Impact of Digital Access on Fashion Retail Management: A Study

This research proposal investigates the influence of increasing digital access on the management of fashion retail businesses, focusing on H&M as a case study. The study explores the impact of digital platforms on various aspects of the business, including market research, consumer behavior analysis, customer engagement, and supply chain management. The proposal outlines the research rationale, questions, aims, and objectives, along with a detailed methodology that includes a deductive research approach, a survey strategy, and quantitative data collection methods. The research will utilize both primary and secondary data sources, with a focus on questionnaire-based data collection from H&M employees. The timescale and resources required for the study are also detailed, along with a comprehensive list of references. The study aims to provide insights into how digital access is reshaping the fashion retail landscape and improving business operations.

Research proposal
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CONTENTS
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
Title: - The influence that increasing digital access bring over the management of fashion retailer
.........................................................................................................................................................3
Background to research topic..........................................................................................................3
Background to research organisation...............................................................................................3
Research rationale............................................................................................................................4
Research questions...........................................................................................................................4
Research aims & objectives.............................................................................................................4
Aim..............................................................................................................................................4
Objective: -..................................................................................................................................4
Research methodology.....................................................................................................................4
Timescale.........................................................................................................................................6
Resources.........................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
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Title: - The influence that increasing digital access bring over the management
of fashion retailer
Background to research topic
The digital platform brings up several improvements within the business world by simplifying
the ways through which it is being operated. This is so because the digital platform provides
businesses a medium through which the work can be performed with the help of machines which
not only make the tasks easier but also help in reducing the time as well as resources required to
perform those practices. Now with the help of digitalise business practices it become easier for
the businesses to manage the data by recording it digitally, maintaining better relationship with
stakeholders by interacting them using digital media, provide better customer support assistance,
making delivering of product much easier, expanding the base of consumers and many more
(Rovai, 2018). These all are the changes that increasing access of digital platform brings to a
business. Other than this, digital access holds several other benefit for the fashion retailers as it
provide them an opportunity to perform market research, decode the behaviour of consumer, c
hanging trends, upcoming demand, approaching more people, connecting customer brand over a
platform, present more options in front of consumers all become possible due to digitalisation of
business. For further investigating about this current study is conducted by consider H&M which
is consider among top big brand of fashion retailing that make use of digital platform to run its
business.
Background to research organisation
H&M is a larger multinational clothing retailing business which is best known for its fast
fashion clothing for women, man, children and teenagers. It performs its operations in more than
74 countries by maintaining around 5000 stores throughout the world. It is considered as second
largest fashion retailer around the well due to its market demand as well as performance among
eth customers (Yeung and Ang, 2016). The H&M not only present its success through physical
store chain rather it also become successful by maintaining its online presences and making its
product available to the people all over the world by making effective use of digital technology.
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Research rationale
The main rationale behind conducting this study is to gather an understanding regarding the
changes that digital platform has bring within the business environment and manner in which it
has influence the way businesses operate today in this digital world. Other than this it will also
provide knowledge regarding the several digital medium that are getting popular these days
among businesses and improvement that it brings within several different businesses by focusing
the study over H&M one among best fashion retailer.
Research questions
 Explain about the several different medium of digital access used in retail industry?
 What is the main influence of digital platform over the business of H&M?
 What is the relationship between increasing access to digital platform and improving
management of H&M?
Research aims & objectives
Aim
“To determine the influence that increasing digital access bring over the management of
fashion retail business”. A study on H&M.
Objective: -
 To identify several medium of digital access used in retail industry.
 To examine the influence of digital platform over the business of H&M.
 To ascertain the relationship between increasing access to digital platform and improving
management of H&M.
Research methodology
The methodology forms up a crucial part of a researcher by providing details about the set of
methods or techniques used to collect, interpret and represent the information in regard with the
objectives to be achieved. This act as a guidance for the investigator by directing them each and
each action regarding the method or approach to be used for performing a particular task
effectively as per the topic area which is being worked by them (Taherdoost, 2016). The current
study involve range of tools and methods within an investigation used by researcher which are
mentioned below:
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Research approach: - The analysis of gathered information is highly depend over the
approach which is selected by the researcher to evaluate the data. Therefore, it remains very
crucial for researcher to thoroughly judge and then make a decision over a particular approach
that whether they have to use inductive or deductive. As per the current area of study deductive
approach will be used as it support in evaluating the influence of increasing digital access over
the fashion retailer business by considering the quantified data. This support the researcher in
presenting more accurate data which is being extracted through properly figuring it.
Research strategy: - The strategy within an investigation is about the process used for
gathering the information regarding the area over which a research is being performed (Tuohy
and et.al., 2013). There are several strategies that are mainly used for performing the
investigation such as case study, survey etc. In order to perform this study survey method will be
used to collect primary information as it support in studying the view point of several people in
this regard.
Research methods: - The research method is refers to the type or sources that are used to
gathered the information regarding the research area. The success of an investigation depends on
the type of method used for collecting the information i.e. either qualitative or quantitative.
Within this investigation, quantitative method of investigation will be used that support in
collecting the quantified facts and information regarding the influence of digital platform over
the management of fashion retail business so that difference can be measured effectively
(Walliman, 2017). On the other side, sources of investigation also play a significant role within a
study by providing the medium through which data must be gathered i.e. either secondary or
primary. Under this study both the sources will be used in which secondary information will
support in collecting information which is already being gathered by some another person. This
information will be gathered with the help of online sources like books, journals, articles etc.
Despite of this the primary information will be collected in order to get fresh and new
information about the study area. This will be collected with the help of preparing the
questionnaire as it support in collecting information quickly than any other method.
Research tool: - For collecting the information effectively to complete the requirement
of research objective, the investigator must adopt right tool. There are several tools used within
an investigation to gather the information such as interview, questionnaire, focus group, brain
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storming etc. In order to collect information regarding the influence thar digital access bring over
the methods of managing business, questionnaire will be used as it help in gathering larger
amount of data in less possible time as it doesn’t require the presence of researcher in front of the
respondent (Wiek and Lang, 2016). This method is cost as well as time efficient.
Sampling: - It is defined as the method of selecting group of people from the total of
population that can provide information regarding the research area in such a manner that data
can be collected on behalf of whole. The sampling is mainly perform using two methods such as
probability or non-probability method. For performing the study over this research area the
probability method of sampling will be consider by the investigator as it support in making right
selection of candidate on random basis out of available one (Mackey and Gass, 2015). This
support in avoiding the chance of bias behaviour by providing equal opportunity to each
individual for being selected as a respondent for this study and provide information in this
regard. Hence in current study data will be gathered with the help of probability sampling where
respondent size would be employees of H&M.
Timescale
Time is considered to be a most crucial factor for an investigation as iot help in
determining the duration in which a research is to be performed so that appropriate scheduling
can be performed for the activities involved in it. For effectively presenting the time scale, Gantt
chart is used which is graphical representation of a set of activities involve within a study. This
support in scheduling the activity as per their priority and time taken by them and also support an
investigator by directing them over the actions to be taken and when.
Resources
For performing an investigation there are number of resources that a researcher use so that
each and every actions can be performed effectively and support in achieving eth main aim
behind this study (Kumar, 2019). Among these resources, cost is most crucial one as investigator
require financial resources or fund in order to gather other resources for completing eth
investigation. Other then this for gathering information researcher require internet connection,
stationary, computer system etc.
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REFERENCES
Books & journals
Kumar, R., 2019. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publications
Limited.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.
Routledge.
Rovai, S., 2018. Digitalisation, luxury fashion and “Chineseness”: The influence of the Chinese
context for luxury brands and the online luxury consumers experience. Journal of
Global Fashion Marketing, 9(2), pp.116-128.
Taherdoost, H., 2016. Sampling methods in research methodology; how to choose a sampling
technique for research. How to Choose a Sampling Technique for Research (April 10,
2016).
Tuohy, D. and et.al., 2013. An overview of interpretive phenomenology as a research
methodology. Nurse researcher. 20(6).
Walliman, N., 2017. Research methods: The basics. Routledge.
Wiek, A. and Lang, D. J., 2016. Transformational sustainability research methodology.
In Sustainability science (pp. 31-41). Springer, Dordrecht.
Yeung, G. and Ang, K.L., 2016. Online Fashion Retailing and Retail Geography: The Blogshop
Phenomenon in S ingapore. Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, 107(1),
pp.81-99.
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