Buying news and archive

Retail Insights Report 2025: The evolution of buying in fashion retail

Fashion retail has reached a structural inflection point as the industry shifts from intuition-based buying to data-first decision-making. According to the 'Retail Insights Report 2025' by US-based B2B platform NuORDER by Lightspeed, 68 percent of senior retail leaders now rely on quantitative data as their primary forecasting tool. The study,...

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Fashion |In Pictures

Romantic gowns, dramatic tailoring: Highlights of LFW according to Harrods’ buying director

With London Fashion Week SS26 officially wrapped, attention now turns to buyers across retail as they review the collections at hand and decide where to go from here. Among those is Simon Longland, director of buying for fashion at department store giant Harrods, who shared his impressions of the week and reflected on London’s evolving position...

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Business|Interview

Italian luxury retailer Nugnes: Why it is now the time for courage and growth

The Italian family business Nugnes, with roots in tailoring and the opening of their first menswear boutique in 1956, is taking a step forward. This hybrid fashion retailer – with a range from classic luxury brands to streetwear-oriented collections – bolstered its expansion last month with the acquisition of the traditional luxury retailer...

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Retail|Interview

Beyond the rack: How Onefifteen’s buyer is shaping its lifestyle-driven vision in Taiwan

In the heart of Taipei’s Da’an district, the flagship store of Onefifteen exists as somewhat of a florally-infused oasis within a metropolitan backdrop. The luxury multibrand retailer sits in the foundations of a historic 1950s building, renovated to both retain its background and modernise this antiquity for a string of dedicated consumers that...

Fashion

AW25 buying guide: Functional apparel and accessories in an age of extremes

From the weather to politics: we live in an age of extremes. This is reflected in fashion, where functional apparel is becoming increasingly important. The gorpcore trend, once popular with outdoor athletes, hikers, and campers (“gorp” is an acronym for “good old raisins and peanuts”, a common trail mix snack), continues to evolve for AW25....

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Business|Interview

Joop! expects single-digit growth from AW25 buying season

Swiss fashion brand Joop! expects to grow during the buying season for its autumn/winter 2025 collection. In an interview, brand director Thorsten Stiebing discusses his expectations for the wholesale business, the industry sentiment, and which regions are performing well. The brand, founded by German designer Wolfgang Joop and now part of the...

People

Children’s fashion: discovering the job of purchasing manager (for example at Galeries Lafayette)

According to market research and consulting firm Mordor Intelligence, the global children's wear market is expected to reach 353.20 million US dollars by 2029, growing at a rate of 5.35 percent annually. A rather encouraging outlook, even if in France, children's fashion has experienced a slowdown in recent years. Between optimistic forecasts,...

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Fairs

First trade fair visit? Valuable tips for newcomers

Whether you are opening your own store, starting as a buyer in a company, or attending with colleagues, your first visit to a fashion trade show can be overwhelming. FashionUnited offers guidance for first-time attendees and provides valuable tips. Preparation Good preparation is half the battle won. Therefore, we recommend you consider the...

Fashion

Children’s FW25 buyer’s guide: Key items including outerwear, dresses and pants

Held twice a year in Florence, Italy, the Pitti Bimbo trade fair is considered to be the gold standard for the children’s clothing markets, and the trends on display there set the tone for the season. On January 22 and 23, 2025, Pitti Bimbo will mark its 100th edition with exhibitors showing their lines for fw25. Overall, from 60’s mod, 70’s...

Fashion

FW25 women’s buyer’s guide: Nine not-to-be-missed key items

The fw25 ready-to-wear collections from ‘the big four’ cities are set to kick off in New York on February 6, 2025. Looking ahead to the forthcoming season, it is becoming apparent that ‘Cocooning’ will be a key word, with cozy sweater knits and fleece-lined parkas. High necklines and long lengths for dresses and skirts look fresh. After several...

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Fashion

Zalando's premium buyer on sleek kicks, chaotic individualization and volatile weather

Fashion retailers are keeping a close watch on their sales leading to Christmas amid a sluggish consumer sentiment, at the same time many are already preparing for the AW25 buying season starting in January. What's going well at Zalando right now and what trends does the online retailer bet on for womenswear in 2025? Zalando's Commercial...

From design, supply, distribution, marketing to retail: How AI is being used in the fashion industry

Attention fashion brands and retailers: how you can use Artificial Intelligence to make your business more intelligent and/or efficient “Artificial intelligence (AI) can make the fashion industry smarter,” said Matthew Drinkwater, head of the Fashion Innovation Agency at the London College of Fashion and specialist in new technologies and their...