Most of the best-known fashion and luxury brands are internationally famous – but they don’t always have complete control over their destinies.
Once upon a time, they had no choice but to work with third parties; and this has enabled to expand their store base through franchising much more quickly than those opting for their own store network.
In today’s competitive market, brands may not be able to expand as profitably as they once did; fortunately for them, they now have new tools at their disposal with which to plan their international expansion. These are social media, ecommerce and technology.
Social media including Twitter and Instagram enable brands to make a direct connection with their customers and go to market much more quickly by showing pictures from new collections that create anticipation. This enables brands to shorten the time between presenting collections to buyers and getting the collection into the stores ready to be bought, a true model of fast fashion.
And as more and more consumers come to see their mobile devices as the window to the fashion world, brands will increasingly use apps and mobile web sites as new channels for both sales and marketing.
Ecommerce is complementary to social media. Whether websites or mobile apps, the internet has given fashion brands access to new markets and customer groups – whether they expand abroad through stores, or sell through franchises and marketplaces. Today, optimisation tools are being added to ensure traffic is converted quickly and profitably.
The third
element in a strong international strategy – but arguably the least well exploited
to date – is technology.
Those brands that have sold through marketplaces or
franchises largely depend on the technology offered by those third parties, and
this prevents them from getting direct access to their customers.
It also means
that their fashion or luxury brand may not be seen in the same way in every
territory – a problem that can damage its reputation or reduce the
opportunities to sell at full price.
Dedagroup Stealth’s solutions were developed uniquely for international fashion and luxury brands and retailers, and gives them the control they need to plan and manage their expansion.
A fully-integrated set of solutions, built on a single platform and featuring a single view of all inventories, Stealth enables brands and retailers to perform as a truly omnichannel business in any territory, ensuring that they are dedicated and responsive to their needs of their customers.
In the future, while marketplaces and franchising will remain a part of any international expansion strategy, solid core technology with inventory control and strong intercompany capabilities will make it easier for brands to open and manage their own stores, and enjoy direct access to their customers.
Dedagroup Stealth technology will in turn enable brands and retailers to focus on their strengths without having to become deep technologists.
Dedagroup Stealth’s suite of solutions enables fashion and luxury brands to stay true to their heritage of designing, producing, merchandising and retailing the best products. It is this balance of fashion design excellence and technology enablement that will let them control their destiny across the globe, and remain competitive as new players and countries enter the market.
