Benetton’s Response to the Increasing Global Competition

The chapter is focused on the initiatives Benetton has implemented in order to keep up with competitors in the context of the apparel industry from 1990s until nowadays. The most remarkable transformations in Benetton’s strategy are the shift from an Italian network of suppliers to a global one and the series of initiatives put into practice to align with fast fashion principles, such as the implementation of a dual supply chain and the transition from a franchising strategy to directly owned megastores. With regards to fast fashion, a comparison with Zara is presented. The aim of the chapter is to provide a complete view of Benetton’s evolution, showing its responses to the changes in the apparel industry, in particular in the context of fast fashion.