THE US$400 BILLION global garment industry can be a tricky business. Colours, styles, textures and silhouettes change on a seasonal basis, and sometimes in mid-season.
Sourcing materials can also pose problems: not enough of the right fabric or too much of the wrong colour. And then, like a bolt of lightning, the demand for a particular garment can shoot up if a movie or music celebrity wears it and makes it popular.
'We handle day-to-day business and meet the challenges of short-notice repeat orders with a well-structured management system and fully integrated merchandising arrangements,' said Jimmy Yam Chi-him, senior vice-president - merchandising, Luen Thai International Group.
Luen Thai's merchandising department has been heavily involved with the company's new 'design-to-store' concept, which gives clients a range of services throughout the entire apparel supply chain. Merchandisers oversee the production process from design to delivery.
In keeping with the global trend, the apparel business has changed dramatically through the implementation of technology.
Internet resources have strengthened communication between clients and suppliers, increased the workload and raised client expectations.
Before computerisation, a Luen Thai merchandiser would be responsible for five or six clients, but today - because of client workload - a merchandiser looks after one or, at the most, two customers. This greater integration requires strong oral and information technology communication skills from merchandisers.
