Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2019, the apparel and textile sector has been seriously impacted. It is estimated that the sales of textiles and apparels would decrease by 50% due to the virus that began in Wuhan, China. Apart from the above problem, others cut across the painful sacking of employees by fashion companies, an increase in the cost of the textiles, and a breakdown in new investment schemes that should have helped to improve the industry.
With the outbreak of the virus, the industry has to re-strategize and come up with an adequate plan targeted at alleviating the problems of the fashion industry in the pre-virus world. Some changes that are bound to occur are;
- On-demand manufacturing
On-demand manufacturing is projected to be more economical and sustainable than the old method. While traditional manufacturing has the clothing fabrics made weeks and months beforehand, on-demand manufacturing guarantees sales. It also allows the fashion brands to reduce their upfront cash need and also minimize inventory.
- More patronage for local manufacturers
With the severe pause in the production of apparel in the global market, there will be more patronage to local stores. Local production would step in and solve the problem of demand in fashion items and fabrics.
- A customer-centric market
Since there is a projected outbreak of new fashion brands, many industry leaders believe that the wants and needs of the customer will be put first over profits and gains. It is also projected that the connection between the producer and the customer is bolstered. The new theme for building a sustainable fashion industry system is to have a customer-centric market. Fashion brands that have built an online presence, like Psyche fashion, are expected to gain more from this approach since many consumers will now turn to online shopping. You may read about Psyche fashion here.
How do you shop safely on the online market?
With the presence of all kinds of online retail stores, shopping online is becoming increasingly attractive and appealing to consumers. The advantages are sure a great incentive to do so—the great bargains, the wide range of selection, both of price and in items, the ease of return, and the convenience it gives. The only underlying problem with online shopping is safety. People are afraid to shop online for fear of fraud. How do you shop safely online?
- Make sure to use familiar websites
- Do not use your credit cards on a site that does not have a secure socket layer (SSL) encryption. That is trust sites with the HTTPS and not those with the HTTP.
- Keep your personal information private. Try to give out as little as probable.
- Use strong passwords. Let your passwords be a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. It makes it tougher for scammers to get.
- Protect your system from malware with regular updates to your antivirus application.
- Avoid shopping in public. Keep your transactions private, away from prying eyes.
Internet scammers are becoming more intelligent daily, so you must prove smarter. Make sure to do a background check on the seller for reliable credentials and complain if you become wary of shoddy transactions.