Modern technologies in shaping strategy in the clothing industry – a case study of the 4F brand

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to review modern technologies present in building the strategy of contemporary clothing companies and to conduct a case study of the 4F brand (one of the leaders in the use of modern technologies in shaping the product offer in the clothing industry in the Polish market), to present the application of the use of these technologies in the Polish market. Design/methodology/approach: The paper conducts a case study of the 4F brand from the point of view of the use of innovative technologies in improving strategies for meeting the needs of buyers of clothing products. It was preceded by a literature review on the occurrence of these technologies in the surrounding market reality and their development prospects. Findings: Innovative technologies are a constant element in building the strategy of the 4F clothing brand. With them, the brand develops such parameters of its offerings as antibacterial, hypoallergenic or adequate moisture wicking. It also uses technologies to present new product lines: 3D and augmented reality (AR). It allows it to optimise the entire sales process and reduce the number of returns. It is part of the company’s strategy to shift to circular sales models in line with sustainable development. Research limitations: The diversity of possible solutions from modern technologies, resulting from their nature and unique specificity, makes it difficult to generalise the results obtained. Each successive example of the use of modern technologies is outstanding in its way, does not lend itself to standardisation and requires individual analysis. Practical implications: The results of the study indicate that the business operations of apparel companies are becoming more technologically advanced, which will require increasing investment on their part in IT infrastructure and the implementation of new technological solutions. Social implications: Modern technology is being used in the fashion industry to build relationships with stakeholders through increasingly modern marketing communication tools, forcing expenditures in this area as well. The tools for building these relationships are derived from the instruments used by stakeholders in their personal lives (e.g., social media), and the two areas will intersect and complement each other. Originality/value: The originality of our study is to comprehensively present the current use of modern technologies in the apparel industry, to isolate the most popular tools used by entities in this industry on the Polish market and to diagnose the attitude of the audience towards them, as well as to determine the development directions of this trend. Keywords: modern technologies, clothing industry, sustainable development, 3D and augmented reality (AR), 4F brand. Category of the paper: case study.