INDIAN CLOTHING

Indian Clothing For Women in Killen Mall Texas

Acknowledgement

This research would not have been possible without the support of my research supervisor and family. So I would like to thank them for their utmost support throughout this research.

Declaration

I hereby take an oath that the content of this research is my own unaided work and it represent my personal ideas and not of the university. I also declare that this research has not been submitted earlier for any educational purpose.

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Abstract

India is emerging as one of the major players in global apparel sourcing to the U.S. in the post-quota era. There has been a steady year-to-year rise of approximately 13.3% in exports of garments from India. The main purpose for this paper is to determine the feasibility for introducing Indian women's clothing store in the Killen mall. The goal is to make it easier and more convenient for customers who desire this type of clothing and for Indian people who have relocated to Texas and who desire to purchase their traditional clothing.

Table of Contents

Chapter # 1: Introduction6

Background of the Study6

Problem statement7

Purpose of the Study8

Significance of the Study8

Chapter # 2: Literature Review11

India's Apparel Export Market11

Apparel Sourcing from India: Benefits and Challenges12

Concepts and Definitions of Fashion13

Functions of Dress15

Socio-cultural Aspects of Fashion18

Attributes Important to the Buyer-Supplier Relationship20

Chapter # 3: Methodology23

Research Design23

Literature Search23

Instrument for data collection24

Data Analysis24

Reliability/Dependability24

Validity26

Ethical Considerations27

Chapter # 4: Findings28

Results of Hypothesis Testing28

Hypothesis Testing28

Fashion Leadership Theory32

Chapter # 5: Discussion41

Indian clothing market41

Production Efficiency in the Indian Apparel Industry43

Market factors46

Conclusion and Recommendations47

References49

Chapter # 1: Introduction

Background of the Study

This study specifically focuses on the challenges faced by U.S. apparel industry buyers in building, maintaining, and strengthening their relationships with Indian suppliers. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, India is emerging as a major player in the global apparel sourcing to the U.S. in the post-quota era. In 2005, India ranked third in apparel exports to the U.S., increasing its exports to 34%. U.S. imports of apparel from India rose from 2.9 million USD in 2005 to 3.1 million USD in 2006, reflecting a growth of about 7% (Apparel Sourcing, 2008). A clear picture of U.S. apparel imports from India with respect to the three largest apparel related NAICS categories, Apparel and Accessories (NAICS 315), Men's and Boys' (NAICS 31522), and Women's and Girls' (NAICS 31523).

Several key factors have contributed to India's increased exports of apparel, including: 1) enormous sources of raw materials; 2) low labor costs; 3) skilled labor to produce high quality apparel; and 4) the ability to expand its capacity by adopting modern technology (Hines & Bruce, 2007). A short list of well known U.S. companies that source apparel from India includes Vans Inc., Nautica, VF Jeanswear, Old Navy, Gap Inc., and PVH. U.S. buyers working with Indian suppliers need to understand their culture and vice versa. Moreover, because they are located at such a large geographic distance from the U.S., Indian suppliers must consider cost, production lead time and product quality in a manner that can best meet their ...