Abstract
Tailoring business, although facing a fierce competition from the rapidly grown ready-made clothing stores, are still continuing a slow but steady growth. Ferdous Custom Made Tailors Fabrics Fashions (hereinafter referred to as Ferdous Tailors) is a privately owned custom made tailoring chain-shop in Bangladesh. It has been successfully operating and designing bespoke clothing since its inception more than three decades ago. This case study identifies the business nature and strategies of Ferdous Tailors, their growth, current competitors, and challenges they are facing to ensure a sustainable business practice. It had several competitive advantages that resulted in an exponential trajectory of growth, but gradually it slowed down for the big challenges it is currently facing. The case further demonstrates that even though Ferdous Tailors was a pioneer in this business, success is extremely hard to sustain unless the focus is not given on where it plans to go and how it will go there. Without assessing the present market competitiveness and implementing appropriate business strategies, it is less likely for Ferdous Tailors to continue a sustainable business practice. Hence, it has become a matter of concern whether the ‘golden days’ of Ferdous Tailors is fading away or yet to come.
If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor. Albert Einstein
Introduction
Fashion is a global phenomenon which is supported by shifts in the organisation of garment production across the world as well as by the vast economic significance of garment production in world trade (Hansen, 2004). Since the last decade, fashion design and fashion industry have severely undermined the traditional system of intrinsic fashion design, in which creativity emerges from small-scale businesses in developing countries (Azuma & Fernie, 2003). Tailoring is an integral part of the fashion industry. The knowledge and art of tailoring, of cutting and sewing cloth developed slowly and gradually in Europe between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries (Boyer, 1996). With the attempt of a formal and elegant representation of the high-class individuals in the society, there has been tremendous innovation in the past in the art of tailoring. Innovative new fabric technology has historically produced more comfortable clothes; fashions have adapted to more leisurely, climate-controlled lifestyles. However, tailoring is still, and is likely to remain so, an art to represent the gentlemen class of the society. Tailoring is still believed to be making personalised clothing statements of fashion for the individual, as it always had done (Boyer, 1996). ‘The way you dress is the way you’re regarded’ is reflected in all the societies of the world. As Ugolini (2003, p. 192) stated,
interested and well-informed male consumers generally preferred to buy bespoke suits: while usually more expensive than their ready-made counterparts, these were also perceived to be better quality, better looking, and better value, and therefore most likely to enhance the wearer’s sense of self-worth as a manly, discerning and successful consumer.
According to Graydon Carter, ‘Tailors have a vast supply of fabrics, buttons and thread at their disposal and put it together to make a whole’ (quoted in wordpress.com). Tailored wear appeals to this generation and the next as it is the ultimate symbol of distinctiveness and elegance. In most of the cases, custom-made tailoring is more expensive than readymade clothing; the fabrics and sewing cost are different and fabrics vary to satisfy people’s taste and ability.
Customers’ attitude is changing in the present scenario, with the rise of tailoring costs and comparatively less costs of branded outfits; they are increasingly being attracted towards readymade clothing (Rajput, Kesharwani & Khanna, 2012). Over a decade ago, Powell (2003) stated how traditional high-end menswear was lagging behind the new technology utilised by the seamless Italian knitwear companies in manufacture and the retail environment. It stressed that although Savile Row ‘bespoke’ was still considered the ultimate in customised craftsmanship products ‘…the lifestyle and references of the future may demand a different style of customisation...’. Consumers of all ages are looking for streamlined silhouettes with a youthful appearance created by garments that fit and flatter the body. However, there are differences between ‘made-to-measure’ (MtM) and ‘bespoke’ tailoring. In MtM, the suit is cut from a standard pattern and amended to fit the contours of the individual (Walker, 1998). The fit of an MtM garment is expected to be superior to that of a readymade garment because readymade apparels are made to fit the manufacturer’s definition of an average customer, while MtM apparels are made to fit each customer individually. Although MtM was made popular in the early 1900s by Montague Burton, who developed an emporium of high-street tailoring services for the mass market in the UK, MtM apparels are still seen by many to involve less workmanship than bespoke apparels. MtM items always involve some form of standardisation in the patterning and manufacturing processes, whereas a bespoke garment is made entirely from scratch based on a customer’s specification (Ugolini, 2003). Typically, an MtM garment is more expensive than a readymade garment but cheaper than bespoke clothing.
The Tailoring Business
‘Bangladeshi people preferred dresses stitched by local tailors catering exclusively to local demands’ (Ahmed et al., 2014, p. 127). In Bangladesh, half of this industry revenue is generated during winter (Saha, 2014). November–February is one of the peak seasons for tailors as a large number of customers place orders for winter clothes, such as suits and blazers. People tend to make fewer clothes during summer as the clothing during summer is a bit different. The peak season again starts from the beginning of the winter season. During winter, the orders for suits primarily are higher, and so the profits from the suit making are also higher. The peak season is also considered during the cultural festivals. Bangladeshi people usually buy new clothes during Eid and Puja festivals, which creates a busy time for the tailors.
Around 200,000 people are directly and indirectly employed in the tailoring shops across the country, according to Abul Kalam Azad, the president of Bangladesh Dress Makers’ Association (BDMA). Custom-made tailoring involves several things to ensure the making of good-quality apparel. The typical materials that are needed to finish a formal wear are fabrics, collars, cottons, buttons, shoulder straps, zippers, etc. and then the measurement of the wearers to fix the length, width, etc. These tailors usually start the stitching process after they receive orders from customers.
In contrast, readymade shops produce the same products in different sizes, colours and numbers which helps them to reduce their manufacturing overhead price. There are many local brand stores such as Cats Eye, Monsoon Rain, Ecstasy, Westecs, Seal, Menz Club, Rich Man, Trendz, Plus Point, Infinity, Pretex and more (Islam, Khadem & Sayem, 2012). In recent years, custom-made tailoring business has been countering loss due to the substitute readymade brand shops, because customers are more captivated by those brand stores. These retailers make and sell readymade formal sleeve shirts, pants, trousers, blazers and suits for different occasions. Customers can avail suits and clothing from these readymade stores by spending minimum time and giving minimum effort, whereas to prepare the clothing as per the customers’ order, custom-made tailoring shops take longer time to manufacture the clothing. Similarly, the readymade retail shops offer tailoring products within a cheap price range compared to custom-made tailors. This is one of the biggest opportunity for the readymade brand shops to compete with the traditional custom-made tailoring shops. Even if the quality is not the concern, the price difference is immense between a readymade garment and a custom-made garment. In this scenario, readymade shops are a step ahead of the custom-made tailoring shops in making profit. This situation is becoming a distressing factor for the custom-made tailors, as they are losing hope to carry on their business. Although the readymade retail stores offer a variety of products in different price ranges and sizes, the readymade dresses on most occasions do not ensure the desired comfort level and the aesthetic pleasure to many. These clothing are sized as per the general measurements based on the manufacturer’s size definition of an average customer, and people have to adjust themselves within that particular measurement. Not only the fabric is well guaranteed but the quality of ready-made clothing also varies a lot in a broader sense. Whereas in the custom-made tailoring shops, high aesthetic satisfaction is gained in terms of product customisation and wearer’s comfort.
Journey of a Tailoring House
Mr Ferdous Ali Khan is the founder of ‘Ferdous Tailors’—a custom-made tailoring shop in Dhaka, Bangladesh. To gain expertise in tailoring, Mr Khan started his career as a maker in a tailoring factory in Dhaka in 1972. He continued this job as a cutting master till 1980. In 1980, he started his own tailoring shop at Mirpur, Dhaka. With his dedication and seamless efforts, he gained a good reputation as one of the best tailoring shops in the capital. In September 1986, he opened the second branch at Gulshan. Afterwards, he opened another branch in Chittagong. Currently, Ferdous Tailors has six showrooms operating in the country. To satisfy the growing need of the customers and to ensure better quality, it has recently set up a factory occupying 12,000 square feet of floor area, fully equipped with modern machineries, particularly for making high-standard suits and trousers. In recent times, it has reached an efficiency level where the shops can satisfy all types of customer preferences with the use of the most modern machinery. Right now, Ferdous Tailors is maintaining a lead in the custom-made tailoring market in Bangladesh alongside, competitive rivalry with other competitors. In addition to their advanced machinery, Ferdous Tailors possesses expert machine operators, cutting masters, makers and computer operators, and thus employs around 400 people. The company has also adopted a digital database system to keep a record of the customer records, taking orders and placing the orders in the factory.
Materials inside Tailoring
Whether the finished product is a shirt or a trouser or a suit, in order to make it as per the customer’s need and specification, a lot of materials are needed to prepare it. Especially to make a suit, a number of materials are used for the clothing. The fabric is the simplest thing which comes in different quality, colours and comfort; though the appearance might be the same in different readymade shops or custom-made tailors, the materials inside the finished suit varies greatly from tailor to tailor. The inside materials used in different shirtings actually differ in production cost and the quality. A suit made with the finest materials certainly costs higher than the one made withcheaper materials. This is a distinguished feature that differentiates a readymade suit from a tailor-made suit; however, there are many customers these days who do not understand this. Therefore, the custom-made tailoring industry in the country is getting affected by the fierce competition. There is something about a fitted suit that brings out the best in a man: confidence, debonair and class. A well-tailored suit brings instant attention. The colour and weight of the fabric, the cut, the buttons, the lapels and pockets, each and every feature of a well-tailored suit receives countless gazes. These are generally the front features of a suit that are seen. Yet, there is another part to a man’s suit which does not receive as much attention, which is the interior lining. The lining is an important part to the jacket—structurally and fashionably. The interior lining and stitching in the jacket add structure and weight to the overall suit of the wearer.
Product Quality
Sewing can be identified as a skill that has a very significant importance in today’s modern society. Since it is the key factor of fashion or creation of any type of clothing, the benefits of possessing good sewing skills can be considered a godsend. From patching up a dress to designing and creating new fashion clothing, sewing can be identified as a key element for a promising home-based business venture. Many changes took place in the beautification and other stuffs. One thing that remained unchanged till today is the quality. Ferdous Tailors is a business which believes in tradition and quality. It has been maintaining the skilled workforce for high-quality cutting and making clothes since their establishment. Anecdotal evidence shows that with many other competitors in the industry, it has gained a place among one of the top three custom-made tailors of Bangladesh. As mentioned earlier, in this particular industry there is business seasonality which recurs in every calendar year, especially in the seasonal period during winter and Eid occasions. During the 1980s, the business was very flourishing, as readymade garments and other substitutes were not available during that era. It was more of a common trend among the people to visit tailor shops to get new clothes and the tailoring business was therefore well off. But now, even though the overall tailoring industry is facing stiff competition, Ferdous Tailors is still able to hold the same profitable platform as before. New additions in fabric line, newer fashionable materials, etc. are also in place to fulfil the current demands of the customers. Though fabric production is a diverse industry and fabric is something apart from the tailoring business, custom-made tailors’ main job is to cut and stitch the clothes. Bangladeshi market is advantaged with the Indian fabrics market and big clothing brands, such as Raymond, Reid & Taylor, etc.
Market Segments and Customers
According to Azuma and Fernie (2003), in fashion context, the climate has been of vital importance in forming a convenient dress style for a given region. Woollen and synthetic garments are less preferred during the winter season as it does not get too cold in Bangladesh. Apart from the custom tailoring, the industry is also classified in fabrics trading business. The tailoring shops not only cut and make clothes; they also provide customers a wide range of fabrics to choose from for their clothes.
Ferdous Tailors is mainly a gent’s custom-made tailor shop which is holding the market for the established and affluent people 2 of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, 7 percent of the population with purchasing power translates into roughly 11 million people who are “middle and affluent consumers” (MAC) – these consumers are seen as confident, with an expectation of seeing their incomes increase positively in coming years. Two particular income segments established and affluent comprise Bangladesh’s MAC population, because they have attained the purchasing power to buy a broad variety of consumer goods and services and have acquired middle and affluent consumers’ purchasing traits, such as buying goods and services that offer convenience and luxury in addition to basic necessities (BCG Perspectives, 2015). As Ferdous Tailors offers only formal full-sleeve shirts, trousers and suits, the main targeted people are those who do not wear denim or informal attire. It also varies because people wear formal clothing in social gatherings, parties or in any special programs. Dress sense also matters in this area, as not everybody is comfortable in a T-shirt or other informal wear. Nowadays, many people like to wear custom-made shirts of their choice which may not be found in appropriate size in the branded readymade shops. So, it is an observable trend among the people that they buy clothes as per their choice from different clothing stores and then visit the custom-made tailor shops to make the shirt or trouser as per their specification. The people usually belong to the elite group of the society—people who are actively involved in different professions or the people who choose to adopt a formal attire for their everyday gatherings. For example, government service holders, academics, bankers, engineers, doctors, etc. generally are the groups of people who usually dress in formal clothing. They are the main customer groups of Ferdous Tailors. One special group is the predetermined customers of their business—the groom and his companions. Sherwani or Prince Coat or formal suit is the dress this particular group seeks. Ferdous Tailors provides good service to this group by providing them a range of choice in fabrics, colours and designs.
Suppliers
Ferdous Tailors offers a huge and exclusive collection of shirting, suiting of different fabrics, patterns, prices and excellent quality to all customers. It assures to satisfy customer choice by making the desired clothes with top-class fabrics available in its stores. For attractive suit and shirt making, the choice of classic fabric is very important. Ferdous Tailors keeps a stock of a wide range of high-class fabrics in all its showrooms. Their tailors cut, stitch and prepare the shirts or trousers or suits. The elements to make these products require the fabric, the cottons, the linens, the buttons, the labels, etc. These materials are supplied from third parties. The fabrics are collected mainly from India and China, and then from Indonesia, Thailand and Pakistan markets. The other materials are acquired from the local wholesale markets of the country. There are many different types of buttons of different colours and patterns for shirts, trousers and suits. The other materials and packaging solutions are taken care of by the suppliers.
The Key Competitors
In Bangladesh, there are more than 35,000 custom-made tailor shops which earn nearly BDT 1,000 million (USD 128 million) a year in this ‘cutting and making’ business (Saha, 2014). Of the total stores, there are some 1,500 popular tailoring shops that are making high-quality attires and maintaining standards. There are many other tailors who have established themselves in recent times, but in the competition for good name and good quality, Ferdous Tailors is considered as one of the leaders in the business. Basically, those new tailors are far more distant in terms of quality and other areas of expertise. In the national level or the regional level, the sector faces fierce competition with the readymade garments and branded shops. A brief description of some of the renowned tailors are highlighted here:
Top Ten Fabrics & Tailors
Top Ten Fabrics & Tailors was established in 1992 to meet the demand of a more sophisticated and fashion-conscious people. From the beginning, Top Ten Fabrics & Tailors has continuously earned good reputation through hard work and honesty and is consistently maintaining the loyalty of its valued customers by providing uncompromising quality and up-to-date fashion suiting. It has its branches in all the renowned places of the capital Dhaka city.
Top Ten Fabrics & Tailors has been customer oriented right from the beginning. It has always taken great care to build excellent customer experience and has ensured that it remains contemporary and fresh to its customers. It has been specialising in professional alterations and custom-made clothes and has experienced tailors who have over 20 years of experience to serve every need of their customers. It can create and deliver any style of garments according to its customers’ needs. It offers an extensive line of material from all over the world and also offers good-quality clothing materials. Its advanced fashion knowledge helps it to make perfect cloth fittings for its customers. Top Ten never compromises with its quality, although it believes that quality always comes with a price. Therefore, in terms of quality and finishing services, this organisation is distinguishable and beyond the ordinary level.
Sunmoon Tailors (Pvt.) Ltd
People today have become more sophisticated and fashion-conscious in order to keep pace with the change over time. Sunmoon Tailors (Pvt.) Ltd was established in 1982, and since then it has been able to maintain the loyalty of its valued customers by providing the newest fashionable suiting in uncompromising quality. The shop always runs ahead of its competitors to adopt the most recent changes that take place in the tailoring sector over the world and thereby provides the customers with excellent service. Sunmoon Tailors usually receives 20–25 orders a day to stitch suits and blazers, 30–40 shirts, 25–35 pants during the winter season (Saha, 2014). It has 10 outlets across the country. Sunmoon Tailors today is a pioneer in the tailoring industry in Bangladesh and expects to sustain the position in future. Within few years of its inception, Sunmoon Tailors became popular among the people of Bangladesh because of the trendy tailor-made costumes for the people. Its recent introduction of the readymade garments’ section allows more options for customers with different taste and preference. In its readymade section, it sells complete suits, coats/blazers, half-and full-sleeve shirts, T-shirts, ties and jeans. This has helped the shop gain popularity and made it one of the most prominent service providers of the industry. It is Sunmoon which brought the latest fusing technology in the tailoring sector in Bangladesh for the first time (Sunmoon Tailors, 2014). It always ensures that suits and clothes are made with high-quality materials. Recently, it has been recognised as a pioneer in adopting the recent fusing technology in the tailoring sector of Bangladesh. The new trend in tailored clothing has helped it earn such a place in this industry. Although it started its journey with a small shop in 1982, today it has a total of 12 branches all over Bangladesh. Since its inception, it has successfully adopted many innovations that are taking place in the tailoring sector all over the world. Its main factory is located in Lalbagh (old Dhaka) and approximately 400 workers are employed there to meet the increasing demand of its valued customers. Sunmoon Tailors (Pvt.) Ltd is continuously striving to improve its quality and timely service, and thereby expand its customers’ loyalty base. It never compromises with the quality, although it believes that quality always comes a price. For uncompromising quality and on-time service, Sunmoon Tailors has received awards and honours several times. Because Sunmoon Tailors has earned such fame, it is always concerned about providing incomparable service and facilities to its valued customers.
The Raymond Shop
The Raymond Shop is a premium retail store offering complete wardrobe solutions for men. It offers a range of fine fabrics for suits, jackets, trousers, shirts, etc. It also offers ‘made to measure’—a unique offering for a perfect comfort fit. It has contemporary range of readymades from Park Avenue, stylish casual wear for occasions beyond work from Parx, smart casuals from Colour Plus and luxury formals from Manzoni. The Raymond Shop offers over 3,000 qualities, shades and designs of Raymond fabric to its customers (Raymond, 2016). All these make it an ideal destination for anyone to look good and feel great. The Raymond Shop’s prime five values tightly woven into an organised whole are trust, excellence, quality, leadership and service (Raymond, 2016). The Raymond Shop network makes it possible to develop into the largest retail store in the country having more than 700 stores in prime locations, in more than 200 cities in India. Though a foreign tailor company, it has successfully created a big brand image in the Bangladeshi tailoring sector. The Raymond Shop customers walk into the shop confident of finding merchandise for all occasions, whether it is for office, party, travel or just casual weekend wear (Raymond, 2016).
The Raymond Shop offers fully finished products and they are enriched with not only the volume of the product but also its quality. In Bangladesh, they have ten branches. It makes it possible for today’s fashion-conscious and discerning young professionals to look smart at an affordable price, with exceptional fits, styling and colour range.
Fit Elegance
Creating brand image and keeping up to date with fashion and style market involves in-depth thinking of idea and creation. For the first time, Fit Elegance was introduced in Bangladesh market as a brand name for trousers, suits and blazers. In a short period of time, it has been able to establish itself as a prominent brand name in the country. Fit Elegance was born as a brand in Bangladesh back in 2001. They started off with their first flagship brand in Tejgaon, in the centre of Dhaka city. Currently, they have six exclusive outlets in Dhaka and one showroom in Chittagong.
Fit Elegance-branded tailored products are designed exclusively for local market while keeping in mind the international trend, fabrication and taste. They not only produce tailored suits but also have the capability to produce high-end half-canvas jackets. This get-up offers the complete ‘tailored’ look with 18–20 rows of blind stitch on the lapels, guaranteeing a roll on the lapel, which is unmatched. The jackets are totally hand sewn to complete the tailored look.
Manufacturing capabilities of Fit Elegance are state of the art. The company as a brand has supreme fabric sponging equipment which ensures the highest level of fabric consistency and relaxation, which is essential for new-age fabrics such as Super 120s, 130s and Lycra blends. Fit Elegance takes about 3 weeks to deliver orders. The cutting room is equipped with the latest generation fabric spreading and cutting machines from Gerber. This combined with the fabric pinning system from Vieth, Germany ensures the best matching standards on checks and stripe fabrics. In addition to all these, ‘Siro Set’ is another specialty available at the plant. Computerised presses and drying chambers ensure consistency of their products. This technology, developed and perfected in Japan, is designed to impart a permanent finish to jacket seams and tailor creases on trousers made from pure wool fabrics. Automated sewing workstations are from Durkopp Adler, Pfaff and Strobel, ensuring the consistent steam quality in the assembly line. The manufacturing processes are largely conveyorised to ensure the seamless flow of garment components to the assembly and thereon to the warehouse. Stringent quality control at every stage of the process ensures that each garment produced compares to international standards.
Century Tailor
Century, commonly referred to as multi-coloured Maple Leaf logo tailors, is a fashion house founded in 1997 in Bangladesh. The label’s multi-coloured Maple Leaf logo appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury suits to ready-to-wear apparel. Century is one of the most valuable Bangladeshi fashion tailor houses which sells its products through stand-alone boutiques, lease departments in high-end department stores and recently, through many e-commerce portals. Century is also one of the most counterfeited brands in corporate Bangladesh due to its image as a status symbol. Their collection is distinctive due to the exciting range of twist suiting and jacketing sets the standards that others aspire to reach. With a heritage of over 20 years, Century is the acknowledged home to some of the finest tailors in Bangladesh, whose practices and traditions are protected by the Century Association. They are renowned for their unequalled craftsmanship, quality, expertise and exceptional attention to detail in the construction of handmade men’s suits. In all the variations of design, cut and cloth, a Century suit always has that aesthetic appeal which guarantees a gentleman’s elegance; as they mention ‘a garment cut by an individual, for an individual’. A genuinely custom-made suit may take up to several weeks from measuring to final fitting, but the superiority of the finished product makes it worth the wait.
Working alongside its long-standing women division, Century aims to support and maintain the pre-eminence of women’s, not only by servicing the men counterpart of established customers, but also by attracting a new generation of women by its modern, open approach and attractive designing and pricing structure.
Century operates with the conviction that high-end bespoke tailoring should be accessible to all. Their suits offer a modern British cut, which are made using age-old hand tailoring techniques and are delivered with a personal touch. They do not overcomplicate things, operating from intimate premises in Century, with their trained tailors, cutters and finishers. They usually offer three grades of tailored suits: machine stitched, half hand-stitched and fully hand-stitched. All of the suits start with pattern creation, done by hand and retained for all future orders.
Competitive Advantage and Pricing Strategy
Ferdous Tailors successfully achieved goodwill from its first generation. The workers and especially the master cutters were trained by experts. Still upholding the same quality of sewing is the main reason for Ferdous Tailors’ success. Also, the good reputation of the owner and the business itself is another reason behind its accomplishments. Another big reason for its success is the fabric it offers according to customer preference. The quality and price of the fabric satisfies the customers more than any other custom tailors with fabrics or clothing stores. Moreover, Ferdous Tailors understands the local market, utilizing relationship with its customers. As Ferdous Tailors is a conventional and a reliable name in tailoring, the pricing is a bit higher than the other tailors in the industry. For the high pricing, it provides the best quality of goods than any other competitors in the industry.
Pricing is a big factor in this sector. It varies with the quality along with the brand value. The pricing of Ferdous Tailors has maintained a rank through its offerings. A readymade shirt generally costs BDT 800–1500 at a brand store like Cats Eye and similar outlets. Ferdous Tailors charge BDT 425 for a full-sleeve shirt and BDT 530 for a trouser or pant for cutting and sewing. A complete suit cutting and sewing costs BDT 5,000 and a suit with a vest costs BDT 7,000. Single blazer costs BDT 4,400. The price was last increased a few years back as per the increase in wages and raw materials. Compared to other tailoring shops, this price is not very high as there are a few high-class tailoring shops who charge more. The price of the fabric is separate from the cutting and making charges. Fabric is based upon the individual’s choice. The price of fabric varies in a broader sense, as there are various types of fabric lines.
Challenges Ahead
Business environment in Bangladesh is becoming more challenging by the day and the competition at every business level is increasing. The business pattern has changed over the past decade. The custom-made tailoring industry in Dhaka is facing numerous difficulties because of the presence of the readymade brand name shops. Places outside Dhaka, where brand shops are not available except the districts of Chittagong and Sylhet, people still prefer custom-made tailors to fulfil their apparel needs. Still the future of the tailor shops is in a challenging situation. The market for the ready-made garments is a threat for the custom made tailor shops. Moreover, the quality of the ready-made garments has improved than before.In a broader sense, people are more concerned about the time they can save by availing readymade clothes, rather than waiting for a long period of time for tailor-made clothes. Therefore, they prefer to have clothing from ready-made shops and different brands to save time and to avail lower price.Similarly, the young generation is a big segment in the entire market, who prefer the trendy fashionable clothing from readymade shops. Moreover, the traditional tailoring business are run by families and the owners are first-generation people who are about to retire from this business. The next-generation people—their offspring—are in most cases involved in other professions or have settled abroad permanently for a better future. Business in Bangladesh is considered too risky by these second-generation people. Ferdous Tailors is more concerned about the concurrent competition, because the profit rate of the seasonal peak period has reduced in the last few years. Additionally, it is lacking in few modern technologies like the fusing machine for the suits, the automated cutting machines, the button hole machine, and moreover, other online facilities. According to BDMA, the nearly four times increase in the value added tax on their income is set to ruin the sector that is already facing disparate competition and the tailor shops urged the government to look into the matter and help them to continue with the age old sector (Saha, 2014).
Conclusion
Ferdous Tailors has faced several challenges and setbacks, which required the management to carefully create and implement effective strategies to overcome the various trials and tribulations. The adverse effects of copycats’ design on the business’ reputation and goodwill have been worrisome. One of the main struggles, which has severely hampered the company, is the widespread growth of new competitors. These mushrooming of new entrants in this industry specifically have been infringing the design and image of custom-made tailors.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
Authors would like to acknowledge the support of Ferdous Custom Made Tailors Fabrics Fashions team and the CEO in the development of this case study.