Sustainably Customized

Mass customization has been and will continue to be the new phase for the retail industry. This shopping experience allows customers to customize products to their individual tastes with a few clicks of the mouse. We have seen Nike at the forefront of this venture with their NikeiD online sneaker as they believe “Your Shoes, Your Way”. Recently Nine West Canada launched their own version first as a test called the “Pick Your Pump Collection” to determine if mass customization would be successful with their business structure and current consumers. Nine West customers can select the color and fabric they desire online of a 3.5 inch pump called the Martina. In order for customers to have this shopping experience available to them, the technology is the most crucial part of the operation. Mass customization has many long term benefits but also requires individualistic supply chain methods and capable equipment. Moving from a traditional store to a mass customized operation cannot be decided lightly as costs and risks are inevitable. Once fully implemented the technology must consciously be updated and managed.  Once mass customization is in effect all efforts of forecasting and time-to-market reports are no longer needed. This type of business structure is very attractive because success comes in less time and effort than a traditional retail operation. Although this seems like a simplistic approach the technology must be supportive, and running at peak levels to create a success.

Mass customization is not only attractive for its cost benifits but it is also more environmentally friendly then traditional retail. It’s great for decreasing landfill waste and works to reduce our overall carbon footprint. Think about it, the customers are able to choose how the product is to be made before it’s produced. Once the shoe is created, the order goes to the factory that will then produce and ship it to the customer. Waste accumulates more frequently in a more traditional logistics plan. Goods are designed and created, sent to the retail store in hopes of being sold. This can be considered a push strategy, where consumers are being told what to purchase. When this is not successful waste accumulates. Mass customization works more like a pull system, where the customer has the power to determine when a product is created. I believe that mass customization is the first of its kind where companies respect consumer’s interests by also saving time and energy. If more companies listened to their consumers, and spent time tailoring platforms/software to handle such requests our landfills would be smaller and time could be spent on more sustainable efforts.

Introducing technology more and more is the future of the fashion industry. It will continue to drastically change the way we shop and how we decide to purchase. In the last decade, online shopping has drastically changed the retail industry. Mass customization could be the next great change. As technology evolves it will continue to change our shopping patterns to a point where shopping without technology would seem unheard of.

Original Article: 

http://mypbrand.com/2014/12/03/nine-west-canada-launches-pick-your-pump/