Fashion specific challenges occurring within the supply chain and how these can be approached using Fast Fashion

The purpose of this chapter is to identify how fashion specific challenges, that occur within the supply chain, can be approached using Fast Fashion. It will be explained what sub strategies Fast Fashion consists of and how these can solve the problems of the fashion industry. The focus is on strategic aspects of Supply Chain Management.

First of all the focus of this academic paper lies on the conceptual fundamentals. This chapter will define and discuss the terms Supply Chain, Supply Chain Challenges and Fast Fashion. Secondly, the focus lies on the specific challenges of the fashion industry that occur within the supply chain: Perishability, Demand Volatility and Lead Times. Then Fast Fashion and its sub topics – Quick Response, Sourcing, Supply Chains – will be explained in detail.

Following this, a case study of the Spanish fashion retailer Zara is presented to illustrate how Fast Fashion works in practice. This chapter is aimed at recognising how Fast Fashion approaches the fashion specific supply challenges de facto. At the beginning of this chapter, the company Zara will be introduced. Afterwards, a closer look is taken at how Fast Fashion works in practice based on the example of Zara.

Finally, the knowledge gained from the academic paper will be summarised in a conclusion.