Digital Strategies of the Global Players in Fast-fashion Industry: Building Strategic Competitive Capabilities for Customer Interactions in the Digital Age

This study is devoted to the study of the global fast fashion industry and focuses on the study of digital strategies of industry leaders - Inditex and H&M, in the context of interaction with consumers. Given the prominence of the fashion industry as one of the largest sectors in the world, the rapid expansion of the fast fashion segment highlights the crucial role of digitalization. Changes towards accelerated digitalization are characterized by the integration of technological tools to optimize production processes, stimulate innovation and improve the quality of user service. This study is aimed at studying the interaction of consumers and companies in the field of fast fashion. The purpose of the study: to study and reveal the main strategies of the leaders of the global fast fashion industry in the context of its digitalization, especially related to the changing nature of the interaction of these companies with customers. In the course of the research, a systematic review of the existing literature was conducted, which resulted in the development of a research framework adapted for subsequent analysis of specific examples. This conceptual framework was superimposed on the well-known customer travel map model and served as the basis for further case study of Inditex and H&M companies. In fact, the study carefully identified and classified the prevailing strategies of fast fashion enterprises regarding the digitalization of consumer interaction. This showed that the main efforts of industry leaders are aimed at the widespread introduction of personalization in all areas of interaction and the development of reliable partnership initiatives with a wide range of IT enterprises.