You’ve heard of breaking up with your boyfriend. But what about breaking up with your favorite designer?
More people are becoming less loyal to their clothing brands, often “breaking up” with their long-time favorite lines.
Usually, the deciding factor is age. As people get older, they start to desire more mature clothing, realizing the low-rise jeans may not cut it anymore. As one woman told the New York Times, “I started figuring out how to dress like a woman and not a girl.”
One stylist said giving up a clothing line can provide intense reactions. “Clothes are so psychological, they’re like a second skin,” she said. But “some seasons just don’t work, they’ll be too avant-garde or just not your personal style, and you’ll want to go explore something different.”
All of this gets to the science and romance of retail. The science of retail requires that you have a very sophisticated sell-through model. You only get a set number of styles, colors and sizes, and when they’re gone, it can take months to replenish, if you even can. This is where ERP can help. The system can help you understand the demographics of your buyers and track selling patterns. You can see what styles, colors or sizes are selling well in which areas and plan shipments accordingly. If your consumer base shifts, you can track the impact of that as well.
Source: The New York Times, April 2012
