Rebekah Wing
Crystii Lin
Martine Falk Andersen
Izzy Bea
Weronika Kumanek
This industry profile helps to gain an insight into the evolution of the industry and competitive dynamics prevalent in the market. It discusses the significant developments in the industry and analyzes the key trends and issues. The profile provides inputs in strategic business planning of industry professionals.
This profile is of immense help to management consultants, analysts, market research organizations and corporate advisors.
The objective and scope of various sections of our industry profile has been discussed below.
Industry Snapshot
This section gives a holistic overview of the industry. It starts with defining the market and goes on to give historical and current market size figures. It also clearly illustrates the major segments of the market which would be discussed later on in the report.
Industry Analysis
It involves a comprehensive analysis of the industry and its market segments. This section discusses the key developments that have taken place in the industry. It also identifies and analyzes the driving factors and challenges of the industry. A description of the regulatory structure tells us about the major regulatory bodies, laws and government policies.
Country Analysis
This section presents the key facts & figures of the country. It also discusses the political environment and the macroeconomic indicators. It analyzes government stability and economic growth of the country.
Competitor Assessment
This section compares the major competitors in the industry. The Competitors At-a-Glance is aimed at giving an overview of the competitive landscape in the industry.
Company Profiles
The major companies are profiled in this section. For each company, business description is given followed by financial highlights and recent developments.
Industry Outlook
This section presents the outlook of the industry. The analyst opinion and projections help us in evaluating the future of the industry. It gives an insight into the investment opportunities present in the sector.
Russia Volgograd City Deputy Mayor Sokolov headed a government delegation paying a visit to Chengdu city on July 30, the lady’s shoe capital of China, the deputy mayor said our mission to China is to establish friendship ties with Chengdu city and seeking bilaterial cooperation on footwear industry.
The mayor of Volgograd told our reporter that the city of Volgograd is a center of industrial and culture in southern Russia that has a huge demand for lady’s shoes made in Chengdu, further more they hope to cooperate with Chengdu city to build a shoe shopping mall as same as Wuhou Shoe Outlet Mall in Volgograd.
The sale model in Wuhou Shoe Outlet Mall is one-stop service that can save a lot of delivering time and costs, if such shoe shopping mall can be built in Volgograd through our cooperation, I believe Chinese shoes will become more competitive and irreplaceable in Volgograd, said the deputy mayor.
Imagine that you are standing before a fully stuffed closet and yet have nothing to wear.
Now, imagine something worse: your closet contains only six items, and you are restricted to wearing only those six items.
This self-imposed exercise in frugality was prompted by a Web challenge called Six Items or Less (sixitemsorless.com). The premise was to go a month wearing six items in your closet (not counting shoes, underwear or accessories). Nearly 100 "Sixers" around the United States, and in places like Dubai and Bangalore, India, took part, with motives including a way to trim spending, a rejection of fashion, and a concern that the mass production and global transportation of clothing is damaging the environment.
Meanwhile, the Great American Apparel Diet, which began on September 1, has attracted pledges by more than 150 people to abstain from buying for a year.
As the economy begins to improve, shoppers of every income appear to be wrestling with the same questions: Is it safe to go back to our old, prerecession ways? Or should we? The authors of these diets seem to think not.
Sally Bjornsen, the founder of the Great American Apparel Diet (thegreatamericanappareldiet.com), said she stopped buying clothes for a simple reason: "I was sick and tired of consumerism." Ms. Bjornsen, 47, said she realized that she spent $5,000 to $10,000 a year on clothes.
"I was buying in an egregious way,"Ms. Bjornsen said. "I was grossed out by the whole thing."
(According to Consumer Reports, one in four American women surveyed said she owned 10 pairs of jeans or more.) Six Items or Less was conceived by two friends who work in advertising, Heidi Hackemer, 31, and Tamsin Davies, 34.
"Our whole thing was not to put a philosophy behind it, and not be too preachy," Ms. Hackemer said. Her six items were a black dress, a pair of black jeggings (a jeans-leggings hybrid), a black tank top, a black blazer, a gray skirt and denim shorts. "Once you hit Week 3, you think, You've got to be kidding me," she said.
One Sixer, Addy, from Milwaukee, wrote on the Web site that she had become so bored with her six items "that I don't even have a desire to get up in the morning."
But others describe a life-changing experience. Sneha Lakshman, 32, of Bangalore, said that she had decided, "I'm going to wear only black from now on."
The most interesting thing to many Sixers was how few people noticed what they were doing.
Stella Brennan, 31, an insurance executive from Kenosha, Wiscon- sin, realized that not even her husband, Kelly, had yet figured out that she had been wearing the same six items since June 21. The sad truth is that Mr. Brennan is the one who actually does the laundry in the family.
The Material Girl is launching a new clothing line for juniors that will hit stores in the U.S. next week, just in time for back-to-school shopping.
Madonna teamed up with her 13-year-old daughter, Lourdes or Lola, on the collection titled "Material Girl," which borrows from the diva's punk-girl style made popular in the '80s.
Taylor Momsen, the star of television series "Gossip Girl," has been picked as the face of the brand.
"Working with Madonna and Lola has been an unbelievable experience," Momsen said in a statement. "They have such a great sense of style; each brought their personal touch to the styling for the campaign."
The fashion line will be sold in 200 Macy's stores nationwide.
Motherhood Maternity, the world's largest maternity retailer, announced its collaboration with Disney Consumer Products on a new collection of maternity apparel and accessories available this summer. The introductory line will feature three of Disney's iconic characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh.
This exciting relationship brings together the maternity fashion expertise of Motherhood Maternity and the beloved whimsy and storytelling of Disney. Expectant women will enjoy expressing their love of Disney and sense of fun throughout the most fashionable nine months of their lives with this brand new line of high-quality, trend right apparel for expectant moms who have grown up with these Disney characters.
"Motherhood Maternity is excited about our collaboration with Disney," enthuses Emilia Fabricant, President of Destination Maternity Corporation. "We are thrilled to offer our customers sleepwear, knit tops and accessories featuring these beloved Disney characters."
"This collaboration gives Mom the opportunity to celebrate motherhood before her baby is born by wearing images of the nostalgic Disney characters that she fondly remembers from her own childhood," said Stephen Teglas, vice president and general manager of Fashion & Home North America at Disney Consumer Products. "This is also the first time Disney is working with a maternity expert to bring quality products to expecting moms and Disney fans."
Beginning August 12, 2010, Mom-To-Be can find the assortment of affordable knit tees, sleepwear, plush toys and infant onesies in all Motherhood Maternity and Destination Maternity stores and online.
Motherhood Maternity, the world's largest maternity retailer, announced its collaboration with Disney Consumer Products on a new collection of maternity apparel and accessories available this summer. The introductory line will feature three of Disney's iconic characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh.
This exciting relationship brings together the maternity fashion expertise of Motherhood Maternity and the beloved whimsy and storytelling of Disney. Expectant women will enjoy expressing their love of Disney and sense of fun throughout the most fashionable nine months of their lives with this brand new line of high-quality, trend right apparel for expectant moms who have grown up with these Disney characters.
"Motherhood Maternity is excited about our collaboration with Disney," enthuses Emilia Fabricant, President of Destination Maternity Corporation. "We are thrilled to offer our customers sleepwear, knit tops and accessories featuring these beloved Disney characters."
"This collaboration gives Mom the opportunity to celebrate motherhood before her baby is born by wearing images of the nostalgic Disney characters that she fondly remembers from her own childhood," said Stephen Teglas, vice president and general manager of Fashion & Home North America at Disney Consumer Products. "This is also the first time Disney is working with a maternity expert to bring quality products to expecting moms and Disney fans."
Beginning August 12, 2010, Mom-To-Be can find the assortment of affordable knit tees, sleepwear, plush toys and infant onesies in all Motherhood Maternity and Destination Maternity stores and online.
Unique looks open a fashion door in the city for Canadian beauty Jennifer Steele.
Models may be abundant in Beijing but that doesn't mean that they're all the same. In a market that's craving foreign models, Jennifer Steele has found that her Canadian roots give her an edge in securing jobs.
"Most foreign models in Beijing are from the Ukraine and Russia. I'm the first Canadian girl who's worked with my current agency," she smiled.
With her piercing green eyes and dark auburn hair, this North American beauty stands apart from her European counterparts.
Steele came to Beijing on a business trip with her father last year. Curious about her chances of breaking into the Asian market, she stopped by the ilook Model Management Company. It was an inquiry that paid off. Her unique looks in the Chinese market have got her the exposure she's been looking for.
"There's a lot of work here and I'm looking for more experience," she said with an enthusiastic smile. "There's castings every day. Right now is a good time to be in Beijing. The agency I'm working for now is small but really pushes to make sure that their models have work."
Despite working in Beijing for only three months, Steele has already appeared in Chinese fashion magazines and catalogues for clothing. She hopes to be part of a fashion show before going back home to Canada.
"Right now, I'm mostly doing work for autumn and winter clothing - more sweaters, jackets and clothes for colder weather. The Asian market is great for catalogue work. There's a rapidly growing economy here."
But Steele is more than just a pretty face. She holds a college degree in business and a certificate in image consulting. Ever an entrepreneur, she plans to help other models break into the business.
"It's my life, my passion. I want to help other people looking to start their careers."
The Canadian beauty plans to return next year with ilook in the hope of getting more experience in the Asian modeling scene. She shouldn't have a problem turning heads in a market dominated by blue-eyed and blonde-haired foreigners.
After more than 30 years, Milan's fashion week has changed its format to welcome international visitors in some of its historic buildings and celebrate not only fashion but also culture and art.
The fashion week, which is to begin on Sept. 22, will cover a full seven days, instead of three as it did in February after the editor of American Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour, said she could only spare three days for the event in Milan.
Younger designers will alternate with big names, while less interesting brands have been omitted from the agenda to present the best that Italy's fashion industry has to offer.
"This year's innovation is that the fashion week will be part of a three-week festival focused on the city's historic center," the president of the National Chamber of Fashion, Mario Boselli, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Boselli also said that the new Fashion Hub, which substituted the far-off Gattamelata Fashion Center, will be based near Duomo cathedral in the 16th century Giureconsulti Palace, which used to be the home of the Milan Stock Exchange.
"A very important change is that all the fashion shows will take place 20 to 300 meters from the new hub," said Boselli, adding that it will also be possible for people to follow the fashion shows live on huge screens placed in front of the palace.
"In addition to the shows, on Sept. 8-30 Milan will host a variety of fashion-related events aimed at reinforcing the city's iconic role in international fashion," Boselli noted.
Other more central and sumptuous new venues will host part of the shows, in addition to brand showrooms and designers' headquarters.
Therefore, visitors will be able to easily walk or bike nearby from one location to another, to enjoy a fashion week in real Italian style.
Another innovation of the fashion week will be a free bike- sharing service for journalists. Hundreds of showrooms, shops and museums in Milan will stay open late in September to welcome the large crowds which are expected.
Special agreements with hotels and stores together with discount rates on flights will better support Italy's fashion industry that accounts for 11 percent of manufacturing and currently employs about one million people.
Quantum Retail, a next generation merchandising optimization software provider, is pleased to announce that Matalan, the United Kingdom’s leading value fashion and homeware retailer with more than 200 stores, has chosen Quantum’s Q software to optimize store-level replenishment activities. With a deep understanding of shopper behavior and merchandise strategies, Matalan hopes to service its customers better.
"Matalan recognizes the urgency and importance of aligning their inventory investment with their customers’ continuously changing demands,” commented Chris Allan, Quantum Retail’s chief strategy officer. “Q will assist Matalan in better meeting those demands by understanding localized inventory behavior.”
With Q: Allocation and Replenishment, Matalan can now monitor and react to the unique customer behavior in real-time at each store to easily determine inventory need throughout its supply chain.
"We expect significant results from a leading edge technology like Q,” stated Andrew Scott, Matalan’s head of merchandise planning. “The system is a necessary investment that will enable us to understand exactly what our customers want and need at every location so we can provide them unparalleled service.”
Quantum Retail, winner of Supply Chain Solution of the Year and Supply Chain Excellence awards, offers Q to retailers seeking a hyper responsive, consumer driven, merchandise optimization platform to localize inventory placement and increase sales, profits, and inventory efficiency. Solutions include Allocation and Replenishment, Forecasting and Order Planning, and Assortment and Range Planning.
Matalan joins Quantum Retail’s growing list of successful clients, including Marks & Spencer, New Look, Kohl’s, and Guitar Center.
Matalan is a leading UK ‘value’ retailer, with annual sales of £1bn through 200 stores. Matalan recently reported an increase of 30% in annual profit. Womenswear accounts for 35-40% of sales, followed by menswear at 25-30%, and childrenswear 10-15%.
In an announcement that is sure to reverberate through holiday gift lists in 2010, Vans announced that Yo Gabba Gabba! will make their Vans sneaker debut in November at better shoe stores worldwide as well as online.
Available in Vans' popular Classic Slip-On and Sk8-Hi Deconstruct styles for boys, girls and toddlers, the collection includes eight different versions, with each character represented on their own shoe as well as two versions of a Yo Gabba Gabba! group shoe. Yo Gabba Gabba!, created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN Entertainment.
Yo Gabba Gabba! premiered in the United States on Nickelodeon in August 2007 and quickly became a global phenomenon. One of the most popular series on television with a broad appeal among preschoolers, parents, teens and adults, the show infuses retro-style and beat-driven music to teach simple life lessons through music.
The series and the live show star DJ Lance Rock and a cast of colorful characters, including Brobee, the little green one, Foofa, the pink flower bubble, Muno, the red Cyclops, Toodee, the blue cat-dragon and Plex, the yellow robot.
Vans, the original action sports footwear and apparel company, is a brand of VF Corporation. Vans collections include authentic footwear, apparel and accessories, snowboard boots and the Pro-tec line of protective gear and are sold in the United States through more than 230 company owned stores as well as independent retailers. Internationally, Vans sells its goods in approximately 70 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and foreign offices.
