Coming of age in an era of instant gratification, Gen Z fashion shoppers in the UK use social media for style inspiration. They expect the looks they see on catwalks and red carpets to be available almost immediately. Conversely, they do not expect the looks they purchase to last. One in four young shoppers wears an item for less than six months before getting rid of it, while more than half wear it only up to a year. Shoppers want disposable, on-trend fashion that appears on their doorstep—or at their local retailer—at lightning speed. Learn more at www.accenture.com/seenowbuynow

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2. Copyright © 2017 Accenture All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.
FAST FASHION,
FASTER YOUTH
In a world where outfits go viral overnight on
social media, 18-24 year old shoppers in the U.K.
demand disposable, on-trend fashion that
appears on their doorstep — or at their local
retailer — at lightning speed.

3. Copyright © 2017 Accenture All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.
RETAILERS MUST
REDESIGN THEIR MINDSET
Fashion for the masses can no
longer be planned 6 to 12 months
out. Rather, in a fraction of that
time:
• Trends must be identified
• Designs agreed upon
• Production implemented
• Lines readied for sale

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IDENTIFYING DESIGN TRENDS:
TEST AND SCALE
1. Companies produce a trial of a new line.
2. Consumer response is tested online
and/or in store.
3. Following strong buyer analytics,
production scales up.
Almost half of senior executives use a
“test and scale” model to identify
popular trends.

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IMPLEMENTING
PRODUCTION
Successful fulfilment of test-and-scale requires a streamlined
organizational structure.
Cut production cycles… Spreading the love between
nearshoring, flexible fabric finishing and multiple
sourcing reduces overall production time.
...but spread selectively. CEOs can benefit from
developing strong relationships with a core group of
producers.

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NEW PROCESS,
NEW PROFITS
Fast-moving, short-production-run styles
require fashion executives to find new ways
to increase margins and decrease surplus
stock.
• Executives are running out of new lower wage
countries to source from in order to achieve
savings.
• Instead of cutting costs from the supply chain,
providing customers more value will grow the
profits of tomorrow.

7. Copyright © 2017 Accenture All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.
THE VALUE OF
SHOWCASING THE BRAND
Online – 52% of Gen Z shoppers in the UK use social media for
style inspiration. One fashion retailer introduces new looks
directly to their 7.4 million Instagram followers.
Almost two thirds of senior executives put customer
engagement as the top element for success.
In-Store – Pampering, entertainment, and facetime with brand
ambassadors sporting a “cool” factor transform brick and
mortar outlets from shopping spaces into an experience.

8. Copyright © 2017 Accenture All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.
THE FUTURE IS MOBILE
40% of U.K. apparel purchased by
consumers under 30 is bought online.
Fashion will only get faster.
Will you?

9. Learn more about how to accelerate fast fashion retail strategies in
the UK with our full report:
@AccentureStrat Follow us on LinkedIn
Copyright © 2017 Accenture All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.
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