Faced with accelerating trends and the demand for personalization, the fashion industry is facing unprecedented logistical challenges. Between ephemeral collections, marked seasonality and growing consumer demands, brands must completely rethink their supply chain. Logistics, once considered as a simple cost center, is now a real competitive advantage.
Discover the five major innovations that are transforming logistics in the fashion sector, allowing brands to become more agile, transparent and sustainable.
1. The complete digitalization of the supply chain
The era of notebooks and pens is definitely over. Forward thinking fashion brands are now adopting unified digital platforms that offer total visibility across the entire supply chain.
How does it work?
These platforms, like the one developed by Stockoss or e-scm, centralize all logistical information in one place: stock status, current orders, movement history, delivery forecasts... Accessible from any connected device, they allow teams to make informed decisions in real time.
Concrete advantages:
- 50% reduction in time spent on operational management
- 95% reduction in delivery errors
- Complete visibility on inventory and flows in real time
- Better coordination between creative, commercial and logistics teams
Application example: Camille Chaillou, retail coordinator of From Future, saves up to half a day per week by outsourcing its logistics. “With Stockoss everything is accessible in a few clicks, making the process incomparably more efficient than managing a traditional warehouse where on-site intervention would be necessary”, she testifies.
2. Blockchain and digital product passports
Traceability has become a major issue for the fashion industry, both for reasons of authenticity and environmental transparency. Blockchain is revolutionizing this dimension by creating an unchangeable and transparent record of the journey of each product.
How does it work?
Each piece of clothing or accessory receives a unique digital identity, recorded in the blockchain. At each stage of its life (production, transport, sale, possible resale), new information is added to this unfalsifiable register. Consumers can access this data via a QR code or an NFC chip integrated into the product. The Startup Ownest has for example developed expertise in tracking all stakeholders in the supply chain through the use of an NFT associated with each commodity.
Concrete advantages:
- Effective fight against counterfeiting
- Full transparency on the origin of raw materials
- Facilitating the second-hand market
- Compliance with new European regulations (Digital Product Passport mandatory from 2025)
Application example:Aura blockchain consortium, which brings together more than 40 luxury brands and has already drawn up more than 50 million products, uses blockchain to guarantee the authenticity and traceability of each item, from the wire to the end customer.
3. Intelligent warehouse automation
Faced with the multiplication of references and the complexity of flows (omnichannel, returns, etc.), warehouse automation is becoming essential for fashion players.
How does it work?
Collaborative robots (cobots) and automated systems take care of repetitive tasks: picking, packaging, sorting... These machines work alongside humans, dramatically increasing productivity while reducing errors. Artificial intelligence is constantly optimizing paths and processes.
Concrete advantages:
- Increase in processing capacity up to 300%
- Significant reduction in preparation errors
- Better management of peak activity (sales, Black Friday...)
- Improved working conditions for operators
Application example:
The French company Exotec has developed the Skypod system, composed of robots capable of moving horizontally and vertically to optimize order preparation. Customers like Cdiscount have adopted this technology to improve their logistics.
4. NFC/RFID technologies for ultra-precise inventory management
NFC (Near Field Communication) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technologies are radically transforming inventory management in the fashion industry, offering unparalleled precision and speed.
How does it work?
Each item is equipped with an NFC/RFID chip, like the ST25 tags developed by STMicroelectronics. These chips can be read from a distance and without visual contact.
Gantries and readers installed in warehouses and stores make it possible to automatically track stock movements, carry out inventories in minutes, and locate any product instantly.
Concrete advantages:
- Inventories 50 times faster than with traditional methods
- Inventory accuracy greater than 98%
- Drastic reduction in stockouts and overstocks
- Improved customer experience (product availability, optimized click & collect)
New features like wireless settings, firmware updates, and secure data reading
Application example:
Zara (Inditex) was one of the pioneers in the massive adoption of RFID as early as 2016. This technology, now deployed in all its stores, allows the ready-to-wear chain to carry out a complete inventory in just 2 hours, compared to 3 days with traditional methods.
Beyond inventory, luxury brands are now using NFC chips to create innovative customer experiences. Balenciaga has integrated NFC chips into its collection, offering a unique musical experience in collaboration with the rock band Archive. By simply scanning the chip embedded in the garment with their smartphone, customers access exclusive tracks, creating a unique link between fashion, music and technology.
This approach is not limited to the marketing aspect: NFC chips also make it possible to guarantee the authenticity of products and to facilitate their recycling or recovery thanks to a digital passport accessible via the chip.
5. Green logistics and the circular economy
Faced with growing environmental concerns, fashion is rethinking its logistics to make it more sustainable and is part of a circular economy approach.
How does it work?
This approach includes several innovations: optimization of packaging, use of recycled materials, shared transport, last-mile delivery in electric vehicles or cargo bikes, etc. It also includes solutions to facilitate the second life of products (returns, reconditioning, recycling).
Concrete advantages:
- Carbon footprint reduction up to 30%
- Substantial savings on packaging and transport costs
- Strengthened brand image among eco-conscious consumers
- Compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations
Application example:
Several French brands have adopted initiatives to promote the circular economy in the fashion sector. Maison 123, for example, has launched a program that allows customers to give their clothes a second life through a second-hand site where they can buy and sell brand items.
Conclusion
These five logistics technologies, although not all of them are recent, continue to evolve and profoundly transform the fashion sector. True innovation now lies in their democratization, their interconnection and their strategic application to the entire value chain.
The examples of Balanciaga or From Future illustrate how companies can reinvent their logistics approach by combining these proven technologies with a clear vision of their priorities: customer experience, sustainability, agility or cost optimization.
Solutions like those offered by Stockoss play a crucial role in this democratization, by allowing brands to access digital and physical infrastructures without massive investments, thus transforming logistical constraints into strategic opportunities.
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With its rapid expansion, From Future sees its storage and flow management needs for its stores and corners grow exponentially. Faced with these logistical challenges, its collaboration with Stockoss represents a strategic turning point, allowing for more efficient and adapted management of its logistics.
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