We live in an era where consumer demands have become more dynamic. Their wider access to information brought about by technology expanded their choices for goods and services, including fashion. Especially with the advent of social media vlogging and influencing, people have become more aware of international luxury and fast-fashion brands. Moreover, with the so-called “Korean wave,” the global popularization of South Korea’s pop culture (Kpop) and entertainment, Kpop fans around the world, who are more or less 100 million in number, have become more engaged in buying international merchandise that their idols advertise. According to research, they can even spend up to $1,400.00 each.

With the increasing globalization of the fashion industry, trends change so quickly, making it difficult for some clothing suppliers to keep up. In Dubai, the UAE’s fashion capital, retail industries have resorted to e-tailing in order to meet the diverse range of tastes in the fashion market.

Understanding E-tailing and Its Significance in the Fashion Market

Electronic retailing (e-tailing) is an online sales platform where people can directly buy and sell goods from a particular brand. Through e-tailing, transactions can be made easier and more convenient by allowing customers to order the product they like by just reading and navigating through description boxes instead of going to physical stores to personally inspect them. Moreover, sellers can easily address product concerns through features that allow them to interact with their customers in real time, fast tracking the transactions between them.

With the booming fashion industry in the UAE, the retail landscape is constantly being shaped by digital trends like this. In Dubai, e-tailing platforms have been innovated and developed to meet the complex demands of customers in the industry. Platforms like Kingpin now provide a one click access to international clothing suppliers that allow customers to buy merchandise with hassle-free payment terms and excellent logistic management. 

Through these digital channels, clothing suppliers are provided with applications for sourcing orders. They can also rely on data sharing using point of sale systems and inventory apps to view stocks easier and make timely orders to manufacturers, enabling them to have the necessary products on-hand and relay them to customers on time without disruptions in the supply chain. According to studies, this increases order processing efficiency by 53%.

Through platforms like this, clothing suppliers and retailers in Dubai can accommodate the diverse tastes and demands of fashion industry consumers in no time. In fact, it was reported in a study published by SAGE Journals that through e-commerce, countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), including the UAE, made a significant annual fashion sales revenue of approximately $50 billion in 2019. This goes to show how the digitization of retail processes gives customers easier access to international brands.