By Leonie Barrie
Julie Hughes, president of the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA):
I see two major challenges in the year ahead.
The first challenge is how to keep the customer excited to buy new apparel. Initial indicators for holiday sales show that consumer electronics are up, but purchases of apparel are down. That suggests that for a lot of customers, they see the newness and excitement in tech toys. Let's fact it, it is hard for a sweater to compete with a tablet. But...the message seems clear that apparel retailers need to focus on creating excitement for the customer.
The second major challenge is how to expand ethical sourcing throughout the supply chain.
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