Digitisation presents the fashion industry with challenges and opportunities

Although digitisation is not turning the fashion industry on its head, the changes are noticeable and require immediate attention. This can be seen in the decline in footfall and the increase in online sales. Rising customer demands and expectations also present challenges for retailers, as shoppers have come to expect a seamless customer experience across the online and offline channels.

With decreasing loyalty to shops and brands, fashion companies are finding it more difficult to retain customers and need to take action in order to remain relevant and competitive in the future marketplace.

Data and IT as the key to success

One effect of digitisation is the growing amount of data collected by companies on shoppers, offering a tremendous opportunity for fashion companies in regards to encourage customer loyalty. If utilised sensibly and ideally in real-time, retailers will be able to better understand and fulfil their customers’ expectations and wishes before, during and after their shopping journey.

Among other benefits, these insights will enable brands to react to trends more quickly and distribute stock based on demand, and help sales associates add more value by allowing for a more personalised approach on the shop floor.

These enhancements not only require a suitable IT backbone, but also a clear strategy regarding new innovations. A system that can adapt to this new reality and meet these challenges is SAP S/4HANA for Fashion and Vertical Business. Following our involvement in its acceptance tests, attune has since started working on the third implementation project of the new solution.

If you are interested in introducing a future-proof system to match your forward-thinking strategy, the fashion specialists at attune are happy to help. Get in touch and let us know how we can support your digitisation roadmap by calling: +49 (0)89 322 08690 or sending an email to: info@attuneconsulting.com.