuals to make changes because they know they can."

The Drapers Verdict

UK brands and retailers acknowledge the climate crisis and the need to step up their efforts to achieve net zero emissions targets. As such, they are making good progress on reducing the emissions they can control.

Moving beyond that is more challenging and makes the government's rejection of the environmental audit committee's recommendations all the more disappointing. Not only does it fail to capitalise on the momentum gathering among UK fashion brands and retailers for action, it delays any plans for an industry-wide system to improve reuse and recycling.

The appetite for collaborative action is encouraging. Brands and retailers are getting more and more involved in a wide range of initiatives, such as the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action set up by UN Climate Change.

In addition, the UK industry has a real opportunity to get ahead of the curve, and come up with new business models that help tackle climate change and respond to a new wave of consumer expectations.

Cutting operational emissions

Burberry is on track to reach its goal to make its operational energy use carbon neutral by 2022. Three quarters of the luxury brand's direct carbon emissions come from stores so it uses a network of responsibility champions in key locations to encourage energy efficiency among store staff.

A spokeswoman said: "We are now carbon neutral across the Americas region, EMEIA retail stores and our UK operations."

In March The John Lewis Partnership announced it would reduce its operational greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. It plans to eliminate emissions altogether, without the need to purchase offsets.

Primark, meanwhile, invested in in-store energy efficiency technologies in 2018. These cover lighting, building management systems and real-time data technology to control and reduce energy use.

The Aldo Group became the first footwear and accessories retailer worldwide to achieve climate neutral status in its offices and stores in 2018, five years after starting a carbon and greenhouse gas reduction programme. Alongside in-store energy-efficiency programmes, it offsets 100% of the non-avoidable greenhouse gas emission generated in stores.

Smaller brands are also exploring ways to curb energy emissions.

Cora Hilts, co-founder of Rêve en Vert, said it uses UPS and DHL carbon shipping. "I don't believe that offsets nearly enough emissions however, so we also donate to the charity Trees for the Future."

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The cross-party environmental audit committee (EAC) submitted its Fixing Fashion report to the government inFebruary following a period of intensive consultation with the fashion industry. Included in the report was the suggestion of mandatory environmental targets for retailers with a turnover of £36m and above - a proposal widely supported in the industry.

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Lifestyle ES Magazine

The British fashion industry relies on international trade, thrives on a global pool of talent - and has made no secret of its desire to remain in the EU. So how is it preparing as we enter the final countdown to Brexit? Lucy Tobin investigates

B

ritain's fashion industry didn't vote for Brexit: 90 per cent of designers told the British Fashion Council they were voting remain.

But with less than seven months to go before the UK formally cuts its ties with the European Union, this £28 billion sector has to get three very different looks ready to future-proof business.

Richard Lim, chief executive of analyst Retail Economics, outlines the potential scenarios: 'Hard Brexit - where existing trade deals disappear, and designers, retailers and manufacturers would have to pay to trade with the EU - would mean clothing and footwear tariffs of about 11 per cent, or just over £1 billion more each year.' A second option is a free trade agreement, 'but we don't know what kind of strings will be attached - it's hard for businesses to plan'. Third, the UK could remain part of the customs union, but that seems unlikely given that Theresa May has already rejected this path.

'Whatever happens, the price of a pair of jeans will, in all likeliness, go up after Brexit,' says Lim. 'It's tariffs, and an exodus of [European] shop staff, designers, warehouse staff, delivery drivers... As we "take control of our borders", the pool of available staff is likely to shrink, meaning an inflationary impact on wages. It's likely to be massively disruptive.'

The UK imports almost £10 billion worth of clothes and shoes from Europe each year; more than 10,000 European staff work in the British fashion industry. It has become a microcosm of UK Plc's struggle to deal with the referendum result.

Katharine Hamnett has sold thousands of her 'CANCEL BREXIT' T-shirts and has released a new version, 'FASHION HATES BREXIT'. She is campaigning for a second referendum, but has a contingency plan, too. She has set up her own Italian company, near Venice, 'to handle production and logistics, so we don't get snarled up in complicated Brexit red tape and import and export problems for our manufacturing and shipments'.

'It's terrifying that we know so little about "the deal" - the fashion industry works so far in advance, and it feels like we are in a blackout room and having to use a crystal ball to find our way out,' says Frances Card, fashion consultant and former Matchesfashion.com COO. Her concern is echoed by Clare Hornby of ME+EM, whose Breton T-shirts are loved by the Duchess of Cambridge. Meanwhile, photographer Nick Knight is unequivocal. 'The overwhelming evidence and general agreement on all sides now is that this country and its communities will be considerably worse off both economically and culturally if we leave the EU,' he says.

It's not all bad. The Brexit-fuelled crash in the value of the pound has seen surging numbers of Chinese, Arab and American fashion tourists chucking cash at the West End's fanciest tills. But higher sales may not be enough to offset rising foreign manufacturing costs and an influx of shoppers may be balanced by an outflux of international talent from the industry. José Neves, founder of luxury online platform Farfetch, put it like this at last year's Web Summit in Lisbon: 'We have 25 different nationalities in our London office. If [Brexit] jeopardises that, it'll be a major loss.' Writer and consultant Nick Vinson points out, 'Many great "British" designers are European and proud of it': Mary Katrantzou is Greek, Simone Rocha is Irish, Peter Pilotto is Austrian-Italian.

Loud and clear: Katharine Hamnett's T-shirt

Stephanie Phair, chair of the British Fashion Council, says that 'making sure young people from all around the world have access to creative education and skills to protect our home-grown talent pipeline' is a post-Brexit priority. 'It's extremely important that we remain open and accessible to international talent,' she adds. The BFC helps run the fashion arm of the Home Office's Tier 1 visa scheme, giving 2,000 top designers from outside the EU fast-tracked visas. 'In light of Brexit, this is something that is incredibly important.'

Stylist Tamara Cincik set up Fashion Roundtable to make sure the industry's concerns were heard. 'Fishing makes £1.4 billion for the UK economy, fashion almost £30 billion, but we only hear about cod,' she says. 'I know of two long-established London brands, one in accessories, one in women's and menswear, moving to Portugal, and a large fash-tech business looking to relocate its logistics to Italy. With a hard Brexit or no deal, swathes of fashion firms expect to leave,' she adds.

Universities claim the talent drain isn't happening yet. The London College of Fashion says its proportion of EU applicants hasn't dropped over the past year. The college's head, professor Frances Corner, is a rare positive voice: 'Brexit gives us an opportunity to ask what sort of fashionable future we want. Ideas and thoughts can't be tied down to national boundaries, they will always break through,' she says. But she mourns the end of EU funding, and potentially of the Erasmus scheme, which enables students and staff to work elsewhere in Europe.

The International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, has said that Brexit is 'an unprecedented opportunity to create a trading environment that delivers for our country, our businesses and our citizens'. And it's true that Brexit isn't a wardrobe disaster for every London company in the fashion industry. Vote Leave's push for the return of 'made in Britain' is already bearing fruit in the unlikely location of Haringey. At a dazzling white workshop in Zone 2, Jenny Holloway runs Fashion Enter, where 107 stitchers, cutters and designers manufacture womenswear for Marks & Spencer, Asos, Matthew Williamson and Preen, among others. Since the referendum, she's had Tesco and Arcadia come knocking. 'Brexit, and the chaos in Turkey, mean manufacturing is drifting back to the UK,' Holloway says.

The in-crowd: right, designers Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery express support for the remain campaign during one of their label's catwalk shows in 2016 /

'We can go from idea to delivery in three weeks.' However, some 80 per cent of her stitchers are Eastern European. 'When [the Brexit vote] first happened, two went home immediately - they felt unloved and unwanted. We used to have skilled workers from Bulgaria, Romania and Poland knocking on the door every week - that's stopped completely.'

UK makers also need something to make their clothes from - and there aren't any cotton fields in Seven Sisters. Three quarters of materials used in the UK are imported. If there is no deal, UK manufacturers will be subject to a bewildering array of tariffs.

'Manufacturers will face reams of paperwork for each component part,' Anna Tobin, at Ready for Brexit, explains. 'Plus there are possible technical barriers to trade - if a country decides a British clothing firm's standards aren't high enough, it could be barred. Then there's the possible port queues delaying shipments, new VAT rules that mean importers will have to pay their 20 per cent upfront, and potential delays at immigration for foreign buyers.

'Business that's done unthinkingly now - shipping in cloth from Italian mills, sourcing components from China, Turkey and India, transporting finished clothes and models over to Paris or Milan for the shows, and product lines into stores in Europe - will entail many more additional steps. It will be a logistical nightmare.'

Spaniard Álvaro González makes the sandals of his eponymous shoe brand in Florence, sells them in his Marylebone shop plus wholesale worldwide via Matchesfashion.com, Mr Porter and Browns Fashion, all based in London. 'Delivery for SS19 is just before [Brexit day] but our next collection, which we are designing now, is a concern - we have no way of knowing how we can sell and deliver it. We wholesale in euros, and sell in our store and via e-commerce in pounds. Our margins are at risk with exchange rate fluctuations.'

Stephen Sidkin, fashion law partner at Fox Williams whose clients include La Perla and Orla Kiely, believes the industry is not well prepared: 'Many fashion firms are adopting the ostrich position - which could prove painful.' But he admits they have no choice. 'By next week, many brands will have decided what individual pieces from their SS19 collections to manufacture - but unless they are paying in sterling, how can they know where exchange rates will be when payment for overseas manufacturing becomes due? Or what customs duties will be payable both into the UK and into the EU?'

All of which means that experts are worried about London losing its reputation as a global fashion capital. Last month, Superdry founder Julian Dunkerton gave £1m to the People's Vote campaign for a second referendum. Frances Card, meanwhile, adds: 'We came back from a major exodus of designers and top models at London Fashion Week around a decade ago - it was hard to do. The threat of [Brexit's] potential loss cuts through all aspects of our industry - disaster for our stores, businesses and carefully nurtured brands, and the freedom to move everything and everyone easily across borders. Don't let's lose our place again.'

Illustrations by Michelle Thompson

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How will Brexit impact the UK fashion industry?

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The British fashion industry relies on international trade, thrives on a global pool of talent - and has made no secret of its desire to remain in the EU. So how is it preparing as we enter the final countdown to Brexit? Lucy Tobin investigates

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// The shop vacancy rate in the UK stands at 15.9%, according to figures obtained by Duff & Phelps

// This means almost one in six high street shops lie empty

// Duff & Phelps calculated the total number of retail units that stand empty is at 50,578

New figures obtained by a corporate restructuring specialist firm has found that almost one in six retail units across the UK are vacant.

The data - obtained by Duff & Phelps following a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to local councils across the UK - shows that 15.9 per cent of all shops and retail outlets in the country now lie empty.

This percentage is based on ONS figures that indicated there were 319,000 retail businesses in 2018.

With a total of 418 councils in the UK, Duff & Phelps' mean average based on the councils that responded to its request shows that the total number of retail units that lie empty stands at 50,578.

This equates to an average of 121 empty retail units per council.

Duff & Phelps said these figures quantify the scale of the challenge facing the UK high street after one of the toughest trading periods since the 2008 recession.

"Getting an accurate picture of the real health of the high street is difficult, but by using FOI, we managed to gain valuable insight into what local authorities are experiencing," managing director Philip Duffy said.

Duff & Phelps said its figures were in line with those released by retail analyst firm Springboard, which found that vacancy rates are now running at around 10 per cent.

However, it differed in that local authorities under FOI have released them, which Duff & Phelps believe "should be more reflective of the reality on the ground" because "an empty retail unit does not necessarily mean it's vacant and available for lease".

Duff & Phelps highlighted that in the first 100 days of 2018, some 18 mid- and large-sized retailers collapsed, impacting more jobs than in the entire year prior.

The firm believes this trend also in the first half of 2019.

It is estimated that business rates are the equivalent of 2.3 per cent of overall business costs for a traditional bricks-and-mortar retailer, compared to just 0.6 per cent for online-only retailers.

"The impact on local government cannot be underestimated either," Duffy said.

"FOI also identified that 9 per cent of UK local authorities are retail landlords in their own right.

"Empty units mean lost rental and business rates income, all at a time when many local authorities are reporting increased financial pressures.

"The old financial model of the traditional brick and mortar retailer - based on a high street or shopping centre built around them in the post war era - was centred on regular increases in sales and 25-year leases with upward rent reviews only.

"As a result, it has meant high rents and occupancy costs. This has blown apart as a result of both the discounters and the dramatic uptick in online sales.

"The remaining question is whether this picture continues throughout 2019 and if so, at what speed?"
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16% of retail units lie empty across the country - Retail Gazette

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The shop vacancy rate in the UK stands at 15.9%, according to figures obtained by Duff & Phelps // This means almost one in six high street shops lie empty // Duff & Phelps calculated the total number of retail units that stand empty is at 50,578 New figures obtained by a corporate restructuring specialist firm has found that almost one in six retail units across the UK are vacant.

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Millennial and Gen Z shoppers are increasingly browsing and purchasing online while in-store, with 78% of younger generations shop both in-store and online simultaneously, and are 34% more likely than older customers to use a mobile device in a store, reveals retail research from Conversant.

The news comes as a separate study by the Fashion Retail Academy suggests that reports of the High Street's demise are premature. It finds that, although many retailers such as M&S have lost faith in their High Street stores and have started moving online, more than two thirds (70%) of consumers are still buying less than half of their clothes on the internet.

According to Conversant's Elliott Clayton, SVP of Media UK: "A few years ago, in-store Wi-Fi was seen as a basic marketing channel and time-waster for bored friends and partners waiting around. Today's young, savvy customers will do price comparison on their mobiles, but they might also be ordering the right size or colour of an item from your store that isn't available on the premises."

Research recently released from Hitachi Consulting suggests the UK's big-name high-street retailers have acknowledged the need to adapt to online and offline channels overlapping, with three-quarters prioritising in-store Wi-Fi, alongside services like Click and Collect.

"The customer journey is not linear but merges across channels and brick-to-clicks is on the rise," says Claydon. "Given this, providing the likes of free and reliable Wi-Fi for customers will become increasingly important as brick-and-mobile shopping becomes the norm. Smaller retailers and independents would be wise to take note and follow suit."

Conversant's research also reveals how multi-channel customers are the most valuable for brands. Customers who shop multiple brand channels make around three more trips than those who only shop one channel.

"The fast-growing brick-and-mobile shopping trend benefits both the brand and the customer. Brands have multiple opportunities to market to consumers and capture a sale, while consumers themselves make more informed decisions when purchasing. It may seem like we're bemoaning the closure of shops on the high-street but there's good reason why former online-only retailers are opening physical stores - the key is syncing up offline and online," commented Clayton.

"To seize the opportunity around brick-and-mobile engagements, brands need an online experience that enhances in-store device activity and a marketing strategy that also complements it," he says.

All is not lost on the High Street

Fashion Retail Academy, meanwhile, suggests that all isn't as bad as the headlines show on the High Street.

It says that the Christmas retail figures released this month from a number of big brands such as Next and John Lewis show that online sales have supported struggling retailers over the festive period.

However this does not show a complete switch to internet shopping and in fact the average shopper only buys 38% of their clothes online.

Perhaps surprisingly, it's men that are hitting the high street hardest, with more than six in 10 (62%) saying they still like to try on clothes in-store - compared to 60% of women. On average, women are buying 6%more of their clothes online - while three quarters (75%) of the male population are buying less than half of their clothes on the web.

Consumers who buy over 70%of their clothes online still like to try them on in-store - with over half (54%)of them saying they like to go into the shops as well.

Lee Lucas, principal of the Fashion Retail Academy, explains: "Undoubtedly the last few years has seen the proportion of shopping done online increase exponentially - while this has created some interesting challenges for retailers that didn't react to this trend quickly enough, this shift hasn't killed off the high street.

"From a consumer perspective, this shift online isn't a big surprise - shoppers are savvy enough to understand that the best deals are often reserved for those who shop around online," he says.

"However, retailers have been adapting and remodelling based on consumers' needs, looking at the latest trends, launching huge promotions across the board and creating an experiential shopping experience - with more and more retailers integrating services and 3rdparties into their retail space to draw people in," Lucas adds.

According to Lucas, companies such as Next are enjoying the benefits of blending online and physical sales environments, and see half of their online orders delivered to their stores - which is continuing to draw customers onto the high street.

"Big brands are also getting wise to the hype created around limited runs on certain lines of clothing - something which companies like Supreme have really mastered in recent years, and 'legacy' brands like Louis Vuitton have cleverly adopted," he says. "In the same way that books have enjoyed a resurgence against the Kindle in recent times thanks to the experience of leafing through a much loved paperback, the experiential aspect of heading to the shops will never be replaced wholesale by browsing online for new clothes."

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Showrooming in-store to evolve in 2019 as Millennials and Gen Z buy on their mobiles - saving the High Street

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Millennial and Gen Z shoppers are increasingly browsing and purchasing online while in-store, with 78% of younger generations shop both in-store and online simultaneously, and are 34% more likely than older customers to use a mobile device in a store

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Artificial intelligence is taking up the pace when it comes to global logistics and supply chain management. As per a number of executives from the transportation industry, these fields are expected to go through a more significant transformation. The on-going evolution in the areas of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and similar new technologies is said to possess the potential to bring in disruption and lead innovation within these industries.

Artificial intelligence comes with computing techniques which helps to select large quantities of data that is collected from logistics and supply chain. You can put such methods to use, and they can be analyzed to get results which can initiate processes and complex functions.

Many organizations have now been benefitted with investments in artificial intelligence. As per Adobe, currently, 15% have already started to use AI while other 31% plans to have them implemented in 2019. Some of the areas from which revenue can be generated are research and development, product innovation, supply chain operations, and customer service.

Impact of artificial intelligence in Logistics

Predictive capabilities will rise.

The efficiencies of the company in the areas of network planning and predictive demand are getting improved with AI capabilities. Companies get to become more proactive by having a tool which can help with capacity planning and accurate demand forecasting. When they know what the market expects, they can quickly move the vehicles to the areas with more demand and thereby bring down the operational costs.

To avoid risks, anticipate events and come up with solutions, now techs are using data. The data helps companies to use their resources in the right way for maximum benefits, and artificial intelligence helps them with it more accurate and faster manner.

Robotics.

You cannot talk about artificial intelligence without mentioning robotics. Even though robotics is considered as a futuristic technology concept, the supply chain already makes use of it. They are used to track, locate and move inventory within the warehouses. Such robots come with deep learning algorithms which helps the robots make autonomous decisions regarding the different processes that are performed in the warehouse.

Big data.

Apart from robots, artificial intelligence is also about big data. For the logistics companies, Big Data helps to optimize future performance and forecast accurate outlooks better than ever. When the insights of Big Data are used along with artificial intelligence, it helps to improve different areas of supply chain like supply chain transparency and route optimization.

For AI in the logistics industry, coming up with clean data is a huge step, and they cannot implement without having such usable figures. It is not easy to measure efficiency as data comes from different sources. At the source level it is not possible to improve such data, and so algorithms are used to analyze data, enhance the quality of data, identify issues to attain transparency which can be used for business benefits.

Computer vision.

When you are moving cargo across the world, it is always good to have a pair of eyes to monitor, and it can be best when it comes with state-of-the-art technology. Now you can see things in a new way by using computer vision which is based on artificial intelligence for the logistics.

Autonomous vehicles.

Autonomous vehicles are the next big thing that artificial intelligence offers the supply chain. Having driverless trucks can take a while, but the logistics industry is now making use of high-tech driving to increase efficiency and safety. The significant change is expected in this industry in terms of assisted braking, lane-assist, and highway autopilot.

In order to achieve lower fuel consumption, better-driving systems are coming up which works on to bring together multiple trucks to have formations. Computers control such formations and they are connected with one another too. Such kind of configuration is said to help the trucks save fuel distinctively.

Impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in Supply Chain.

AI offers contextual intelligence.

AI provides the supply chain with contextual intelligence which can be used by them to reduce the operating costs and manage inventory. The contextual information helps them to get back to the clients quickly.

Companies make use of AI along with machine learning to get new insights into different areas which include warehouse management, logistics and supply chain management. Some of the technologies used in these areas are AI-powered Visual Inspection to identify damage and carry out needed correction by taking photos of the cargo by using special cameras and Intelligent Robotic Sorting to sort palletized shipments, parcels and letters.

AI offers insights to boost productivity.

By making use of AI in supply chain management, it is possible to analyze its performance and come up with new factors which impacts the same area. In order to find the factors and issues which affects the performance of the supply chain, AI combines the capabilities of different technologies like reinforcement learning, unsupervised learning and supervised learning.

AI helps with demand forecasting by analyzing large volumes of data.

AI makes it possible to measure and track all the factors which can work towards offering accuracy in demand forecasting. Based on the weather, real-time sales and other factors, it provides continuous forecasts in a loop. Such kind of information can help with automated sorting, improving warehouse management, self-management of inventory systems and forklifts that are self-driving.

AI can help with improving the selection of the supplier and its effectiveness.

AI can analyze the data related to the supplier like audits, in-full delivery performance, credit scoring, evaluations and based on that deliver information which can be used to make future decisions. This kind of step helps the company make better decisions as a supplier and work towards improving customer service.

AI helps to improve the customer experience.

As per Pega, 38 percent of consumers believe that AI can enhance customer service. AI personalizes the relationship of customers with logistics providers. Customers can now make use of voice-based service to track their shipment. In case any issues come up when the customer will be redirected to the customer assistance team.

AI improves factory scheduling and production planning.

With the introduction of AI now companies can work on enhancing factory scheduling and production planning. They can work on to analyze the different issues and then optimize them. With AI having the power to balance constraints this can work well for build-to-order situations automatically.

Impact of artificial intelligence in Transportation.

Issues in transportation arise when system behavior is hard to form based on the predictable pattern which is affected by human errors, traffic or accidents. In such situations, AI can come to your rescue. AI predicts decisions based on data analysis. AI is now implemented in a number of ways across the transportation industry, and some have been explained below:

Corporate decision making.

By making use of AI methods, the fright transport system can make use of prediction methods to know about their volume in order to simplify planning for the transport company. Moreover, it is possible to design a number of decision-making tools which can be run by AI. Such kind of investments in AI will help the companies in the future in a better way.

Improvement in public safety.

By real-time tracking of crime data in the urban areas, it has become possible to ensure the safety of the people who are making use of public transport. Such kind of data can be used by the police to make their patrolling efforts efficient and work towards ensuring the safety of the people.

Autonomous vehicles.

Over the last many years self-driven cars and trucks have been a thing of interest for people. To boost productivity and decrease the instances of accidents over highways, Elon Musk and Uber have developed self-driving trucks.

Safety of pedestrians.

It is possible to decrease injuries and traffic accidents by predicting the path of cyclists and pedestrians. Gaging traffic information allows for reducing overall emissions and various transportation usage.

Traffic patterns.

The traffic flow is said to affect transport significantly. When the data related to traffic is used for traffic management by making use of AI, then such information can be used to dramatically reduce the congestion in traffic as well as streamline it. Today a number of AI-based solutions are used to build smarter traffic solutions, and they are said to play their roles effectively.

Summary

With recent breakthroughs in technologies like big data and machine learning algorithms, in the future, AI is said to come up with unusual solutions in the supply chain, logistics and transportation industries.

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How AI Is Revolutionizing Global Logistics And Supply Chain Management

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Artificial intelligence is taking up the pace when it comes to global logistics and supply chain management. As per a number of executives from the transportation industry, these fields are expected to go through a more significant transformation.

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Researching for green factories I had originally Envoy Textiles however after further research discovered that their main expertise lies within denim and therefore looked into alternative factories. From this i decided on PFL, they are the second highest rated green factory within Bangladesh having a platinum rating.

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In today's global global economy the protection of the environment is a key component of any sustainable business plan. Reversing, Global warming, climate change, damage to the ozone layer and the loss of biodiversity is the responsibility of business today.

Plummy Fashions Ltd (PFL) has commenced a ground breaking project. The Green Knit Apparel manufacturing unit. This project follows the principles of the U.S. "LEED" and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). PFL strives for sustainable and accountable business practices in Bangladesh and is establishing the definitive business model that manufactures and customers can follow for the benefit of everyone. PFL's commitment and passion, to people, families, workers and the planet translates into a driving force towards sustainable business.

This spectacular manufacturing unit is located in Narayanganj, 20 kilometers south from Dhaka city center. The site is 5.5 acres, sensitively landscaped with a combination of award winning designed buildings and 3 acres of tranquil gardens. PFl has installed a class leading natural water management system re-cycling and reusing both rainwater and surface water. A natural lake located inside the factory premises not only ensures a balanced eco system, but a feeling of relaxation and tranquility, important in a busy world.

In order to comply with USGBC core standards and guidelines for building and management, PFL followed LEED strict manufacturing standards. PFL has installed digitally calibrated machines essential for utilizing Solar energy, CFC free cooling systems, efficient water fixtures, LED lighting, low energy plant minimizing the companies carbon footprint. In order to meet and exceed natural energy requirement, PFL has constructed one of the largest solar energy plant in Bangladesh and the factory has utilized a state of the art skylight system to trap natural sunlight for lighting its facilities.

Despite a strong emphasis on the environment, people remain at the core of all initiatives. The companies ethos is geared towards the well being of workers and employees, the core of PFL. PFL ensures a comfortable and safe workplace, separate child-care, health care, recreation and training facilities. A committee dedicated to safety, equal opportunities, and well being is trained to implement positive and evolving management practices has been created to ensure a modern forward looking working environment.

Equal opportunity forms the core of the companies mission statement.

PFL positively encourages women and minority groups in employment and is committed to provide support facilities to ensure job retention and to encourage promotion. PFL operates a zero tolerance discrimination policy. The company is particularly sensitive to the rights of women in the workplace and operates a duty of care policy for the protection of women in its production facilities.

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In today's global global economy the protection of the environment is a key component of any sustainable business plan. Reversing, Global warming, climate change, damage to the ozone layer and the loss of biodiversity is the responsibility of business today. Plummy Fashions Ltd (PFL) has commenced a ground breaking project.

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In total the range is 44 pieces split equally between boys and girls. I have maintained the split with 2x tops to bottoms, this is reflected more within the boys range and with the girls the ratios are split more over dresses and jumpsuit styles. The pricing is reflective of Next's current strategies.

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Below is the full spreadsheet of my range plan strategy including planned sales by colour, category, price range as well as online. I have planned that a fairly high percentage of my sales will come from online. This is due to researching Next's position in the market which highlighted that there success in the past two quarters has come predominently from online sales and click and collect.

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Braced all in one boys: The composition consists of Tencel™ Lyocell which will provide a soft comfort feel to the shorts as cargo shorts usually consist of a more rigid fabric which may be uncomfortable for young wearers. This style will be produced in a slight higher percentage among the smaller sizes of the range as this is who it will be aimed at with many of the other styles having a larger versatility among the ages. Due to the price point and size variance it will also only be available in Grade A stores  with hope to be trialed in Grade B following success.

Ruffle trim dress girls: Due to length restrictions on childrenswear in regards to causing trip hazards the long  maxi style skirt for this dress cannot be used. however using Tencel™ Lyocell as part of the fabrics composition will give it a soft and silky flowing feel similar to that of the maxi style. The sewn in waistbelting is used in order to create a break in the print as without it the print can look overpowering.

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When preparing a launch plan I researched into how to market product in order to appeal millennials. The link below places emphasis on creating experiences, showing that you are supporting causes they are passionate about as well as capitalising on social media advertising.

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If there's one generation that marketers can't stop talking about, it's the Millennials. Brands of all sizes around the globe are trying to engage Millennials and understand what motivates them and drives their attitudes and behaviors.

Finally emerging from the shadows of Gen Xers, Millennials now make up the majority of the U.S. workforce. But study after study has shown that Millennials are wildly different from Gen Xers and even from Baby Boomers, the generation that raised them.
As Millennials enter adulthood and their preferences impact the economy, marketers and researchers need to develop a deeper understanding of them. Here's what you need to know:

1. Who are millennials?

2. What are the challenges in reaching them?

3. How can marketers best engage with millennials?

4. What are the consumer insight best practices when trying to engage millennials?

5. Where can I get more info about engaging millennials?

Who are the millennials?

What are the challenges in engaging millennial consumers?

The evolving Millennial lifestyle constantly challenges marketers' assumptions about them.

Here's what research suggests about the Gen Y lifestyle.

Constant connection. Younger Millennials don't remember what it's like to not be connected to the web. This generation is used to checking online before buying something . And with the ubiquity of mobile, Millennials expect a seamless customer experience regardless of the device they're using.

This infographic, from our Black Friday 2013 study, highlights how millennials use mobile devices to shop.

Short attention span. Several studies have shown that one of the defining characteristics of Millennials is their short attention spans. This trait is apparent in the prefered communication tools they use: text messages, Snapchat and Instagram all encourage concise and visual communication.

An appetite for collaboration. Another consequence of growing up with the internet is that Millennials prefer democratic, collaborative processes. Millennials love being part of a team : they want to participate and want their opinions heard.

A diverse group. It's dangerous to look at Millennials as a homogeneous cohort. While they belong to one generation, Millennials fall on a wide spectrum of tastes, behaviors and income levels .

A dislike for traditional marketing. Seventy-five percent of Millennials believe advertising is disruptive, according to The Everything Guide to Millennials , a comprehensive report on the attitudes of this generation. In addition, 77 percent of them claim to actively tune out ads.

A love for new forms of media consumption. The same report shows that more Millennials have subscriptions to Netflix than cable TV. Other streaming services like Pandora, Amazon Prime and Hulu are also popular among this group. They like to consume media on their terms, on-demand and a la carte, instead of being constrained by traditional media.

ENGAGING MILLENNIALS IN MARKETING

What should marketers keep in mind about millennials?

Marketing to this media-savvy generation requires marketers to update their approaches. Here are some best practices to consider.
1. Create experiences.
More companies are discovering a painful truth: Millennials don't want to buy stuff . This shift explains why Millennials spend more money on experiences and less on material items like cars. In fact, Millennials drove the rise of the collaborative economy -an economic movement where people access what they need from each other, peer-to-peer, instead of through traditional means of purchasing.
Rather than taking the traditional advertising route, some brands are shifting marketing dollars to events where Millennial consumers can experience the brand in action. In particular, auto companies have embraced experiential marketing to build affinity with Millennials. Toyota's 'Feeling the Street' campaign , for example, brought vibrant musical performances to street corners around the globe, engaging Millennials on their turf.
2. Support causes that are important to them.

Compared to older generations, Millennials care more about purchasing products and supporting brands that align with their values. Seventy-one percent of Millennials want products that align with their beliefs.
Rising companies like the shoe-retailer TOMS and eyewear retailer Warby Parker have seen success by aligning their business model with causes Millennials care about like poverty and climate change. More established companies like McDonald's are also embracing transparency to better connect with younger consumers.
3. Keep it authentic.

For Millennials, brand authenticity is second only to loyalty discounts in importance when choosing companies to support. These customers can spot a fake and won't hesitate to switch brands if they sense that a brand isn't being genuine or trustworthy.

How can marketers create a more authentic brand ? Speaking like a human is a must.

"Customers in today's marketplace favor a straightforward, down-to-earth, even slangy style of communication," writes Micah Solomon, a Forbes contributor, about authentic marketing communication, "from most types of business with which they interact. Excessive formality is hazardous to your business because it clashes with the personal style of your customers, Millennials in particular, making your brand appear out of touch or even condescending."

Millennials are challenging the status quo by not following the consumption habits of past generations.

Validate your assumptions about Millennials by engaging them in an ongoing conversation. Thankfully, Millennials want to be included in the decision-making process beyond focus groups or social media. As a young university grad wrote recently in Ad Age , Millennials want to be brought in as "respected thought leaders to help contribute ideas and develop concepts and strategies." They want to get their voices heard in the early stages of a marketing campaign or new product development.

As Millennials grow older and lifestyles change, it's crucial for marketers to continue to engage with them and gain an up-to-date understanding of how their tastes evolve.

ENGAGE MILLENNIALS FOR CUSTOMER INSIGHT

Given the economic power of Millennials, customer intelligence professionals need to become experts in engaging with this group. Here are some best practices to consider.
4. Check your assumptions.
How do I recruit millennials for research projects?

It's no secret that Millennials are heavy social media users. If your company is already active on Facebook, Twitter and other networks, use those pages as a starting point to engage Millennials. If you are looking to add Millennials to an insight community, for example, recruiting through social media is a good option.

You can also use social media to amplify engagement in your insight community. For example, if you represent a sports organization, you could encourage fans to use a certain hashtag if they would like to be invited to your community (e.g. #PutMeInCoach, #MakeMeAMember, #FanHub).

Millennial activity on social media. Infographic from our Social to Sale study.

Traditional means of recruitment in customer insight don't necessarily work with Millennials. During recruitment, explain what's in it for them . From the onset, use your insight community to make current customers feel special by doing the following:
1. Capitalize on social media.

Establish prestige: Framing your community as an exclusive group of loyal customers might help attract Millennials. Pick the right name for the community. Something like "Official Advisors" will reinforce the special status of the group.

Provide elite incentives: The intrinsic value of being a community member is important, but the right incentives can also make Millennial members feel special. Limited-edition merchandise, access to exclusive events and hard-to-find perks are all attractive incentives.

Share exclusive content: Let people know what happened to their feedback. Use your community to share study results and regularly give some inside scoop.

How do I keep millennial consumers engaged?

Many Millennials are used to multi-tasking since they're always connected and on the move. These qualities make them difficult to keep engaged. This hyper-connectivity requires brands to take a strategic approach to keep Millennials focused for longer periods of time. Here are some effective tactics:
2. Treat 'em like VIPs.
"Keep your surveys very short, tight and to the point," , director of brand partnerships and market research of Barnes & Noble College, at the 2015 said Marie Policastro Customer Intelligence Summit. "It's better to do more studies than one big long study."

"Keep your surveys very short, tight and to the point. It's better to do more studies than one big long study."

2. Do activities that are fun, visual and social.
Given Millennials' social media acumen, adjust your research activities to replicate the experience they have online. If your brand isn't speaking the language of Millennials, you might actually be turning them off.

"This is an audience who's really visual," , senior manager of sales and marketing at Tumblr, at the 2015 said Rebecca Rahmanian Customer Intelligence Summit. Instead of a typical text-only survey, here are some examples of more engaging research activities you could try in order to gather customer insight:

Ask them to upload photos. For instance, ask them to post a photo of their favorite snacks and when they like to indulge in those snacks.

Challenge them to take creative selfies to show how they use your products.

Use emoticon-like visuals to ask them about their satisfaction on a product instead of using a typical rating scale.

1. Keep your activities short and sweet.
Your research design needs to be conducive to how a Millennial would act online. Allowing members to express themselves in a variety of ways will go a long way in keeping them engaged and excited to contribute.

Where can I get more information about engaging millennials?

If you'd like to learn more about engaging Millennials for marketing or consumer insight, we recommend the following:

Note: A version of this article was first published in March 2014. This post was updated with new information and examples.

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How to engage millennials for customer insight and marketing

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If there's one generation that marketers can't stop talking about, it's the Millennials. Brands of all sizes around the globe are trying to engage Millennials and understand what motivates them and drives their attitudes and behaviors. Finally emerging from the shadows of Gen Xers, Millennials now make up the majority of the U.S.

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71% of millennials buy products that align with their beliefs and values compared to 66% of gen z consumers. Over recent years they are more likely to purchase products that follow their beliefs regarding the enviroment and ethics regarding the manufacturing of their clothes over purchasing fast fashion items.

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Care label and swing tag will both require certification symbols in order to justify claims made regarding sustainability. Using Repreve branded recycled polyester means that we will received additional swing tags with information about the Repreve fabric to add to our own.

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The launch will happen in the flagship store on Oxford street. An Event will be held the day before with exciting visuals interative games and informative boards regarding the collection.

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Legal requirements for Green factories means that to be claimed as green the need a LEED certification rating meeting requirement in all categories below. PFL meet the highest rating in all categories and therefore achieve a Platinum LEED Certification.

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Having an adertisment on the bus stop will always attract attention due to the fact that it is unmissable when waiting for a bus. This advertisment is planned to be inputted in the new interactive bus stop signs that are not single posters but moving images. A QR code will also be inbedded that can be scanned to view the sustainable journey of the range.

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Instagram marketing is becoming more an more popular with increased clicks straight to purchases online through instagram posts. Next is capitalising on this currently and with a substantial amount of Millennials using social media it appeals directly to the target demographic.

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Instagram posts and instagram stories for the launch of the range will be posted on the day of launch to create buzz around the range launch. Sneak Peaks of the range will be posted on the official account instagram stories with a changed logo being posted for 48 hours (day before and day of) to attract attention to newness.

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Next's position in the market against it's competitors is currently strong. They are mid price points on average and have been favoured for many years due to their high quality standards and reasonable prices compared to Boden and John Lewis who prices are considerably higher for almost the same quality. Frugi is slightly lower in price and slightly higher in fashionability being an online sustainable childrenswear company. Their fashionability level with regards to sustainablility is something this range strives to achieve.

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This inforgraphic

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I developed the planograms after researching Next's space within the stores. I constructed the planogram to reflects Next's wall layouts within their stores.

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Reflecting back on the board above, It helped me a lot when planning out what to do next. It was a challenge to stick to it directly and follow in order as I felt more comfortable and in completing parts of some sections before others. However I was able to complete all sections and feel confident in what I had achieved.