Recap: This was the first Business Intelligence series

Business

Fashion is an ever-changing industry. Companies who dominate the global fashion industry today, need to keep pace with, and even capitalize on changes. In a highly competitive environment, business analytics and market intelligence are must-have tools. FashionUnited took a closer look at the largest listed companies worldwide within the apparel and fashion industry and analysed internal and external data to signal important trends and developments.

The 14 installments of the first series based on FashionUnited’s unique Business Intelligence Top100 Index. Highlights and more here below.

Episode 2: Why Under Armour is surpassing Adidas and catching up to Nike

Recap: This was the first Business Intelligence series

Why other fashion retailers struggled in 2015, Under Armour ends FY15 with strong revenue growth.

Under Armour is predicted to become a runaway success by 2020. But what sets these iconic sportswear brands apart, how will they continue to grow over the next few years and how has Under Armour expanded its reach to become the #1 sportswear brand to watch over the next five years? Read it here. Or check out the infographic: it shows the expected market capitalization for the coming years.

Episode 4: Is H&M really as 'green' as they seem to be?

Swedish fast fashion chain H&M has invested a lot of effort as well as money in sustainable initiatives. One example includes the retailer’s ‘Close the Loop’ campaign, which invites consumers to bring garments that are no longer used to the store in exchange for a discount. The latest initiative is the Global Change Award: a global competition open to anyone who has an idea on how to make fashion more sustainable. The Swedish fashion retailer received more than 22,500 online votes to award the 1 million euro grant between the hier five winners it had selected earlier this month.

Both campaigns are a part of the company's larger mission which focuses on creating more sustainable fashion, but therein lies the juxtaposition - how can fast-fashion, a business model created to bombard consumers with new apparel each week ever be sustainable? Is H&M really as green and sustainable as they seem to be, or is it just an effective marketing plan posed to cash in on the big green trend? Click here for the answer.

Episode 8: Where will Hermès be in 2020?

In spite of going through some turbulent times in the press, French luxury house Hermès has continued to thrive. Any shareholders with concerns that negative press may affect Hermès image or sales need not worry however, as the luxury fashion house has continued to defy any trend of slipping revenues as noted among peer labels. Instead Hermès reported FY sales for 2015 of 4,841 million euros (5,466 million dollars), up 18 percent.

As the fashion label continues to grow, it becomes more and more of an appealing conquest for any investor, but particularly for shareholder luxury conglomerate LVMH which failed an attempted company take over last year. Although LVMH, Dior and Groups Arnault have all pledged not to acquire any more shares in Hermès for the next five years, FashionUnited asks how Hermès family will manage the company's growth over the next five years whilst retaining control by 2020?

Find it out here.

Episode 9: What comes next for Yoox Net-a-Porter Group?

The new Yoox Net-a-Porter Group officially launched on October 5, 2015. Yoox Net-A-Porter Group has said that for the financial year ended December 31, 2015, the company recorded a monthly average of 27.1 million unique visitors, which translated into 7.1 million orders. The Group reported net revenues of 1.7 billion euros (1.9 billion dollars), up 30.9 percent.

In November, FashionUnited took a closer look at both companies, the reasons behind their merger and predicts what the future may hold for the new Group. And we predicted: Together, these two former competing market leaders now hold full coverage of all luxury customer segments across the entire product life cycle, with a broader global reach than any other online fashion retailer.

No time to read the whole article? Check out the infographic for a faster answer.

Episode 10: Victoria's Secret annual fashion show: Enjoy it while it lasts

American lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret took fifth spot on the top 10 most popular fashion brands of 2015 helped by the popularity surrounding its fashion show and its model ‘Angels’.

But what are the real costs of hosting such an event each year - and what does a show like the VS show contribute to the overall company - does it really add that much extra value? Or is it just a hype that will eventually implode onto itself?

Read it here. No time to read the whole story? Click here for the 1-second version: this illustration will give you the answer.

Top 100 Index and more business Intelligence

Would you like to check out the complete Top100 index or are you looking for other apparel market data and analytics? Click here to go to the FashionUnited Business Intelligence page. It includes a Fashion fortune 200 list, a Cotton and Wool index with leading prices, retail statistics and more.

Interested in our latest article based on unique business intelligence? Read: Can ‘Primania’ satisfy Primark’s lack of e-commerce?

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Top100 index

Top100 index overview