E-COMMERCE ON CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN UK

  PART I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

With the computer inventions, we can say that we attained the modern one and
the manner in advance of life. The computer is the gadget humans the most
reliable and most effective ones invented. The innovations in the computer
technology touched all the fields of life. The growth and the quick changes in
data processing influenced the matter world. The birth of commerce or
electronic e-business had brought the big wave of changes in the matter
transactions. (2006) defines commerce or electronic e-business as a process
that includes the purchase and the sale, or the distribution of products or the
services by the electronic systems as the Internet and other data processing
the network. This is an electronic application of aimed matters in to do the
commercial transactions. "The electronic commerce is the information
exchange through the electronic networks, to any step in the provision chain,
if in an organization, between the businesses, between the businesses and the
consumers, or between the public and the private sectors, if paid or unpaid

According to (1999) this technology Internet Based, allow the online application to integrate
several professional events as the accounting, the bank operations, the finance, the direction
and the administrative check, the direction of chain of provision, selling direction to the
chain, the system of reception of data, marketing, and also the funds transfer. The
transactions are let technology of electronic communications use as the data basis, the e-
livres, the e-mail, extranets, Internet, and even with the portable telephones. Before the
electronic commercial transactions are done the Given usages Electroniques Echangent. In
this process advertising informs as the purchase bills (the commercial document that indicates
the quantities and the prices of the products or the services, of ordinary distributed one by a
Buyer to a Salesman) or the bills are send electronically. Later on, the "the commerce Web"
was developed. In the commerce Web, the goods and services

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM      

         Most companies in UK have transformed their businesses to enable them for e-
commerce. Now e-commerce is becoming the hearth of textile and clothing
industries in UK.  (2001) reported that UK clothing manufacturing sector is now
experiencing an increasing international competition unlike with the fashion design
and branded clothing sector that are performing comparatively strong. In the
summary of the report, the clothing industry is facing major problems with the
competition from firms in different countries and changing customer needs. For
fashion design and branded clothing company’s competition from abroad is less
threatening compared to the issue on changing customer needs and difficulty
accessing capital. Manufacturers are looking to transfer their production facilities
abroad where labor costs are much lower due to the increasing competition from low
priced imports. In relation to this, the study then intends to delve with the following
questions:

1)     What are the potential impacts of e-commerce on the different sector of UK

clothing industry?

2)      What are the present problems and challenges facing UK clothing industry
with the use of e-commerce?

3)      What are possible solutions to overcome the limitations of e-commerce on

clothing industry?

4)       What are the assistances provided by UK government to help resolve the

issues on clothing industry?

GOALS

     Several studies in the past had acknowledged that UK had all the advantages
that favor the development of e-commerce. This is because it has a liberalized and
competitive telecommunications market. However, there have been limited studies
which proven the benefits of e-commerce on UK clothing industry. Thus, this study
will identify the specific effects of e-commerce on clothing industry. The descriptive
research design will be used to attain the ultimate goals of this study. This study also
aims to prove the following:

1)     E-commerce has positive and negative effects on UK clothing industry.

2)     UK clothing industry is experiencing problems with the use of e-commerce.

3)     There are solutions to overcome the limitations of e-commerce on clothing

industry.

4)     The UK government is providing assistance to help clothing industry to

surpass their challenges concerning e-commerce.

OBJECTIVES

        

         As the guide for the researcher, the following objectives for this study has been
laid down:       

1.      This study will identify the impact of e-commerce on UK clothing industry. This

objective will be achieved through a descriptive research design. The results will
be derived from the initial and post interviews.

2.      This study will examine the problems and challenges facing UK clothing

industry with the use of e-commerce.  This aim will be achieved through the data
gathered from the interviews and surveys. In order to guide the researcher with
the interview process, a structured interview schedule will be prepared.

3.      This study will determine the possible solutions to overcome the limitations of e-

commerce on clothing industry. The data that will help attain this objective will be
based on the interview.  

4.      This study will also discuss the assistance of UK government to clothing

industry that helps resolve the issues on e-commerce.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

      

         This study was narrowed down to four aspects due to time constraints. First,
the impact of e-commerce on UK clothing industry. This study will focus on the three
clothing sector namely: fashion design and branded clothing, knitwear and made to
order clothing. Second, the problems encountered by UK clothing industry
concerning e-commerce. Third, the possible solutions to overcome the limitations of
e-commerce on clothing industry. Lastly, the different assistance provided by the UK
government to clothing industry that helps resolve the issues on e-commerce. This
study will not attempt to compare the status of e-commerce on clothing industry in
different countries in the world. 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

         The clothing industry in UK is facing a tight competition in the international

market. To stay ahead of the competition a better understanding on e-commerce has
to be provided. This study will promote a greater awareness and understanding of
the impact and potential of e-commerce on clothing industry. Encourage the sector
to innovate e-commerce to improve their competitiveness in the market. In addition,
this will increase the awareness of the companies to transform the sector for e-
commerce. Furthermore, this study will provide them ways to reduce the
development and maintenance costs for e-commerce solutions. This study will
challenge the government to improve e-commerce awareness by educating and
training the companies in the industry. This will also promote the take-up of e-
commerce technologies in schools.     

PART II

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

         In this study, the researcher will be using descriptive method. Descriptive
method seeks to describe systematically a situation or area of interest factually and
accurately. The impact of e-commerce on UK clothing industry will be taken into
account. Desk research will also be used to understand the problems affecting the
UK clothing industry and in its different sector. Interviews with trade associations and
sector companies will also be conducted for a wider understanding of their use of e-
commerce. Finally, a telephone survey to companies, costumers and suppliers
engage in clothing industry will be planned to be taken.   

         The evaluation of materials will include the determination of the sources of
information. It is convenient to think that information is classified into primary sources
or the firsthand and the secondary sources. Primary sources are documents in
which the individual describing the event was present when it occurred. Secondary
sources are documents in which the individual describing the event but obtained his
description from someone else that may or may not have been a direct observer.
Analysis of the documents will carry out the external and internal criticism of each
document. External criticism is concerned primarily with questions related to
whether or not the source is genuine. Internal criticism involves evaluating the
probable accuracy of the statements obtained in the document.

PART III

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

         The data gathered from the research, interviews, and survey will be subjected
to analysis. The analysis will be characterized by descriptive and comparative
approaches. Qualitative data that will be gathered from the research and interviews
will be presented in text formats. The summary of the data from the survey will be
converted to percentages and presented in graphs.