Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 62 Fashion Marketing &Merchandising
Think Critically
Many household items are expensive, and their sales are dependent on the
health of the economy. In bad economic times, consumers buy fewer house-
hold textile products. In an economic recovery, as employment rates and con-
sumer confi increase, the suppressed demand creates strong purchasing fidence
patterns. Banking interest rates also affect these purchases. With low interest
rates, more new houses are built and credit cards or loans are used for “big-
ticket” items, such as carpeting and couches.
Technology from the apparel industry is also used
for household textiles, as in Figure 4.8, and designer
names have become important in all categories of
household textiles. Designer ensembles and retail dis-
plays emphasize the abundant use of fabrics through
coordinated sheets, comforters, pillow shams, dust
ruffl throw pillows, and window treatments. fles,
Figure 4.9 shows an example of this concept.
Department stores and specialty bed and bath shops h
primarily sell domestics. Free-standing furniture retail-
ers sell most large furniture items. The traditional
sales method is through gallery programs that display
actual pieces of a particular furniture company’s line.
Furniture is not mass-produced the way garments are
because fewer of each style is sold and many are cus-
tom-covered in fabrics selected by the end-use customer.
An in-store computer design system is a sales tool
that helps consumers see different fabric selections
on various furniture frames. Such on-fl interactive video catalogs allow floor,
shoppers to visualize different coverings for custom-covered furniture and
then have photo-like mock-ups of their selections printed in color. Some of
©Gerber Technology LLC
Figure 4.8 Various textile patterns can be shown on fur-
niture via computer design programs that were created and
used for apparel designing. Th e fabric designs are selected
and developed by the designer, and viewed without the
furniture actually being upholstered. This enables customers
to visualize what they are ordering.
From Pipeline to Consumer
To totally understand how fashion goods go from begin-
ning ideas to use by consumers, compare the soft goods
chain with the four-groups approach.
Reflect and Discuss
As you compare the soft goods chain with the four-groups
approach, think about the following questions. Discuss
your answer in teams, and then again with the entire class.
1. How are the two pipelines similar to and different ff
from each other?
2. Is it necessary to totally understand the soft goods
chain before studying the four-groups approach?
Why or why not?
3. Should both pipelines be used, or just the four-
groups approach after an understanding of the soft
goods chain is achieved?
4. What significance do these pipelines have in showing
the signifi cance of all parts of the fashion industry to
each other?
5. What relationship do these pipelines have with
understanding careers in the textile and apparel and
retail industries?
6. Can you think of any other labels within these pipe-
lines that should be added? What and where?
7. Where do both of the pipelines end? Why is that impor-
tant to note in relationship to business marketing?
Think Critically
Many household items are expensive, and their sales are dependent on the
health of the economy. In bad economic times, consumers buy fewer house-
hold textile products. In an economic recovery, as employment rates and con-
sumer confi increase, the suppressed demand creates strong purchasing fidence
patterns. Banking interest rates also affect these purchases. With low interest
rates, more new houses are built and credit cards or loans are used for “big-
ticket” items, such as carpeting and couches.
Technology from the apparel industry is also used
for household textiles, as in Figure 4.8, and designer
names have become important in all categories of
household textiles. Designer ensembles and retail dis-
plays emphasize the abundant use of fabrics through
coordinated sheets, comforters, pillow shams, dust
ruffl throw pillows, and window treatments. fles,
Figure 4.9 shows an example of this concept.
Department stores and specialty bed and bath shops h
primarily sell domestics. Free-standing furniture retail-
ers sell most large furniture items. The traditional
sales method is through gallery programs that display
actual pieces of a particular furniture company’s line.
Furniture is not mass-produced the way garments are
because fewer of each style is sold and many are cus-
tom-covered in fabrics selected by the end-use customer.
An in-store computer design system is a sales tool
that helps consumers see different fabric selections
on various furniture frames. Such on-fl interactive video catalogs allow floor,
shoppers to visualize different coverings for custom-covered furniture and
then have photo-like mock-ups of their selections printed in color. Some of
©Gerber Technology LLC
Figure 4.8 Various textile patterns can be shown on fur-
niture via computer design programs that were created and
used for apparel designing. Th e fabric designs are selected
and developed by the designer, and viewed without the
furniture actually being upholstered. This enables customers
to visualize what they are ordering.
From Pipeline to Consumer
To totally understand how fashion goods go from begin-
ning ideas to use by consumers, compare the soft goods
chain with the four-groups approach.
Reflect and Discuss
As you compare the soft goods chain with the four-groups
approach, think about the following questions. Discuss
your answer in teams, and then again with the entire class.
1. How are the two pipelines similar to and different ff
from each other?
2. Is it necessary to totally understand the soft goods
chain before studying the four-groups approach?
Why or why not?
3. Should both pipelines be used, or just the four-
groups approach after an understanding of the soft
goods chain is achieved?
4. What significance do these pipelines have in showing
the signifi cance of all parts of the fashion industry to
each other?
5. What relationship do these pipelines have with
understanding careers in the textile and apparel and
retail industries?
6. Can you think of any other labels within these pipe-
lines that should be added? What and where?
7. Where do both of the pipelines end? Why is that impor-
tant to note in relationship to business marketing?