An integrated SWOT-AHP-fuzzy TOPSIS approach for maturity management following the COVID-19 outbreak: lessons learned from fast fashion

Abstract

Purpose Focussing on issues that have impacted textiles, clothing and fast fashion following the COVID-19 outbreak, this study aims to identify agility factors pertinent to retail maturity management, mainly on resilience. These factors were then assessed based on priority. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis to identify the main factors. This analysis was integrated with the analytic hierarchy process to rank the internal and external factors. Then, the authors used fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution to evaluate the significant strategies from the SWOT analysis based on adaptability and flexibility. Thus, the authors produced a prioritised list of relevant factors and guidelines useful in practical settings. Findings The authors identified and ranked 14 agility and resilience SWOT factors for maturity management and proposed and prioritised six relevant strategies. These highlighted changes and adaptations must be undertaken by various actors, ranging from the supply/manufacturing side to global retail locations. Research limitations/implications The sampling study of experts is limited, and the application is focussed on one area. Future research might investigate other fields, for retail and industry. Practical implications The output of this study enables a better understanding of the internal and external factors of maturity management for fast-fashion retailers. Hence, it will further help them go through resilience and agility challenges following the pandemic. Originality/value This study significantly contributes to the literature because the results can guide retailers in developing effective decision-making systems for mature business operations following the pandemic outbreak. Here, the authors incorporate internal, external, agility and resilience aspects into one decision-making support system while enhancing existing knowledge on fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making applications. Further, this study discusses critical issues that have affected several aspects of the fashion and textile industry and will likely persist for some time.

Strategies to Improve Customer Experience: A Case of an Online Shopping Platform in Indonesia

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Enablers of post-COVID-19 customer demand resilience: evidence for fast-fashion MSMEs

“…Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, retail operations experienced a challenging period (Fares and Lloret, 2022). Unexpected disruptions led to the shutdown of several factories and businesses, sparking a recession in the commerce and industry sectors (Donthu and Gustafsson, 2020) and a significant bullwhip effect (Zighan, 2022).…”

Optimisation of multi‐tier supply chain distribution networks with corporate social responsibility concerns in fast‐fashion retail

“…First, future work can focus on sustainable supply chain management in the Industry 4.0 era (Mukhuty et al, 2022; Srivastava et al, 2022) given the digitalisation challenges (Jraisat et al, 2022; Sharma et al, 2022) and the emergence of circular economy (Agrawal et al, 2021; Jaeger & Upadhyay, 2020). Future research may investigate other case studies in which the applicability of these CSR aspects would be more comprehensive, especially following the pandemic (Fares & Lloret, 2022, 2023; Fares, Lloret, Kumar, Frederico, Kumar, et al, 2023).…”