Fast fashion companies coping with internationalization: driving the change or changing the model?

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the fast fashion formula and the process of firm internationalization. Possible answers are sought to the following research question: does the fast fashion formula drive the internationalization process (driving the change), or does the internationalization process change the model (changing the model).Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents and discusses the data collected during a ten‐year longitudinal case analysis of an Italian fast fashion company. Three main steps in the firm's international expansion are identified, and the firm's strategies for managing its fast model in each are then discussed.FindingsThe findings highlight how the process of internationalization has exerted pressure on the firm's business model. In particular, the case reveals that the company's international development has had a strong impact on three main components of its fast fashion model.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to previous work on fast fashion by focusing on the sustainability of such models during international expansion, a key theme which has to date received little attention in ongoing academic debate on the fast fashion phenomenon.