At the end of November, a workshop themed on digitalization of fashion supply chain, co-hosted by Prologis China and the Apparel Logistics Branch under China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (hereinafter as “CFLP”) , was held in Beijing. This event brought together representatives from dozens of experts from the fashion industry to delve into the digitalization of logistics and supply chain in the industry, exploring the trend of the fashion supply chain in the context of omni-channels.
In his speech, Mr. Zuo Xinyu, Secretary General of CFLP Apparel Logistics Branch, pointed out that , manufacturers need to adjust their product and inventory strategies promptly in response to changes in channels and order quantity. He stressed the importance of a smart warehouse in facilitating inventory management and order processing. It’s a big challenge to package different SKUs, within the limited storage space, to meet the huge demand of fragmented orders.
Jackie Zhang, Director of Global Customer Led Solutions and Business Development at Prologis China, shared Prologis’ practice in serving customers in the fashion sector. He mentioned that Prologis has so far managed assets totaling 114 million square meters across the world, serving celebrated fashion footwear and apparel brands. Thanks to expertise in design, Prologis’ warehouses with best-in-class flooring, heat insulation and ventilation facilities provide both standard and built-to-suit solutions. According to Jackie, China’s fashion industry has entered a new stage of competition with the increasing adoption of robotics and automation. As manual operations decrease in the future warehouses, operational efficiency is expected to continually improve.
Neil Zhao, Deputy Leasing Director of North Region at Prologis China, provided participants with an overview of Prologis’ milestones and the current business development in the Chinese market. He also shared several cases of fashion brands that Prologis has been serving. He noted that as the global leader of modern logistics facilities, Prologis has been deeply involved in the Chinese market for years. It has established an extensive logistics infrastructure network covering key logistics hubs, including major airports, seaports and expressways. Leveraging its global network, professional asset management and innovative solutions, Prologis aims to offer resilient solutions to customers in the fashion industry to meet customers’ demands for automated and intelligent operations. These solutions support them to serve end consumers more efficiently, and empower their sustainable development.
He mentioned that the ANTA Group’s regional distribution center at Prologis Zhengzhou Airport Logistics Center has been put into operation in May. The project adheres to Prologis’ state-of-the-art logistics design and construction standards, aligning with ANTA’s specifications for automatic shelves and AGVs. This greatly enhances the efficiency of its operations, standing as a notable achievement within ANTA’s consumer-oriented digital logistics strategy.
Prologis Zhengzhou Airport Logistics Center
In the panel discussion, representatives from well-known apparel companies shared insights on new trends in apparel logistics and supply chain. They discussed the latest changes in this sector, elaborated on the strategy and optimization of logistics network in the trend of diversified channels. They also shared their own practices in digital intelligence when facing the trend of channel diversification, while envisioning the future intelligent, digitalized and green apparel supply chain.
Prologis Shanghai Qingpu Distribution Center
Prologis has always been deeply attuned to the changes and trends in its customers’ industries, and committed to providing high-quality services to customers through its warehousing solutions driven by innovation. In the integration of omni-channel inventories, optimized inventory is crucial for the fashion brands as supply chain fulfillment shifts to multi-channel and centralized management. Based on system and data, upgrading of smart and automatic equipment in warehousing facilities are imperative, which ensures the capability to meet demands from multi-channels and to serve the markets and consumers effectively.
Jackie concluded that Prologis has been exploring intelligent management system and optimized warehousing solutions to meet the fashion industry’s demands for smart and automatic upgrade in the future. Meanwhile, Prologis also integrates sustainability in the design, construction and operation, to support customers on saving cost and improving efficiency.