1. Textile Product Development and Marketing
Chapter 6
Textile Product Development and Marketing

2. The Global Textile Market
Globalization is the focus of the textile market.
U.S. textile producers have lost more than 50% of their domestic market.
American textiles producers compete by exporting and opening factories in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Fashion From Concept to Consumer, 8/e © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Gini Frings Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

3. New Marketing Strategies
The American textile industry was built on large volume, offering quality at reasonable prices.
Imports, oversupply and market niches forced the industry to evolve into a market driven sector.
Textile companies strive to stay in the forefront with new products:
Performance fabrics
High tech fibers and fabrics
Other marketing strategies include:
Niche marketing
Garment packages
Shortening lead times
Fashion From Concept to Consumer, 8/e © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Gini Frings Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

4. Fiber Product Development and Marketing
Man-made fiber producers invest great deals of time and money in research and development.
Their sales promotion and advertising campaigns create demand and educate consumers on the value and use of these fibers.
Natural fiber producers reacted by forming associations to promote their fibers.
Natural and man-made fiber producers also work together to research and develop fiber blends.
Fiber producers use cooperative advertising, sharing the cost of advertising with fabric producers, manufacturers and retailers.
Fashion From Concept to Consumer, 8/e © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Gini Frings Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

5. Fiber Product Development and Marketing
Fiber producers also provide many services to customers:
Technical advice
Fashion presentations
Color forecasts
Fabric libraries
Consumer education
Hangtags
Natural fibers are sold to mills for yarn spinning and weaving or knitting.
Man-made fibers produced by chemical companies employ sales forces or are vertically integrated.
Fashion From Concept to Consumer, 8/e © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Gini Frings Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

6. Fabric Product Development and Marketing
As fabric becomes the driving force of change in the fashion industry many factors play a role.
Textile design includes:
Specialization
Market and technical research
Focusing on end use
Print design
Coloring
The fabric collection
Fashion From Concept to Consumer, 8/e © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Gini Frings Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

7. Fabric Product Development and Marketing
Marketing includes:
Advertising
Publicity
Customer services:
Fashion presentations
Other services
Fabric Market exposure
Selling via:
Sales representatives
Jobbers
Brokers
Fashion From Concept to Consumer, 8/e © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
Gini Frings Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458