However, Caroline Banks, director at silk specialist Pongees, points out that in the UK, consumers are unlikely to choose very acidic colours in silk as silk tends to go into the more traditional upper end of the market, and also because acid tones are not very flattering to the British complexion. Following Merrell's success with its backless Jungle Slide shoes, mules for men will continue to grow in popularity with the trend set, and Merrell is expanding the Jungle Slide into different fabric types for this spring, including sheepskin and ventilated nylon uppers. However, footwear retailers in general have been criticised as not offering the same quick response to fashion trends as the clothing area. Verdict Research believes there is a sourcing issue at play which prevents consumers from finding affordable high-street versions of the shoe styles they see on the international designer catwalks. As retailers reduce the number of suppliers to increase efficiency, the design element is sometimes being neglected, and suppliers need to encourage retailers to be more forward thinking.
Suppliers have got to deliver perceived value, so price is key, but that's nothing without delivery.
You've got to deliver on time, and you've got to have speed as well, to shorten the supply chain. The closer you are to market requirements the more you can be flexible to meet those requirements. More often than not, we are talking small quantities because nobody wants to hold stock. So the story is smaller quantities, more often, quickly, at killer price. And that's a tough challenge.