Views on the Development of E-Commerce of Chinese Clothing Industry

E-commerce provides an advanced information service platform and a broad market space for clothing enterprises. The practice of E-commerce of Chinese clothing enterprises is beginning to take shape, but not yet mature. Under the premise of ensuring the quality of products, Chinese clothing industry should conform to the trend of the times, improve enterprise management system, pay attention to the integration of production and marketing, make full use of current technologies, and enhance service capabilities, thereby promoting the enterprises' core competitiveness.


The concept of E-commerce
E-commerce refers to the commerce behaviors including exchange information, sale of goods and services, as well as payment and transfer that are conducted through the use of computer networks.As we all know, E-commerce, which has been widely used in business affairs, is not only simple network marketing.Its essence and core is to provide specialized, diverse, practical, and open information service platform to enable enterprises to quickly achieve the globalized all-day operation, truly reduce costs to enhance efficiency and better meet the individual needs of consumers.Due to the worldwide Internet popularity and deep changes in network marketing, E-commerce would bring a broader and more valuable market space for clothing enterprises.

The benefit of E-commerce
E-commerce can bring many benefits to clothing enterprises.First, a collaborative network of clothing enterprises built up by the usage of E-commerce can significantly reduce the construction costs of logistical system.Second, E-commerce reduces the intermediate links between manufacturing and retailing of clothing, and shortens the circulation, decreases the stock of inventory, improves transaction efficiency.Third, enterprises can directly get customers' recognition and achieve sales promotion, and quickly adapt to changes in the market to meet the individual needs of consumers through Internet-based customer information and market research analysis.Fourth, E-commerce makes clothing enterprises ready to integrate into the international market, break down a few enterprises' monopolies in price and barriers, to avoid the business loss of low-price competition.In short, to Chinese clothing enterprises, the implementation of information management and network marketing will bring infinite business opportunities and enable the long-term progress.Clothing E-commerce has become one of the basic forms of Fashion Marketing.

The main content of E-commerce in clothing industry and how to improve it
In China, the E-commerce in clothing industry as a new marketing tool has changed operating methods of some clothing enterprises, and mass consumption concepts, making online shopping become one of important patterns of mass consumption.Compared with developed countries, Chinese E-commerce of clothing business is still at an early stage of development, facing both the opportunities and challenges.Based on current economic conditions, technological conditions and the comprehensive analysis of the clothing industry situation, I believe that Chinese clothing enterprises should follow the development trend of the times, strive to improve the quality of the products, upgrade the clothing production and marketing chain, and continuously perfect enterprise management system, make full use of scientific and technological means to enhance service awareness and service quality, and thus enhance the competitiveness in the international market, which meanwhile will also benefit consumers from product quality improvement and cost reduction.Specifically, I suggest the clothing enterprises manage in following aspects to promote the development of clothing industry E-commerce.

Focus on core competitiveness of enterprises by ensuring product quality, enhancing brand awareness, and emphasizing resource integration in industrial chains.
First of all, due to the strong fashionable and seasonal demand in clothing production and marketing, clothing enterprises facing a variety of consumer demands and rapidly changing market must make a quick response.This requires clothing enterprises integrate all the interested parts in the process of operation, such as fabric and accessories procurement, clothing manufacturing, clothing distribution, inventory management, transportation, customer and sales into a tight chain, effectively arrange production, supply and marketing activities in order to meet companies' needs of quick and efficient production and business using social resources.Competition between clothing enterprises to compete in the context of E-commerce is to some extent industry chain competition.This integration is reflected in the management of suppliers, upstream and downstream industries, as well as external cooperation embodied in the group's ability to integrate the management of the upstream quality control and downstream distribution sector supervision and control.In this way the quality of products can be ensured from the procurement, production and sales sections, while the efficiency of production and marketing will be improved.For example, in order to control the quality of clothing from raw material procurement stage, PPG signed its own fabric processors, and connected the purchasing department of fabric suppliers and clothing manufacturers to carry out close cooperation Second, one reason of the current low level of Chinese clothing market is in the high homogeneity.From relatively similar fabric, quality or style or even store display to the small difference between brands, this has become a serious impediment to the development of China's clothing industry.At the same time, the rapid expansion of E-commerce consumer groups, as well as the resulting structural changes will inevitably demand the diversification of clothing products.If clothing enterprises want to take a firm stand in the extremely high classified levels of physical and on-line clothing market, they have to find their own positions accurately by targeting specific consumer groups, develop distinctive brands, develop from a single model to diversify, expand from a single brand to multi-brand multi-series, ultimately improve product coverage.Improved competitiveness, sales and profits can be only achieved by increasing the level of differentiation of products and services.
In particular, on the one hand, enterprises should focus on the main brand, establish their own brand image.On the other hand, enterprises should focus on the brand extension, the development of a strong brand to a new type and style, while first focus on high-level target consumer groups, then through fashion's passing character extend product to similar adjacent social groups.In sum, enterprises should enrich the variety of brands based on the needs of consumer groups and market situation.Take VACNL as an example, VACNL adhere to "international first-class quality, reasonable price for middle-class" brand positioning.Product line started with men's shirts then develops different styles and styles of men and women clothing and hundreds of household items, along this line from work, life, and personal to outdoor.Each product expansion of VACNL is dependent on its users' increasing shopping demand; however, the clothing enterprises can not expand brands blindly; instead they must fully consider their own strength and strategic positioning.Such as the Joyo, their product lines continue expanding in recent years, which is built on a solid strength online marketing strategies.

Upgrade enterprise management system, establishing a flat organization structure
When developing E-commerce, clothing enterprises need to reduce the lag time between decisions and actions, accelerate the response to markets and competition.Only in this way can they seize the business opportunities, understand the consumer, and finally reach the rapid development of enterprises.In order to achieve this goal, the clothing enterprises should appropriately reduce the middle management levels by establishing flat organization structure, innovate the way of information communication within the organization to improve communication efficiency, thereby rapidly increase the capacity of decision-making, implementation to reach more sensitive reaction.Specifically, enterprise decision-makers directly contact with primary performer; primary performers adjust the strategic decisions and implement them in time according to actual situation; gradually weaken the function of old middle-level organization, and then turn to the first line of integrated scientific research, management, production and marketing, so that establish enterprises a flat structure organization model.Clothing enterprises decentralize decision-making power, cooperate with the division of responsibilities, high-level decision-makers grasp great issues, such as the firm's strategic development direction; while primary performers adjust rapidly and implement timely, according to specific details, the external situation and information.So the enterprise development-planning will not just grow constantly, but also can be adjusted while implementation as the market changes and consumer needs.The accelerated dynamic response not only increases the opportunity for the manufacturer to reach consumers directly, but also enables consumers to benefit from the reduced flow cost.

strengthen the network platform construction, and cultivate a professional clothing E-commerce management team
E-commerce can not go smoothly without technical support provided by complete network platform.First of all, apart from the need of ensured product quality, a well functioned network platform results from a sound classification system and powerful search engine, so that customers can more conveniently retrieve demand goods with different conditions, purchase products quickly and easily.Second, it is highly demanded to develop various application software for easier and more accurately on-line fashion show and try on.Most of Chinese clothing shopping Web sites attach simply pictures to show the color, details, craft and other characteristics, respectively, or the effect pictures with live models dressed in these clothes to demonstrate the style, composition, color and others.But this kind single presentation format is usually two-dimensional display; the delivered message is not comprehensive enough; and besides different computer terminals show different effects.In order to solve such problems, the Western countries have developed three-dimensional body scanning measurement software and virtual online try-on systems.Such as the virtual try-on system developed by the Fashion Me Association can provide customers with such services as online consultation about buying clothing, try on clothing, the search query, and clothing customized services as well.Another example is the clothing NAD (net aid design) network-aided design websites in the United States.Internet users and designers can achieve a common on-line design, and the two-dimension pieces can be put on three-dimensional human body model.However, even if how powerful both are, consumers can neither know the touch sense of fabric, nor the actual try-on effect.These deficiency need to be compensated from the service of distribution channels.Last, payment security, web design, and display skills also need to be considered.
Clothing enterprises should also increase the education and training, and active learning success of clothing enterprises of foreign advanced technology tools and management experience, focusing on attracting and cultivating talents with knowledge in clothing and information technology complex to, and improving the overall quality of staff.Only by establishing a master group with modern electronic technology, familiar with the laws of economics, marketing, can the enterprises stand in the customer demand-oriented modern clothing market.

Enhance service awareness, to provide thoughtful and careful Terminal Services, meet consumer demand
In the physical clothing store to buy clothes, you can enjoy a very comprehensive range of services, such as returned goods, free laundry and so on.However, buying clothes online is very difficult to enjoy such value-added services.In order to attract more consumers to shop online, choose their own enterprise products, Clothing enterprises has to improve the quality of E-commerce service.Clothing companies can try to upgrade the quality of service the following areas: satisfy consumer demand, while expanding the network to reach the market, increase sales, and win more profits.
First, Consumer can try-on after receiving the clothes.The classification of many clothing products, although the size standard is relatively uniform, but styles and wearing occasions are so vastly different.Uniform, fashion, costume and underwear that require a higher on the dress effect and comfort, consumer need to try-on before deciding to buy or not.In today's network marketing conditions, consumers only acquire the graphic information about clothing through the network; clothing size and effect have to rely on the visual experience or through the above-mentioned auxiliary software to determine.The network will inevitably result in misunderstanding, such as sizes are not fit, styles are not satisfied, the color deviation.The clothing company can avoid these problems if they allow consumers to can try-on after receiving the clothes.This will not only get the trust of consumers, improve satisfaction, but also the enterprise will establish a good service image.For example, VACNL try to encourage the user to try-on.This won a large number of consumers.
Second, Unconditional Return policy must be practiced.When clothing users purchased online does not fit, replacement or return is one of the problems encountered by the E-commerce clothing enterprises.They often made harsh Returns policies, making online shoppers daunting.Even if the clothing enterprises agree to provide consumers with returns, freight charges are often paid by the consumers themselves, increasing the burden of online shoppers.In most western countries and some Asian countries and regions including Hong Kong, Unconditional Return system has become a business practices for a long time.If they are not satisfied with the items purchased can be no reason to return.This requires that the merchants not only need to ensure product quality, but also need to better fulfill their commitments.This is not only a clothing company on product quality reputation, but also is a manifestation of their social responsibility.For example, VACNL launched the "30 days no reason to Return" service, the return rate does not increased, there was even a decline.Return unconditionally requires the integrity of businesses, but also a test of the consumer's shopping rational and cultural quality.
Third, Low shipping or free shipping policy is necessary.E-commerce industry, the current freight charges in two ways.The first is "try-on"; online shoppers must purchase a certain amount of products to enjoy the free shipping treatment.The second method is "tying" goods purchased online shoppers and merchants to be with other specified items to enjoy the free shipping treatment.Both methods increased to varying degrees, the cost of added burden on consumers shopping to customer loyalty and satisfaction decrease.In the premise of ensuring quality of products, businesses should be possible to reduce transportation costs.Reduce transportation costs depend largely on corporate ownership or use of efficient, reasonable, smooth logistics and distribution systems, mainly through third party logistics distribution is mainly a variety of distribution modes coexist.For example, in April 2009, VACNL announced the cancellation of the audience freight users to buy its products will be free of all freight.This means not only online shopping customers lower the threshold again.Also clearly conducive to further enhance the buying experience VACNL user.
In summary, the clothing enterprises should provide the most value for money products to customers as a core idea, and strive to create a convenient, fast, thoughtful, considerate service atmosphere, solid foundation service capabilities, focused on enhancing their core competitiveness better meet consumer needs.

Conclusion
With the development of scientific and technological revolution and world economic integration process in depth, clothing E-commerce has become an important part of textile and clothing industry.Chinese clothing industry should conform to the trend of the times, improve enterprise management system, pay attention to the integration of production and marketing, make full use of current technologies, and enhance service capabilities, thereby promoting the enterprises' core competitiveness.We have reason to believe that with the social and economic development, clothing company's growing, the popularity of computers, the improvement of people living standards, the continuous improvement of network technology, E-commerce has a bright future.