Manchester Metropolitan University

Fashion Business at Hollings broadly covers all aspects of International Fashion Marketing, Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Our research interests within these areas are wide ranging encompassing fashion marketing and logistics from retailing through international trade issues to fashion diffusion in global markets and the evolution of global supply chains.

Marketing is a multifaceted discipline essentially focusing on the product, price, place and promotional elements of what is known as the marketing mix. Fashion Marketing applies this same basic mix to a fastidious and exciting industry which includes textiles, apparel and fashion production and distribution. With the addition of the international dimensions of fashion marketing and their impact on production and distribution, fashion business becomes a dynamic specialism with a myriad assortment of opportunities for quality research.

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Research in the area of International Fashion Marketing is diverse and may involve looking holistically at the application and practicalities of the marketing mix or exploring one particular element such as: pricing strategies and costing in relation to consumer demand and expectations; or the impact of marketing communications in advertising and public relations campaigns. Other areas of interest may include exploring shopping environments and consumer shopping experiences in retailing and e-tailing environments; the real impact of mannequins or window displays on consumer behaviour; marketing through trade fairs, trade publications or consumer publications; branding, visual merchandising, target marketing and niche marketing are further avenues open to exploration.

In the areas of supply chain management and logistics many opportunities arise in relation to the fast fashion concept; marketing and distribution channels; operations related to production, factory manufacturing and management, quality control and assessment; mass production and mass customisation, industry structures and sourcing.

In addition, environmental practices and issues relating to areas of industry such as the leather and fur trades; and ethics and social and environmental responsibilities are areas for exploration under the guise of Fashion Business.