CLOTHING & APPAREL\\\ >> 24


economically. The increased


sophistication of the fashion industry is also refl ected in the logistics centres that Seko operates. For example, at


its


Milton Keynes site it has designed a ‘pick tower’ that extends the length of several storeys of the


building to maximise the size of the pick face, and it uses a range of powered and gravity conveyors to speed movements within the centre. It also off ers a range of value-


added services including custom embroidery, giſt wrapping and hand-produced


Issue 1 2019 - Freight Business Journal


notes - specially recruiting people with neat writing. The fashion business will


go on growing and evolving, Bourke believes, spurred on by the many possibilities of e-commerce. Already, the twice- annual seasons of spring and autumn collections have largely


Apparel trade takes to the air


IAG Cargo - owner of the British Airways and Iberia brands - transports apparel goods both as e-commerce orders for individual consumers or as bulk shipments for retailers, says regional commercial manager for UK and Ireland, Andy Jaye (pictured right). He explains: “Our Prioritise


and Courier products are especially popular for these consignments as freight is given preferential status at all times, ensuring goods get to


where they need to be, when they need to be.” The UK in


particular has


established itself as a global hub for transporting apparel. Major UK online retailers are


exporting increasingly


large volumes of clothing and apparel from the UK to key destinations including the US, Australia, Russia and Israel. The packaging used for


clothing and apparel presents handling challenges as the goods do not stack well and


building on flat pallet type containers can be problematic. However, with over 200 hours of training per year, IAG’s staff are always on hand to decide how best to transport and handle consignments. While road or sea freight offer


alternatives, air freight offers the fastest and most efficient way for retailers to get goods to where they need to be, he continues: “In an increasingly competitive e-commerce environment,


and with


become a thing of the past; a typical collection can change every two weeks. Retailers will also have to


think long and hard about the role of the high street – while they may well be a place for the cheap-and-cheerful discounter and the Bond Street store, the


consumers demanding quicker delivery times, air freight has assumed a central role to many retailers’ business models. IAG Cargo’s global network of over 350 destinations and 15,000 flights per week, along with our Critical and Prioritise products means that retailers can always get their goods to consumers quickly and reliably, whatever the circumstance.” IAG Cargo sees steady


demand for clothing and apparel shipments throughout the year but there is a definite uptake in shipments around the key retail periods of the year such as in the run up to, and after, Christmas. Key e-commerce events like Black Friday


and Singles Day in


China also have a noticeable impact.


Top honours for SEKO fashion clients


SEKO Logistics has sponsored the ‘Best Innovation in Fashion Retail’ category in the Drapers


Awards 2018 - three others of which went to its own customers.


This is the third consecutive


year SEKO has supported the highly-respected awards in


middle ground needs a rethink. Perhaps ‘buy online, deliver from store’ or ‘buy in store, deliver online’ might become the models for the future. Or, maybe, some online retailers setting up their own presence on the High Street. And the systems used to


25


manage all this complexity will become ever more sophisticated, along with the supply chain that underpins them. Indeed, says Bourke, with the consumer fi rmly in control that term is no longer strictly accurate – “it’s more of a demand chain these days,” he says.


vvvvvvvvvv


fashion retailing, which were presented before an audience of over 800 at the Roundhouse in London. SEKO’s commercial director


Claire Muir presented the ‘Best Innovation in Fashion Retail’ award to the shopper


app,


Fashion Concierge UK, which provides


access to buyers,


designers and boutique owners, and organises international shopping excursions to exclusive


retail shops and


designer’s showrooms. Joules, the UK-based


premium lifestyle brand, won the ‘Fashion Retail Business of the Year’ for companies with a turnover of between £101m and £500m as judges praised the retailer’s impressive growth and creative approach in a tough sector of


the market


while Knomo received the ‘Accessories Brand of the Year’ prize for its thoughtful, functional products and interesting collaborations, which make it stand out from the crowd. Marks & Spencer won


the Award’. ‘Retail Consumer


A huge thank you to all of our members and supporters for their outstanding support during our first 20 years!


Together with you, we’re proud to be transforming lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport.


LIVES THROUGH MORE THAN 50 PROJECTS IN 20 COUNTRIES OUR EXPERTISE HAS SECURED £9,000,000


WE HAVE SINCE TRANSFORMED FIRST PROJECT WAS


TRANSAID’S IN APRIL 1998 IN SOUTH AFRICA


FROM MAJOR DONORS - INCLUDING COMIC RELIEF, DFID, BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION AND USAID


28,000 STUDENTS HAVE TRAINED IN PROFESSIONAL


DRIVER TRAINING CENTRES


WE SUPPORT IN MALAWI, UGANDA, TANZANIA & ZAMBIA


OUR EMERGENCY TRANSPORT SCHEMES


IN MADAGASCAR, NIGERIA,


UGANDA & ZAMBIA HAVE TRANSPORTED


/Transaid @TransaidOrg UK registered charity no. 1072105 /Transaid /Transaidorg


25,000 PEOPLE TO MEDICAL FACILITIES


www.transaid.org Patron HRH The Princess Royal


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