Can Technology Help Fashion Etailers Tackle ‘Try Before You Buy?’

| Fashion 2.0

LONDON, United Kingdom — In the early days of e-commerce, fashion brands were hesitant about selling online for two main reasons: fear that online distribution would dilute exclusivity and suspicion that consumers would never buy luxury fashion they weren’t able to physically try on. Nonetheless, in 2009, in the midst of The Great Recession, the online luxury market grew by 20%, a rate that’s expected to accelerate through the close of 2010, and online fashion retailers at both ends of the spectrum, from Net-a-Porter to Asos, the UK’s largest online-only fashion store, are reporting rapid growth. But buying fashion online is distinctly different to buying consumer electronics or books from Amazon. Fashion consumers still like to try before they buy,…

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Uniqlo’s social business, ASOS founder cashes in, Inditex into Antipodes, Liberty’s grand plan, Launching Gilt

| Daily Digest

Liberty's Perspective by Hanslip M. Fletcher c. 1924| Source: vamac

Uniqlo Healing Social Problems With Hipster T-Shirts (Fast Company) “Fast Retailing Co., the company behind the Uniqlo clothing chain, has established a new, wholly-owned subsidiary that’s going to expand its enterprise with a ‘social business’ in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.” Asos co-founder cashes in as profits jump (Guardian) “Online retailer Asos sees first-quarter sales rise by

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Introducing Mr. Porter, Making room for new talent, Football in fashion, Asos’ record sales, Britain’s got talent

| Daily Digest

Rick Owens Mens, soon available on Mr. Porter | Source: Rick Owens

Net-a-Porter announces first menswear site (Telegraph) “The Net-a-Porter group has announced the launch of a dedicated menswear site – the first global shopping destination of its kind. The site, to be called Mr Porter, will launch for the spring/summer 2011 season.” Oh, to Be Young and a Star (NY Times) “While established designers recognize a need to promote new talent in the industry, they may be pushing

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Hermès Q1 up 19%, GenArt shuts down, ASOS recycling marketplace, Fashion consultants, Fashionair to shutter?

| Daily Digest

Hermès Spring Summer 2010 | Source: Luxuo

Hermès reports 1st-quarter sales up 19 percent (Marketwatch) “Hermès, the French luxury goods maker, reported that first-quarter sales rose 19% to 507.7 million euros. All sectors performed well, with sales growth at the group’s own stores “particularly robust,” up 26% at constant foreign exchange rates, the company said in a Thursday statement.” Fashion, entertainment nonprofit Gen Art shuts down

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Coach goes global, High Street retail rebounds, Archs out from Ungaro, ASOS’ lofty goals, Isabel Marant’s SoHo chic

| Daily Digest

Burberry SS 2010 | Source: Burberry

Coach Doubles Dividend as Earnings Top Estimates (BusinessWeek) “Coach Inc., the largest U.S. maker of luxury leather handbags, doubled its dividend and announced an expansion in Europe … The company said it planned to open at least 14 stores in France … with Printemps, the French department-store chain. Coach has also agreed in principle to create a joint venture with Hackett Ltd. to open stores in the U.K.,

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