Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
70 Fashion Marketing & Merchandising
Summing It Up
The fashion channel of distribution, also known as the soft goods chain or
textile/apparel pipeline, includes the textile, apparel, and retail segments. It
ends with single-item selling at retail prices to end-use consumers. The four-
groups approach shows the industry with the primary group of raw materials
suppliers, the secondary group of manufacturers, and the retail group of final fi
distributors to end users. Additionally, the auxiliary group gives supplemen-
tary support to all other groups with trade associations, publications, consul-
tants, and agencies.
Textile/apparel companies must understand different variables to satisfy
the market. Some fi rms vertically integrate by combining two or more steps fi
of the pipeline under one management. Commodity, fashion, and seasonal
products have different demand and risk parameters.
Other textile end-use industries are not involved with commercially pro-
duced wearing apparel. Household textile goods include home furnishings
made from fabrics. Technical textiles target industrial specifications and per- fi
formance, rather than a fashion look. Finally, the home sewing industry deals
with the production and selling of nonindustrial sewing machines, notions,
retail fabrics, patterns, and publications.
Trade associations are made up of businesses that have common interests.
All trade associations have similar functions and objectives. Most trade pub-
lications deal with a certain industry segment. Women’s Wear Daily (WWD)
reports on all news of the women’s apparel trade and some content about the
textile and menswear industries. Many other specifi trade journals supple- fic
ment general fashion magazines that spread fashion news.
Geographically, many textile firms are located in the Southeastern U.S. fi
Apparel companies are concentrated in New York City, with California rank-
ing second. Many U.S. textile and apparel fi rms do their manufacturing off- fi
shore. Retailing is located everywhere from small towns, to rural malls, to
large cities. Retailers import much of the merchandise they sell.
testing/Shutterstock.com
Figure 4.15
Hundreds of GAP stores are located throughout North America, Asia,
and Europe.