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From margins to sell-through: Important figures used in the fashion industry

On this page you will find key figures used in the fashion industry to monitor and optimise performance, such as sell-through, margin, and turnover, among others. Retailers use numerical analyses to substantiate business decisions, such as making a purchasing plan and budget for the next fashion season. “We sometimes compare choices for budgets...

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What the fashion industry has to do with microplastics pollution (and everything you need to know about EU initiatives to tackle microplastics)

The European Commission has microplastics on its agenda. But what initiatives are there to tackle the release of microplastics and what measures are being put in place to reduce the impact of microplastics on the environment? FashionUnited lists them. As always, we start at the beginning: with what microplastics are, why there are concerns about...

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From omnichannel to shopping on social media: e-commerce (related) terms explained

On this page, you will find common or frequently used e-commerce terms (or words related to the topic of online shopping) and their meanings. You can choose to read the article from beginning to end or click on a term from the A-Z glossary to go directly to it. Glossary (A-Z) • Cross-border • Cross-channel • E-commerce • M-commerce / Mobile...

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Inside independent retail: What it takes to run a fashion store

There are various types of fashion stores. We use the term retailers to broadly refer to all those who sell clothing to consumers. Retailers include chains such as Scotch & Soda, H&M and Zara, as well as department stores such as John Lewis, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. However, the term retailers also refers to independent retailers -...

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Wholesale and retail explained: Definitions, examples, and pricing strategies

Entering the fashion industry and deciding on how to distribute your products can be complicated. What is retail and wholesale? Who uses them and why? What are retail and wholesale prices and why are they different? In this short background piece, FashionUnited dives into all the above and more. The difference between retail and wholesale 1....

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Exploring physical retail: From pop-ups to multibrand and flagships

There are various types of physical stores, or so-called “brick and mortar” stores. For example, there are multibrand stores, monobrand stores, flagships, to name just a few. In this article, FashionUnited has created a list of all different types of physical stores, and what makes them special. You can choose to read the article from beginning...

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From fibre to garment: the technical 'make-up' of your clothing

In this background piece, we tell you all about the 'technical construction' of your garment. From fibre to garment. We start with the final product, your garment, and go back one step at a time. To the fabrics, the yarns and the fibres/raw materials. We also cover finishing processes. Content • Fabrics (+ finishing processes) • Yarns • Fibres...

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Common financial terms such as turnover and EBITDA explained

FashionUnited regularly reports on the financial performance of fashion companies, particularly when annual reports and half-year reports are published. These reports are also known as financial reports. Financial reports provide a detailed overview of a company's financial performance over a specific period, including information on revenue,...

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The contrast between haute couture and ready-to-wear

Ready-to-wear and couture present two different approaches to making clothing. While haute couture refers to handmade, unique and custom-made garments, ready-to-wear is clothing produced in large(er) quantities in a factory – which incidentally still always requires human hands – and is accessible to the general public because of its lower...

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Tips for building a more sustainable wardrobe

In this background story, FashionUnited gives you tips on how to create a more sustainable wardrobe - or if you’re a retailer, how to advise consumers about more sustainable fashion. Contents • How to build a more sustainable wardrobe • Still want something new? Consider renting clothes, or buying second-hand • Would you rather buy brand new...

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Jeans and denim: everything you need to know about jeans

Jeans are one of the most popular types of trousers in Western culture that have become a fundamental component of the casual wardrobe. However, while all jeans are denim, not all denim are jeans, and the two fashion staples are often confused with each other. While denim is most commonly used for jeans, denim can be used to make a number of...

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The role of color in fashion

Fashion is one of the most important visual phenomena of our time, and in fashion, color plays a major role. In this background article, we share the difference between primary and secondary colors, discuss color combinations and contrasts, and the influence of color in the fashion industry. Content • Primary, secondary and tertiary colors •...