Expert Insight: What is Next Post Covid-19? A Suppliers Perspective

The Pandemic has left us stressed, seeking answers, reviewing Business Continuity Plans, lots of questions, and quite a few answers. The trending question for most fashion professionals would probably be “What Next?” 

Know Your Strengths 

My answer to this would be to let’s get into our zones, understand our strengths, a bit of reasoning, what all of us must realize is that we clothe the world & must look forward to the New Now. 

Hygiene and Comfortable Fabrics

The tech support team and most of the back end team have shown the way by coming forward with “Work From Home – WFH or Smart Working” – concepts which is good, but we should also realize that our stores will reopen sooner if not later. Our design teams would have to make a few changes in the collections but adding a few ensembles to lines, concentrate a lot more on Hygiene and Comfortable Fabrics. I would like to express my thoughts on Hygiene, which is going to be very important for Brands, Consumers and all of us. We have always considered the Consumer to be King, they control the markets and we build brands around them. Over the past few weeks, I have spent a lot of time attending Podcasts, Webinars interacted with many leaders of the industry across the Globe. For sure health & hygiene are going to play a very important role. 

Reworking our Existing Product Strategies

As we gear up to looking at Global Leaders easing the lockdown and drawing exit strategies for life post lockdown and we look at strategies to rebuild our brands and business, reworking our existing fashion and product strategies on the forefront while I go to the drawing board is to look at lines built around Social Distancing, Smart Working I would also look at eliminating or reducing my tailored lines, party wear – I cannot fathom my consumer going to a bar and having a drink with his mate sitting 3 meters apart or going out for a family meal. This will be a no-no for now. 

What Are We Looking At?

I will be looking at knits to be an integral part of all my lines across all cross segments, I for sure going to lace it up with sustainable fabric and keep my colors basic and have my ascents as well as fillers and mood enhancers. Then comes my Conference Call Tops / Shirts prim and proper which will be my winner. I would spend time with my consumer to instill confidence in them that this can be worn for a few hours as a change during my call days. So I am actually selling 2 pieces for the same day. I would pay a lot of importance to Cotton bases with comfort being the key. 

Where Will Sales Come From?

From the sales perspective, I see that E-Commerce will play a very important role in reviving Businesses, from the big to the evolving brands E Retail will become an integral part of their sales budgets. We might see deep discounting for the next quarter or the opening quarter post LockDown. 

What Will Manufactures Be Doing?

From the manufacturing perspective – Social distancing will be key here as well. Manufacturers will have to figure out new techniques and the larger lines will shrink to smaller facilities/lines with an emphasis on productivity and hygiene which would include the welfare of their own selves and their co-workers. We must realize we will be living in constant fear of another outbreak as this Pandemic is far from over, we will see frequent lockdowns.

What Will Retailers be Doing?

Retail – I foresee a huge upswing in home, home décor, bed and bath personal hygiene, electronics, last-mile delivery companies mushrooming, and warehousing being a key business in the nontech space. We might be looking at taking pointers from automobile and electronics salesmen in selling clothing and textiles, I see companies spending more time on educating sales staff on the product, people will come to brick & mortar stores which will open but I do not see all the stores opening. We will see a lot of shops and collect, I have already read a few brands are looking to do away with the trial rooms. The sales staff has to be really sure of their product as we might see lesser footfalls but increase ticket size. 

Fits, Fabric, Comfort! 

Fits, fabric, comfort, and hygiene will have to be the new mantra. Hygiene in Ware Houses would be very important; E-Commerce companies have an easy return policy, which will be reviewed now. I think consumer reviews internally will also become important for Brands similar to Brand reviews, I would be very concerned on how hygienic the packaging system is and how do companies handle a returned product. 

Final Thoughts

I am sure that I have managed to ask a few more questions to many of few, happy to interact and share my thoughts. Do remember – Now is the new future and we clothe the world. 

I wish you all well and stay safe. This too shall pass. 

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