Zara has an innovative supply chain that utilizes postponement to delay final production decisions, allowing them to quickly respond to fashion trends. This differs from Marks & Spencer's supply chain which plans designs far in advance. It is difficult for M&S to emulate Zara's fashion focus due to its established operations. Previous programs launched by Peter Salsbury failed to turn M&S around. As a board member, questions would focus on Vandevelde's plans to adapt M&S's operations and follow Zara/Inditex's model of rapid response to changing consumer demand.
Zara has an innovative supply chain that utilizes postponement to delay final production decisions, allowing them to quickly respond to fashion trends. This differs from Marks & Spencer's supply chain which plans designs far in advance. It is difficult for M&S to emulate Zara's fashion focus due to its established operations. Previous programs launched by Peter Salsbury failed to turn M&S around. As a board member, questions would focus on Vandevelde's plans to adapt M&S's operations and follow Zara/Inditex's model of rapid response to changing consumer demand.
Zara has an innovative supply chain that utilizes postponement to delay final production decisions, allowing them to quickly respond to fashion trends. This differs from Marks & Spencer's supply chain which plans designs far in advance. It is difficult for M&S to emulate Zara's fashion focus due to its established operations. Previous programs launched by Peter Salsbury failed to turn M&S around. As a board member, questions would focus on Vandevelde's plans to adapt M&S's operations and follow Zara/Inditex's model of rapid response to changing consumer demand.
Zara has an innovative supply chain that utilizes postponement to delay final production decisions, allowing them to quickly respond to fashion trends. This differs from Marks & Spencer's supply chain which plans designs far in advance. It is difficult for M&S to emulate Zara's fashion focus due to its established operations. Previous programs launched by Peter Salsbury failed to turn M&S around. As a board member, questions would focus on Vandevelde's plans to adapt M&S's operations and follow Zara/Inditex's model of rapid response to changing consumer demand.
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Marks & Spencer and Zara-Competition
Q.1 What is innovative about Zara? What are the major
differences in Zara’s supply chain when compared with that of M&S? What role does “postponement” play in Zara’s supply chain?
Q.2 Why is it so difficult for M&S to start playing the
“fashion” game? What do you think of the programs launched by Peter Salsbury in response to the troubles at M&S?
Q.3 If you were on the Board of Directors of M&S, what
questions would you ask of the new Chairman and Chief Executive, Luc Vandevelde? What, if any, guidance would you offer for turning M&S around? Compare M&S’s approach to that of Inditex, Zara’s parent company?
