Agile retail is a

direct-to-consumer Direct-to-consumer (DTC) or business-to-consumer (B2C) is the business model of selling products directly to customers and thereby bypassing any third-party retailers, wholesalers, or any other middlemen. Direct-to-consumer sales are usually tr ...

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...

model that uses

big data Though used sometimes loosely partly because of a lack of formal definition, the interpretation that seems to best describe Big data is the one associated with large body of information that we could not comprehend when used only in smaller am ...

to try to predict trends, manage efficient production cycles, and faster turnaround on emerging styles.Nadya Khoja
"Changing Clothes: How Agile Retail is Disrupting the Fashion Industry"
''business.com'', July 20, 2016. Agile retail applies concepts from Agile and Lean in the retail business, and aims to respond faster to customer needs. This retail model is used by

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

. The concept turns

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manageme ...

retailers into on-demand platforms that identify stock and deliver desired products directly to the consumer. The main focus of Agile retail is to identify trends that are popular with consumers at a given moment and deliver those products using Agile production concepts."Can This New Industry Disrupt Fast Fashion?"
''huffingtonpost.com'', February 3, 2016. Experts in the fashion industry argue that Agile retail is the next step for fashion retail, especially with rising online sales. Agile Retail gives more options to customers, usually at a lower price, and delivers the product directly to them. Agile retail is a new form of fast fashion that applies the concepts of “Agile” and “Lean” in the fashion retail business. It is also all about serving customers better by aligning to their changing needs."Agile Retailing?"
, ''agileretailing.com'',.

History

The Agile ideology can be traced back to the

Lean manufacturing Lean manufacturing is a production method aimed primarily at reducing times within the production system as well as response times from suppliers and to customers. It is closely related to another concept called just-in-time manufacturing ( ...

principles developed at

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

in the 1950s.Lee Bonnell
"Agile 101: An Abbreviated History of Agile"
''ptc.com'',. Lean manufacturing focuses on eliminating waste in the manufacturing process. The basic intention is to maximize efficiency during manufacturing with a view to enhance productivity and lower costs. Back then, the Agile retail concept was applied mainly to the manufacturing of hard goods such as automobiles. In recent years Agile retail, especially in the fashion industry, capitalizes on many of the principles that have made other stalwart tech companies successful in their respective industries. In a traditional fashion company, a designer creates an entire collection usually based on his or her inspiration. The Germany-based online retailer

Lesara Lesara was a clothing e-commerce site founded in Berlin in 2013. On November 9, 2018, the company filed for bankruptcy. History Lesara was founded in 2013 by CEO Roman Kirsch, COO Matthias Wilrich, and CTO Robin Müller.Chloe Gendron, The compan ...

has been using the concept of agile retail in the fashion industry."Lesara Uses Agile Management and Data to Meet Retail Fashion Trends"
''insights.samsung.com'',.

Processes

Agile retail uses big data to try to estimate what customers want and anticipate demand and quantities. Agile retail companies are able to respond more quickly to changing circumstances using the data from this process. The aim is to know consumer needs at any given point. The Agile enterprise emphasizes iteration over perfection, the ability to move quickly and to constantly learn and adapt.

Advantages

* Using big data to figure out faster what the consumer wants. * Ability to respond to changing needs faster than traditional retail. * Aim to personalize shopper's demands. * Intense use of big data and data analysis. * More efficient supply chain, reducing waste.

Disadvantages

* Agile retail relies partially on traditional retailers, especially luxury retailers, in setting trends which are used as inspiration.
''study.com'',

References

{{reflist, 30em Retail processes and techniques

History

Processes

Advantages

Disadvantages

See also

References