Fast Fashion: Rapid Reactions and Development in a Market Leader

Fast fashion is a business model in the fashion industry where collections are designed quickly and according to current trends, then produced and sold at affordable prices. The term Fast Fashion itself highlights the high pace of work as the new standard in the industry.

Michaela Staykova, Employer Branding Specialist at LPP Fashion Bulgaria, the company that manages the Reserved, Cropp, House, MOHITO, and Sinsay brands, shares how this impacts the work environment and what challenges employers in the fashion retail sector are facing.

What are the characteristics of working in the fashion industry and how does the customer profile differ compared to other business sectors?

Working in the fashion industry meands an extremely dynamic lifestyle. Its, different and exciting, but it also provides unlimited opportunities for development and acquiring new knowledge in various fields of activity.

Over the years, the customer profile is constantly changing. The focus is no longer just on the price, but also on the quality, the type of product, and, of course, its looks. Shortly said, the customer is becoming more and more demanding.

If we used to encounter people for whom the place from which they will get the item they are looking for is irrelevant, today the purchase is tied to its recognition of the brand value. Impulsive purchases are increasingly being replaced by considered ones that depend on sustainable fashion. We believe that this is the trend not only in our sector but also in others. Organic and environmentally friendly products are becoming preferred and there is no compromise on quality - something we have believed in from the beginning.

What qualities do young people develop working in this industry and what are the advantages of choosing this career path?

The fashion retail sector is a calling and anyone who chooses this career path certainly carries within them a passion for fashion. But to thrive in the fashion industry requires qualities such as creativity, responsibility, dedication, and the thrive to succeed. Our role - as one of the market leaders - is to turn passion into knowledge and invest the time and resources to develop these qualities to help each of our employees believe in themselves and remember that they can always do more than they believe.

What are the main challenges you face related to the speed and urgency of the recruitment process in this fast-moving area and how do you deal with them?

The main challenge in the fashion industry labor market is the shortage of personnel ready to develop in the sector. Our company is growing extremely fast, the number of new stores opening is growing continuously and this leads to the need to recruit new colleagues at a pace that is challenging for any employer.

Our commitment as an employer is to show our potential and current talent that we are a responsible company that puts its employees' well-being first. We continuously strive to optimize and automate our processes and provide an additional workforce to cover the demand of each of our locations.

Thanks to our established long-term development strategy, we can coordinate the recruitment process, part of which is the already established partnership with Manpower.