Apparel

Big-Name Retailers Make Pride Merchandise in Places That Aren’t L.G.B.T.-Friendly

June 21, 2018

The merchandise has never been more plentiful or easier to find. Tote bags that say “United” from H&M. T-shirts emblazoned with “I Am Proud” from Levi Strauss & Co. An inflatable, rainbow-colored whale from Target — a “Pride Narwhal.”

Global Circular Fashion Initiatives Receive $1.5M in Funding

June 19, 2018

Environmental Leader

C&A Foundation announced $1.5m in funding for five circular fashion initiatives worldwide to bridge the gap in implementing circular business models throughout the global apparel value chain.

Oscar, Marcus, Casper, Cora: Companies Are Using Human Names to Seem More Friendly

June 13, 2018

Los Angeles Times

“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Though Dale Carnegie was talking about nurturing relationships, a lot of startups these days are incorporating his observation into branding strategy.

Opinion: When Factories Have a Choice Between Robots and People, It's Best to Start With People

June 13, 2018

Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Forbes contributor

It’s lazy to think that a manufacturing process is better just because it’s automated. While the effort going on right now at the Tesla factory in Fremont is anything but lazy, it brings into the spotlight one of the core problems with the simplistic “automation for automation’s sake” strategy: processes that aren’t stable to begin with cannot be made stable with robots.

Gold Market Dreams of Blockchain Supply Chain by Next Year

June 12, 2018

Bloomberg

The gold market could be using the technology behind cryptocurrencies to track an almost-$200bn supply chain as soon as next year.

U.S. Gig Economy: Data Shows 16M People in 'Contingent or Alternative' Work

June 11, 2018

The Guardian

How big is the “gig economy”? Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics gave the first official reading of how many Americans rely on temporary work, freelancing, and on-demand apps to make ends meet. And the answer is: a lot.

There Now Are More Job Openings in the U.S. Than Unemployed Workers to Fill Them

June 7, 2018

Los Angeles Times

The labor market has hit a tipping point that should help boost wages: There are more job openings in the U.S. than unemployed workers to fill them.

Apparel Retailers, Finally Recovering, Eye Cotton Prices Warily

June 6, 2018

Bloomberg

Apparel retailers are finally winning back shoppers just as a new potential problem arises: more expensive cotton.

How Adidas Plans to Bring 3-D Printing to the Masses

June 5, 2018

Forbes

In retailers' hot pursuit for that magic trick to entice consumers on a mass scale, 3-D printing has more or less come and gone as a fad, but to sneaker giant Adidas, mass-market 3-D printed products may soon be a reality with sizable retail promise.

As Global Plastics Demand Expands, Sustainability ‘Key’ to Industry’s Future

June 1, 2018

IHS Markit

Global demand for polyethylene, the world’s most used plastic, has nearly doubled since 1999, but this growth in demand is being met with significant new market pressures, such as a rise in consumer expectations around sustainability, along with tightening environmental regulations in key growth markets such as China.

Apparel

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the apparel industry — which consists of companies that manufacture clothing, accessories and footwear. Learn how apparel companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.