Responsive supply in fashion mass customisation systems with consumer returns
Journal
International Journal of Production Research
Journal Volume
56
Journal Issue
10
Pages
3409-3422
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Guo S.
Abstract
Mass customisation systems have been well-established in the fashion industry. Some fashion brands offer the mass customisation system for their selected seasonal products, and allow unconditional returns and full refund for any unsatisfied customers. Motivated by the above mentioned observed industrial practice and based on the growing importance of responsive supply, we explore in this paper the value of quick response supply in fashion mass customisation systems with consumer returns. We focus on investigating how the consumer returns rate affects (i) the optimal inventory decision of the fashion brand, (ii) the achievability of Pareto improvement in implementing quick response supply, (iii) the respective values of quick response for the fashion brand, the fashion supplier and also the fashion supply chain, and (iv) the impact of quick response supply on the environment. We interestingly find that consumer returns enhance the value of quick response supply to the fashion supplier. Quick response supply is also found to be helpful in reducing the environmental cost under the fashion mass customisation system with consumer returns. ? 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Subjects
consumer returns; environmental cost; fashion mass customisation; responsive supply; use of information
Other Subjects
Supply chains; consumer returns; Environmental costs; Mass customisation; responsive supply; use of information; Information use
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Type
journal article