Throughout 2005, the Product Development Unit, which was established in 2004,
continued consolidating its role of connecting the product, operations, and sales units.
This unit has the twofold objective of providing an ever better service to Benetton’s
traditional customers, the company’s global network of partners, and of generating more
direct contact with the market and the final consumer.
"We are working to provide the necessary creativity in the design of our collections, taking into account the demands of
rationalization and organization, so as to combine product innovation and planning in a quick and effective response to the needs
of the marketplace."
Walter Giuriato, head of the Product Development Unit
An improved rationalization of the collections, in particular, led to an average reduction in
the number of articles presented in 2005, thereby lowering dispersion, inefficiency, and
costs, while at the same time strengthening the identity and consistency of the various
brands.
In conjunction with this, and in order to complement the product offering and take advantage of as many opportunities for growth as possible, Benetton collections now include "nice price" articles, which are basic yet original and are inspired by the practical needs of day-to-day living. Product planning is also intended to constantly reduce the time it takes to restock the points of sale, in order to quickly reach the goal of offering with the base, flash, integrations and new fashion collections at least a new proposal every four weeks.
The continuative articles, which represent the very genetic makeup of each brand, are available throughout the year and at increasingly rapid resupply times: as low as seven days in Italy and 15 throughout the rest of the world.
In 2005, a merchandising plan was also created for each brand, which analyzes the sales performance of the various articles from the previous year and provides additional guidelines for planning and developing future collections.
"Benetton’s collections are constantly evolving, yet never lose their own identity. With innovative raw materials, colors that
are in touch with the times, and new, youthful shapes, we help stimulate the market by designing articles that always evoke
the history and tradition of our brands. From 2005, hanging garments made a decisive entry into the collections alongside our
casualwear, while knitwear was the focus of a special color project. The search for new materials has also led us to produce
articles made of bamboo viscose for Fall/Winter 2006, which provides a soft, natural feel and advanced ecological and antibacterial
characteristics. Benetton’s constant dedication to the quest for new materials and new designs has led us, for example,
to strengthen our relationship with Politecnico di Milano, particularly on a project, co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Education
and Research, to study and eliminate the peeling effect of wool and other fabrics. Another study, which we are developing with
Istituto di Nanotecnologie in Venice, involves the application of Nanotechnology in fabrics, which will lead to further innovation
in our collections."
Vincenzo Scognamiglio, UCB Chief Product Officer