How fast is that fashion?

Sign on the wall of the second floor of H&M, Pacific Centre Mall, Vancouver, BC

H&M, like Zara, is in the business of "fast fashion". If you see something in the store today, and you like it, then you'd better buy it. The fast fashion retailers tend not to repeat any orders and once something sells out it is, as the sign above says, "gone forever".

For a retailer this is a risky, but potentially rewarding strategy. You are not stuck with racks of stuff that you need to mark down when the fashion changes, and you have the flexibility to take advantage of short-term opportunities. (According to one article I read, Zara can go from drawing board to retail store in two weeks. While Zara can do this due to its vertical integration in Europe, H&M takes a bit longer due to its reliance on Asian manufacturers.)

The challenge is when you are on a hot trend. How do you capitalize on the success you achieve with a popular product? Most of these retailer produce revised or updated versions to maximize their potential revenue, while avoiding filling the stores with the "same old stuff".

But the important lesson for the consumer is; here today, gone tomorrow.