Paola Sinisgalli

The Italian Apparel Market: New Production and Distribution Trends: Has Consumer Behavior Changed in Relation to the Production and Distribution Trends in the Italian Apparel Market? Paola Sinisgalli

This paper analyzes the way consumer behavior has changed in relation to the production and distribution trends of the Italian apparel market. Frequently literature concerning the Italian apparel market and, as a consequence, Italian fashion sustains that the whole sector of being in an economic and creative crisis. Is there really a crisis? What are the reasons that lie underneath this crisis? What kind of productive and distributive changes have occurred up to this present day in the Italian fashion sector? Have they affected consumer behavior? Are there new strategies that may be used to overcome the difficulties fashion companies have encountered? These themes were approached by utilizing a Consumer Culture Theory perspective which entailed the utilization of more sources to collect primary and secondary data. The emerging results of the research regard the existence of production-consumption cycles - generated by changes in productive and distributive trends - that characterize western society as well as rapid consumers' consumption tendencies.