Sales and Distribution Case Study

VF Corp : The World’s Largest Apparel Maker’s Retail Expansion Strategies

OR

Abstract:
Founded as the Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company in 1899, VF Corporation manufactures different apparel, viz., jeanswear, imagewear, outdoorwear, innerwear, sportswear and footwear. The stagnation in the US apparel market in the early 21st century necessitated VF Corp’s venture into the retail market and as of 2006, 13% of its revenue comes from retailing. The company plans to increase its revenues from retail to 20% by 2009 and has announced that it would be opening 400 new retail stores across the globe.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To understand new trends in the US apparel market
• To analyse the reasons that encouraged a traditional apparel manufacturer like VF Corp. to foray into retailing
• To discuss the retail expansion strategies of VF Corp.

Keywords : Retailing; Growth Strategies Case Study; Expansion strategies; Lee; Wrangler; Stagnation in US apparel market; US retail market; Retail acquisitions; Changes in customer preferences; Changes in the US retail market; Speciality stores; Restructuring; Mackey McDonald

Contents:

• VF Corp.: The Need for Retail Presence
• Retail Expansion Strategies