A new approach to Retail in the Consumer Packaged Goods Market: Integration between traditional distribution and e-marketplaces ―The challenge in the 'Soft Goods' Market

摘要

Retail is hot. Today it is possible to merge two different basic trends already present in the Soft Goods Retail sector (Clothing, Leather goods, Footwear, Accessories, Perfumes, Watches,...): producers (re)taking hold of direct distribution channels and the birth of new B2C (Business To Consumer) retail channels thanks to the advent of the Internet. Such phenomena charge companies willing to be leaders on their own market with the necessity to coordinate all distribution channels (old and new), otherwise they will be lacking in synergy and competitiveness and they will have high charges in infrastructures, management and costs. This necessity, which could also originate from the mere need for a more efficient supply chain management, on the contrary can open to new horizons in terms of market knowledge turning which therefore brings about a better service for end users. This convergence can be achieved today, thanks to the use of the new technologies, creating one single Internet infrastructure, herein described as Private e-Marketplace, which incorporates, combines and allows to better manage all information from and for the market. This way, the circle of the retail process can be closed and traditional distribution patterns, of the push type, can be combined with the new Internet patterns: technology turns out to be the factor enabling such convergence.