Le peculiarità e l'evoluzione dei rapporti di canale nel tessile-abbigliamento

This paper examines some of the interdependencies that have been established in the textile and apparel (TA) ‘pipeline’. The term ‘pipeline’ appears to be a neutral one – it tends to focus not on the perspective of the single agent, but rather on that of the vertical system and, in this sense, recalls the concept of supply chain. The sequence retail-apparel-textile has been defined not only as a pipeline, but also as a ‘supply channel’, similar to and combining aspects of both ‘supply chain’ and ‘distribution channel’. This is particularly (though not exclusively) true for clothing goods (including, for instance, textile products). The internal structure of manufacturing firms, like those of retailers, have a strong effect on how they interact with both their suppliers and customers. The retail strategies of seeking to reduce the risk of unsold stock and losses from breakage call for manufacturing suppliers to adopt new practices for fulfilling orders flexibly, rapidly and efficiently. It is in this context that the concept of ‘lean retail’ emerged, and hence the practices of ‘lean retailing’. In the following we examine the implications of these processes on the evolution of the relationships between industry and distribution. The paper addresses the repercussions of the development of lean methods on the development of other ‘formulas’ having a significant impact on the relationship between manufacturer and retailer, specifically in TA. We then discuss further developments that may be proposed in TA and its channel relationships by shifting from a perspective of supply to one of demand. The topics are addressed beginning with a review of the literature on the subject and the results of earlier research by the authors. The paper’s aim is to furnish the basis for discussion within the framework of a seminar. It represents a work in progress within a broader research framework whose central focus is the topic at hand.