As an industry leader when it comes to rolling out omnichannel offerings , Abercrombie was no stranger to the challenges of such an initiative , and was able to draw on its experience to identify the optimum service for its customers . “ It ’ s a fairly noisy market in terms of same-day delivery service providers ,” he continues . “ We wanted to make sure that we had the flexibility to plug-in-andplay based on what ’ s best for our customers in a certain market . To achieve that , we engaged a middleware software provider that gave us that flexibility . Then , we were able to update our operating protocols throughout our stores and select the right same-day courier for each market .”

Turning to the future of the fashion industry , one idea above all is set to shape the years ahead : sustainability . More than just a buzzword , however – it ’ s a concept that Abercrombie has embedded throughout its operations for more than two decades , with the view to reducing its environmental impact . In 2019 , the company entered into the United Nations Global Compact , the world ’ s largest corporate citizenship and sustainability initiative , and with that , announced a series of sustainability targets for 2025 . These include the responsible sourcing of materials , a water consumption reduction of 30 percent in the production of its denim by 2022 , and a pledge to collaborate with vendor partners on training programs , including human trafficking prevention and health and wellbeing .

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