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The databases
THE PANEL OF DISTRIBUTORS: THE
REFERENCE ON THE CHANGES IN THE FRENCH ECONOMY
The IFM’s Economic Observatory carries out a monthly
survey with a panel of
distributors in order to measure the evolution of end-consumer’s
buying habits
in textiles, fashion and household furnishings.
The panel covers all of the distribution circuits : independent
retailers, specialized chain-stores, mass-market chain-stores,
department stores, popular retail outlets, mail order and hyper-markets.
The evolution in turnover in value and constant euros are checked
by range (men’s
ready-to-wear, men’s small items, men’s underwear,
women’s ready-to-wear,
women’s small items, women’s underwear, children’s
clothing and three textile
ranges : household linen, fabric by meter, haberdashery and
knitting wool). They are
calculated per constant retail surface in order to determine
the performance levels of
the distributors and neutralizing the square footage effect
(a higher turnover linked to
a greater retail surface or greater number of retail outlets).
The results are supplied,
either directly by the distributors or through the professional
organizations or
companies that run shopping malls. The analysis the of panel
of distributors appears
in a monthly publication, the Distri-Bilan
(The-state-of-retail) and the Distri-Flash
(Retail-flash).
THE CONSUMER
DATABASE:
the detail of consumer purchasing by product and brand
The IFM’s consumer database relies on repetitive surveys
carried out on samples
of the population that are renewed each month, enabling it to
collect detailed
data that covers the entire textile and garment market through
2 000 interviews per month. The fieldwork is carried out
by the market research firm Institut de Sondages Laviale (ISL).
The data collected is the sole property of the IFM.
The observations collected (60 000 per annum) reveal the
volumes and values
bought for around one hundred clothing and household textile
products (men,
women and children), the profile of the interviewee (age,
socio-professional class,
region), the brands, the distribution circuits and the price
ranges.
Using this database, the IFM carries out data extraction and
uses this for its economic
and marketing studies as well as the personalized services for
public sector
organizations, professional organizations and companies.
The international consumption/distribution
database :
the market data needed to support an export policy
The trends and structural changes in consumption in the main
Western markets (Europe, the U.S. and Japan) are supervised
by the Observatory though data proved by national statistic
organizations, Eurostat and market research companies. In order
to complete this quantitative information with qualitative
information on consumption, the IFM relies on its partnerships
with French economic institutions abroad, federations, private
organizations and/or international consultants. Thanks to its
network of European consultants, the Economic Observatory carries
out a monthly supervisory review of consumption in the bigger
European countries (Germany, The United Kingdom, Italy, Spain).
For the emerging countries where statistics and data gathering
are still in their infancy
(China, India…), the IFM’s Economic Observatory refers
to national statistics when
needed and relies on French economic institutions abroad and
the surveys of certain
international consulting firms. It then completes the study
with its own consumption
forecasts and estimates. The Economic Observatory also keeps
a close watch on information on the big European and American
brands : turnover, retail outlet network, brand policies…
The International trade database
:
permanent supervision of the changing situation in international
trade
The Observatory also supervises the textile and garment trade
for France and
European Union members abroad, by examining customs statistics.
These statistics
are available on several levels (textiles, woven garments, knitted
garments) and
according to a precise nomenclature that lists the different
articles.
For countries outside the European Union, the Observatory relies
on national customs
statistics (U.S.A., Japan, China, Mediterranean countries),
in addition to the WTO-
supplied statistics and the available international trade databases.
Industrial databases :
an overview of what’s on offer and the evolution in international
competition
The IFM’s Economic Observatory possesses a data base
that brings together a great number of indicators (production,
turnover, opinion surveys, market research etc.) on the textile
and fashion industry in all of the countries of the European
Union.
It also has at its disposal data on what's on offer in the
Paneuromed countries
(Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Romania) as well as the big emerging
countries such as India and China. This information is collated
and kept up to date according to the
needs of the economic and strategic surveys carried out by the
IFM.
In order to complete the IFM’s surveys on international
competition, the Economic
Observatory keeps up to date on :
• Investment in machinery
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
• Hourly labor costs
• The cost of raw materials
THE SURVEYS
Surveys among manufacturers, brands
and distributors (B to B)
The Surveys and Panels department regularly questions representative
samples of
manufacturers, designers and/or distributors who work in the
different worldwide
markets. These surveys are based on questionnaires that alternate
quantitative and
qualitative data with both open and closed questions.
The experts at the IFM have developed a high level of skill
in interviewing a panel of
200 distributors, brands and manufacturers representative of
European
production.
These surveys are handed over to specialists who know the inner
workings and
rhythms of the sector and are as such in a position to have
in-depth discussions with
the interviewee, the surveys can deal with annual results,
commercial policy, supply and stock strategy (zones and
purchasing calendars) as well as on the changes in consumption
habits. The results are consolidated and analyzed on the
quantitative and qualitative database of the Economic Observatory.
These surveys are carried out on request from companies, or
groups of companies, as
well as government on a European, national or regional level,
and then go on to enrich
the research work at the Institute as well as the IFM / MARKET RESEARCH AND CONSULTING
DEPARTMENT.
Qualitative consumer surveys
The Surveys and Panels department sets up and coordinates consumer
qualitative
surveys on an international level, supporting the forecasting
analytical work of IFM /
ECONOMIC TRENDS & FORECASTING and answering the demand of
the
consultants at IFM / MARKET RESEARCH AND CONSULTING.
The consumer surveys are structured around individual
in-depth interviews or through focus groups, the choice of the
data-gathering method depends on the country, the target consumers
and the themes of the survey.
These qualitative consumer surveys are fashion and textile-specific
in their
approach which makes the approach of the IFM differ in comparison
to the big
market research companies who specialize in mass-market consumer
products.
In order to do so, the surveys rely on one of the IFM’s
area of expertise : the
integration of the immaterial dimension in the analysis of the
offer/demand
relationship, and an understanding of the mechanisms that underlie
the
consumer’s attraction for fashion items. Finally, they
use the skills and academic
work of the Research Department of the IFM, notably in anthropology
and semiology.
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