THE TRIAL ROOM DEBATE FINDING A PLAUSIBLE SOLUTION

Trial rooms are a huge advantage that the brick-and-mortar stores have over e-commerce, and nothing can replace the in-person experience of trying on an item in the changing room, but are they safe in the midst of a pandemic?

TECHNOLOGIES ENABLING CONTACTLESS IN-STORE EXPERIENCES TO GAIN PROMINENCE: TUSHAR VED, PRESIDENT, MAJOR BRANDS

With retail stores opening post the lifting of the lockdown, in-store technologies – which have until now have been used in various ways to aggregate customer experience – can be a huge enabler in managing social measures. In a webinar organised by the Retailers Association of India (RAI), Tushar Ved, President, Major Brands highlights how these technologies can increase convenience for shoppers and mitigate the risk of physical contact…

MARKETING STRATEGIES WILL BE SOCIALLY ORIENTED, DIGITALLY FOCUSED IN COVID TIMES: CEO PEPE JEANS

Business strategies – both marketing and communication – are not conceived with disruptors like the coronavirus pandemic even remotely in mind. Responding to the challenges the pandemic has brought is something apparel and fashion businesses need to address urgently. Manish Kapoor, CEO, Pepe Jeans talks about his opinion on the changes in consumer behavior in this webinar organised by Retailers Association of India. He says that if serious efforts are not made, the whole foundation of brick-and-mortar stores, which is physical interaction, and which gives it an edge over online retail may fizzle out...

NUMERO UNO - ADOPTS TECHNOLOGY TO GO CONTACTLESS, ENGAGE CONSUMERS

With the lockdown being lifted and the economy limping back to normalcy, retailers are getting back to business and receiving customers in stores again. IMAGES Business of Fashion spoke to Santosh Srivastava, Marketing Manager, Numero Uno to understand the brand’s reopening strategy, how it is going contactless and training and educating its workforce…

FABLESTREET IS PLANNING FOR THE ‘NEW NORMAL', SAYS FOUNDER & CEO AYUSHI GUDWANI

Launched online before recently going the offline route, FableStreet has primarily been a direct-to-consumer brand. Amid the lockdown, the premium women’s workwear brand is further strengthening its online channel and revamping product categories basis the ‘new normal’. Founder, Ayushi Gudwani talks to IMAGES Business of Fashion to share how technology will play an important role given limited human interaction due to social distancing, at least initially post-lockdown, if not permanently.

BACK TO BUSINESS: FASHION RETAILERS FOCUS ON SHOP BY APPOINTMENT, ENGAGING CONSUMERS ONLINE

As the lockdown is being lifted in a phased manner across all the marketplaces in the country, fashion brands are coming out of their funk. IMAGES Business of Fashion focuses on how brands and fashion businesses are adapting to the changing needs amid the ‘new normal’ and are working to ‘co-exist’ with COVID-19...

Covid-19 Vs. Indian Retail

The effect of this pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has resulted in an enormous setback to the retail industry. While the industry is committed to ensure the safety of billions of people, some challenges faced in the current time is of large magnitude. Due to mandatory closure of retail stores across India, retailers face imminent financial crises and insolvency, with stores at risk of shutdown and millions of job losses.

Can India's Retail Industry Survive The Covid-19 Lockdown

At a time where the entire nation and world has to be on lockdown, industries and business owners are looking towards the government to provide support in order to sustain businesses and salaries of the employees. Globally, governments have announced multiple incentives for the businesses within the retail sector – however, no such announcements have been made in India so far.

IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ON THE INDIAN APPAREL & TEXTILE SECTOR

Manufacturing is at a halt, brand stores are temporarily closed, retail jobs are in jeopardy and consumer confidence is shaking – all of this is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indian apparel and textile sector is reeling under the impact of the novel coronavirus...

HOW COVID-19 IS INFLUENCING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

As the novel coronavirus’ effect on the global economy continues to escalate, it’s growing toll on income and spending intent are changing dramatically, which in turn is ushering in a paradigm shift in retail sentiment and behavior...

FASHION RETAILERS HOPEFUL OF STRUCTURED END TO LOCKDOWN 2.0, GOVERNMENT AID

With major Indian cities, including India’s capital Delhi and financial capital Mumbai, being designated coronavirus ‘red zones’ by the Government, the impact of COVID-19 on retailers is far from easing out. Though the retail stores were shut in a single, they are definitely not going to start in one day. Although fashion retailers are not too hopeful that businesses will reopen in the first week of May, they are anticipating a structured roll-out...

HOW BLACKBERRYS IS USING THE LOCKDOWN AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT ITSELF

The lockdown and retrenchment have spelled disaster for businesses across the country, bringing them to a standstill. While the extent of the lockdown is hitherto uncertain, with a slew of states urging the central government for extension, retail entities can definitely use this time to their advantage, as Nitin Mohan, Founder & Director, Blackberrys explains in this exclusive interview…

COVID-19: THE IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ON GLOBAL FASHION RETAIL

The coronavirus pandemic has had severe repercussions on the global economy with experts even touting it as the most severe economic contraction since World War II. The fashion retail industry in particular is set to witness pronounced effects of this calamity due to the discretionary nature of the industry...

COVID-19 HOW FASHION RETAILERS CAN RESPOND TO THE LOCKDOWN

With manufacturing coming to a standstill, not only fashion retailers but also ancillary businesses – like those supplying buttons, trimming etc., as well as the large number of workers employed in this sector are feeling the heat of the lockdown…

COVID-19 LOCKDOWN WILL OPEN NEW MARKETS FOR LUXURY INDUSTRY

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour. Nothing has been spared from its effect – mankind and industry. With limited capacity, the situation has brought a major change in consumers’ mindset and the value system that underpins their luxury buying decisions. Smita Jain, Director – MGLUXM, S P Jain School of Global Management talks to IMAGES Business of Fashion and shares her thoughts on the industry, its impact on daily life as well as consumer spending on luxurious goods...

5 WAYS FASHION BRANDS CAN UTILIZE THE LOCKDOWN TO RAMP UP BUSINESS POST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

As extended lockdowns, social distancing and working from the confines of homes have become the new reality, fashion brands and retailers across the world are struggling to mitigate disruptions and cope up with revenue reductions. Here are a few basic steps that can help you prepare your brand/business to get ahead in times of uncertainty...

3 Fashion Innovations Transforming Retail Worldwide

Every retailer works on providing a seamless customer journey. However, the question remains – what are the factors which determine the success of this journey in a more organised and thriving manner? Which are the technologies that are changing the retail industry globally? Praveen Mellacheruvu, Business Group Lead, Business Apps, Microsoft answers these questions…

ESCARO ROYALE

UNVEILS LATEST COLLECTION, SUMMER 2020

INDIAN FASHION ACCESSORY MARKET GOES MAINSTREAM, REGISTERS RAPID GROWTH

With a long history among the unorganised un-branded market, ranging from street vendors to small “mom and pop stores”, fashion accessories are now also available in curated collections through luxury boutiques, high street brands, international accessories chains, international brands with accessories sections and multi-brand outlets…

REEBOK & VICTORIA BECKHAM

LAUNCH SS20 COLLECTION ESSENTIAL PURISM

BUGATTI

CELEBRATES THE ETERNAL PURSUIT OF ORIGINAL STYLE WITH ITS NEW CURIOSITY SPRING SUMMER 2020 COLLECTION

aLL: MAKING BODY POSITIVE, PLUS SIZE FASHION THE NEW NORMAL

aLL– which firmly believes that fashion is gender-and-size agnostic – is the largest plus-size fashion retail brand in the country, with a pan India network of 79 EBOs. It also has an online store – www. allonlinestore.in as well as an app.

DECODING THE RETAILER'S PERSPECTIVE OF A 360 DEGREE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Providing a 360-degree perspective of the customer journey is not a new topic anymore.

ON-DEMAND MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE OF THE APPAREL INDUSTRY

Tech automation and data analytics are the key components that empower brands to respond to consumer demand in an ‘on-demand’ production cycle that cuts down waste, helps avoid overstocking and reduces the use of resources……

THE WOOLMARK COMPANY, ADIDAS TERREX, BYBORRE AND GORE-TEX UNITE TO CREATE ULTIMATE KIT FOR THE DARK ICE PROJECT

The Dark Ice Project draws on the expertise of technical performance leaders – The Woolmark Company, adidas Terrex, BYBORRE and GORETEX to design and create a kit to meet the athletes’ physiological and environmental needs...

Soft, Pune Joins Hands With Accademia De Costumee Di Moda, Rome

Indian fashion institutes are moving into the international fashion scene with foreign collaborations to upgrade the standard of fashion education onto a higher level.

Intelligent Fashion

Intelligent fashion–clothing manufactured with fabrics enabling digital components and electronics to be embedded in them to become interactive surfaces–has been an on and off topic in recent times, certainly more discussed in conferences and panel discussions rather than put into practice, with only a small bunch of start-ups investing their (limited) resources on this exciting field.

Demonetisation and its impact on Indian Garment Industry

As India reels under the after effect of the demonetisation move, Images BOF team spoke to a number of stalwarts in the Indian garment industry who shared their valuable insights on the policy’s impact on the garment industry in India and its value chains.

Birla Cellulose Launches Its New Product Liva Creme

LIVA Crème, the new age fabric from the Aditya Birla Group, was launched recently by Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group in a LIVA Accredited Partner Forum (LAPF) partner event held in Mumbai.