Research Trends in the Application of Logistics within the Fashion Industry
Keywords:
Supply chain, transportation, warehousing
Abstract
In recent years, logistics has evolved from a purely operational function into a strategic component that plays a central role in organizational success. This shift has also influenced the fashion industry, which is known for its fast-changing trends and short product life cycles. Effective logistics has become essential for improving performance, reducing costs, and supporting competitive advantage in this sector. However, a review of existing literature indicates a limited number of Arabic studies addressing the role of logistics in the fashion industry, revealing a clear research gap. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the development of logistics applications within the fashion industry and to identify major research trends in this field. A descriptive-analytical approach was adopted through a systematic review and analysis of 44 studies published between 2000 and 2025, a period that reflects significant progress in logistics concepts and practices. The results demonstrate a noticeable transformation in logistics roles, particularly in areas such as decision-making support, risk management, supply chain integration, digitalization, reverse logistics, and environmental sustainability. Based on these findings, the study emphasizes the need for further academic research focused on the practical application of logistics in the local fashion industry to enhance its efficiency and strategic development.
References
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11. Arimany Serrat, N., Arribas-Ibar, M., & Erdoğan, G. (2025). Fast Fashion Sector: Business Models, Supply Chains, and European Sustainability Standards. Systems, 13(6), 405.
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https://cscmp.org/CSCMP/Educate/SCM_Definitions_and_Glossary_of_Terms.aspx
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27. Eriksson, S., & Käck, J. (2023). Sustainable reverse logistics in fast fashion e-commerce: A literature review-Impact of sustainable practices on customer satisfaction.
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29. Ferdows, K., Lewis, M., & Machuca, J. A. (2003, January). Zara. In Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal (Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 62-67). Taylor & Francis.
30. Fernie, J., & Sparks, L. (2014). Logistics and retail management: Emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain (4th ed.). Kogan Page.
31. García-Arca, J., Mejías-Sacaluga, A., & Prado-Prado, J. C. (2007). The logistics function in the fashion sector: An analytical approach. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 11(2), 246–259.
32. Grand View Research. (2024). Apparel market report. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/apparel-market
33. Gry, S., Niederlaender, M., & Werth, D. (2024). Enhancing Returns Management in Fashion E-Commerce: Industry Insights on AI-Based Prediction and Recommendation Systems. ICSBT 2024, 66.
34. Gupta, A., Dasgupta, P., & Mishra, M. S. (2015). Inland Transportation and Lead Time of Apparel Exports. In Innovations and Strategies for Logistics and Supply Chains: Technologies, Business Models and Risk Management. Proceedings of the Hamburg International Conference of Logistics (HICL), Vol. 20(pp. 451-477). Berlin: epubli GmbH.
35. Harrison, A., & Van Hoek, R. (2008). Logistics management and strategy: Competing through the supply chain (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall / Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0273712763.
36. Hinkka, V., Häkkinen, M., Holmström, J., & Främling, K. (2015). Supply chain typology for configuring cost-efficient tracking in fashion logistics. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 26(1), 42-60.
37. Jaipur National University. (2013). Supply chain management. Jaipur National University.
38. Jestratijevic, I., & Vrabič-Brodnjak, U. (2022). Sustainable and innovative packaging solutions in the fashion industry: global report. Sustainability, 14(20), 13476.
39. Kalyani, A. (2021). Challenges for Supply Chain Management in the Indian Garment Industry: A Comparison with the US and the UK Industries. South Asian Journal of Management, 28(2).
40. Khan, M. S. R., & Rattanawiboonsom, V. (2019). The effects of inbound logistics capability on firm performance-a study on garment industry in Bangladesh.
41. Lakshmi, G., Mohanan, M. S., & Santhanalakshmi, K. (2023). Supply chain management in fast fashion industry-a strategic approach. JIER, 3(2).
42. Li, R., Liu, W., & Zhou, S. (2024). Digital transformation of supply chain management in the fast fashion industry: a case study of Zara. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 181, p. 04019). EDP Sciences.
43. MacCarthy, B. L., & Jayarathne, P. G. S. A. (2013). Supply network structures in the international clothing industry: differences across retailer types. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 33(7), 858-886.
44. Marriott, J., Bektaş, T., Leung, E. K. H., & Lyons, A. (2025). The billion-pound question in fashion E-commerce: Investigating the anatomy of returns. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 194, 103904.
45. Mangan, J., Lalwani, C., & Calatayud, A. (2020). Global logistics and supply chain management (4th ed.). Wiley.
46. Monczka, R. M., Handfield, R. B., Giunipero, L. C., & Patteson, J. L. (2009). Purchasing and supply chain management(4th ed.). South-Western Cengage Learning.
47. Orcao, A. I. E., & Pérez, D. R. (2014). Global production chains in the fast fashion sector, transports and logistics: the case of the Spanish retailer Inditex. Investigaciones Geográficas, Boletín del Instituto de Geografía, 2014(85), 113-127.
48. Pornsing, C., Sangkhiew, N., Chirachetsadang, N., Tanti-arporn, N., Tonglim, T., & Inthawongse, C. (2022). Fast fashion strategies in logistics and supply chain management. Journal of Logistics and Supply Chain Operations (JLSCO), 8(2 กรกฎาคม-ธันวาคม), 126-139.
49. Purnomo, A. (2022). A supply chain mapping model of the textile industry upstream sector: the proof from Indonesia. The Seybold Report Journal, 17, 506-518.
50. Rodrigue, J.-P. (2024). The geography of transport systems (5th ed.). Routledge.
51. Rushton, A., Croucher, P., & Baker, P. (2010). The handbook of logistics and distribution management (4th ed.). Kogan Page.
52. Sabio, C. J. (2024). Cross-border e-commerce revolution: Analyzing Shein’s supply chain advantage. In Proceedings of the 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (pp.[insert page numbers if available]). IEOM Society International. https://doi. org/10.46254/AP05 (Vol. 20240055).
53. Shah, S. M., Luetjen, M., & Freitag, M. (2021). Text mining for supply chain risk management in the apparel industry. Applied Sciences, 11(5), 2323.
54. Shen, B. (2014). Sustainable fashion supply chain: Lessons from H&M. Sustainability, 6(9), 6236-6249.
55. Shen, B., Minner, S., Chan, H. L., & Brun, A. (2020). Logistics and supply chain management in the luxury industry. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 143, 102095.
56. Singh, A., R., V., Singh, N., & Singh, O. (2024). RFID technology implication in the apparel industry. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR), 6(2)
57. Singh, O., Singh, N., Singh, A., & R, V. (2024). Supply chain management in apparel industry. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR), 6(2)
58. Vakulina, A., & Evdokimova, E. (2021). The methodological basis of defining research trends and fronts. Journal of Big Data, 8(1), 1–17.
59. Wahab, S., Tan, A., & Roche, O. (2023). Comparison of cross-border reverse logistics of a fast fashion brand in China. Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 16(1), 25-35.
60. Wren, B. (2022). Sustainable supply chain management in the fast fashion Industry: A comparative study of current efforts and best practices to address the climate crisis. Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 4, 100032
61. Xuejie, C., Chang, Q., & GuangHao, Z. (2019, August). Research on Innovation supply chain Management in Fast Fashion Industry A comparative analysis of ZARA and H&M. In 2019 3rd International Conference on Education, Culture and Social Development (ICECSD 2019) (pp. 7-16). Atlantis Press.
2. رؤية السعودية 2030. (2024). برنامج التنمية الصناعية واللوجستيات الوطني: التقرير السنوي.
3. هيئة الأزياء السعودية . (٢٠٢٤). تقرير حالة قطاع الأزياء في المملكة العربية السعودية.
4. مركز التواصل و المعرفة المالية. (2025). تقرير سلاسل الإمداد و التوريد. وزارة المالية.
5. Aabed, A. (2017). Supply chain in the readymade garments industry (Zara case study). International Design Journal, 7(4), 245-253.
6. Aggour, A., Moussaid, A., & Abou El Hassan, A. (2016). FAST FASHION IN THE MOROCCAN APPAREL SUPPLY CHAIN: ACase STUDY. International Journal of Managing Value and Supply Chains, 7(4), 17-24.
7. Agrawal, T. K., & Pal, R. (2019). Traceability in textile and clothing supply chains: Classifying implementation factors and information sets via Delphi study. Sustainability, 11(6), 1698
8. Alfieri, A., De Marco, A., & Pastore, E. (2019). Last mile logistics in Fast Fashion supply chains: A case study. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 52(13), 1693-1698.
9. Andreozzi, A. (2018). Analysis of key performance indicators for last mile logistics with an application to the fast-fashion industry(Doctoral dissertation, Politecnico di Torino).
10. Anitha, S., & Neelakandan, R. (2024). Demand forecasting new fashion products: A review paper. Journal of Forecasting, 44(2), 270–280
11. Arimany Serrat, N., Arribas-Ibar, M., & Erdoğan, G. (2025). Fast Fashion Sector: Business Models, Supply Chains, and European Sustainability Standards. Systems, 13(6), 405.
12. Backs, S., Jahnke, H., Lüpke, L., Stuecken, M., & Stummer, C. (2020). Supply chain strategies of the apparel industry in research: A literature review. Available at SSRN 3558419.
13. Barnes, L., & Lea‐Greenwood, G. (2006). Fast fashioning the supply chain: shaping the research agenda. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 10(3), 259-271.
14. Bowersox, D. J., Closs, D. J., Cooper, M. B., & Bowersox, J. C. (2020). Supply chain logistics management (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
15. Braglia, M., Marrazzini, L., Padellini, L., & Rinaldi, R. (2021). Managerial and Industry 4.0 solutions for fashion supply chains. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 25(1), 184-201.
16. Bruce, M., Daly, L., & Towers, N. (2004). Lean or agile: a solution for supply chain management in the textiles and clothing industry?. International journal of operations & production management, 24(2), 151-170.
17. Burini, G., Xu, J., Pero, M., & Sandberg, E. (2025). Reverse supply chain configurations in the fashion and textile industry. Sustainable Production and Consumption.
18. Cagliano, A. C., Mangano, G., Mustafa, S., & Rafele, C. (2015). A performance dashboard for a logistics service company in the fast fashion industry. Departement of Management and Production Engineering, Politicnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129.
19. Cai, J., Sharkawi, I., & Taasim, S. I. (2024). Enhancing the resilience of supply chains in the fashion apparel industry through intelligent logistics—evidence from China. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2437248.
20. Chowdhury, N., Faysal, G. M., Al, A., Shikder, R., & Moula, A. T. M. G. (2021). A study on sustainable fashion supply chain of zara. In 6th Int. Conf. Eng. Res. Innov. Educ., Sylhet, Bangladesh (p. 1).
21. Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics and supply chain management (5th ed.). Pearson Education.
22. Christopher, M., & Peck, H. (1997). Managing logistics in fashion markets. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 8(2), 63–74
23. Christopher, M., Lowson, R., & Peck, H. (2004). Creating agile supply chains in the fashion industry. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 32(8), 367-376
24. Corinna Cagliano, A., DeMarco, A., Rafele, C., & Volpe, S. (2011). Using system dynamics in warehouse management: a fast‐fashion case study. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 22(2), 171-188
25. Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. (2013). CSCMP supply chain management definitions and glossary.
https://cscmp.org/CSCMP/Educate/SCM_Definitions_and_Glossary_of_Terms.aspx
26. Dewa, P. K., Afiah, I. N., & Umam, R. (2024). Relationship between organizational learning and supply chain agility on organizational performance: A quantitative study in fashion SMEs. Jurnal Optimasi Sistem Industri, 23(1), 46-60.
27. Eriksson, S., & Käck, J. (2023). Sustainable reverse logistics in fast fashion e-commerce: A literature review-Impact of sustainable practices on customer satisfaction.
28. Fani, V., Bucci, I., Bandinelli, R., & da Silva, E. R. (2025). Sustainable reverse logistics network design using simulation: Insights from the fashion industry. Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 14, 100201.
29. Ferdows, K., Lewis, M., & Machuca, J. A. (2003, January). Zara. In Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal (Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 62-67). Taylor & Francis.
30. Fernie, J., & Sparks, L. (2014). Logistics and retail management: Emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain (4th ed.). Kogan Page.
31. García-Arca, J., Mejías-Sacaluga, A., & Prado-Prado, J. C. (2007). The logistics function in the fashion sector: An analytical approach. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 11(2), 246–259.
32. Grand View Research. (2024). Apparel market report. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/apparel-market
33. Gry, S., Niederlaender, M., & Werth, D. (2024). Enhancing Returns Management in Fashion E-Commerce: Industry Insights on AI-Based Prediction and Recommendation Systems. ICSBT 2024, 66.
34. Gupta, A., Dasgupta, P., & Mishra, M. S. (2015). Inland Transportation and Lead Time of Apparel Exports. In Innovations and Strategies for Logistics and Supply Chains: Technologies, Business Models and Risk Management. Proceedings of the Hamburg International Conference of Logistics (HICL), Vol. 20(pp. 451-477). Berlin: epubli GmbH.
35. Harrison, A., & Van Hoek, R. (2008). Logistics management and strategy: Competing through the supply chain (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall / Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0273712763.
36. Hinkka, V., Häkkinen, M., Holmström, J., & Främling, K. (2015). Supply chain typology for configuring cost-efficient tracking in fashion logistics. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 26(1), 42-60.
37. Jaipur National University. (2013). Supply chain management. Jaipur National University.
38. Jestratijevic, I., & Vrabič-Brodnjak, U. (2022). Sustainable and innovative packaging solutions in the fashion industry: global report. Sustainability, 14(20), 13476.
39. Kalyani, A. (2021). Challenges for Supply Chain Management in the Indian Garment Industry: A Comparison with the US and the UK Industries. South Asian Journal of Management, 28(2).
40. Khan, M. S. R., & Rattanawiboonsom, V. (2019). The effects of inbound logistics capability on firm performance-a study on garment industry in Bangladesh.
41. Lakshmi, G., Mohanan, M. S., & Santhanalakshmi, K. (2023). Supply chain management in fast fashion industry-a strategic approach. JIER, 3(2).
42. Li, R., Liu, W., & Zhou, S. (2024). Digital transformation of supply chain management in the fast fashion industry: a case study of Zara. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 181, p. 04019). EDP Sciences.
43. MacCarthy, B. L., & Jayarathne, P. G. S. A. (2013). Supply network structures in the international clothing industry: differences across retailer types. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 33(7), 858-886.
44. Marriott, J., Bektaş, T., Leung, E. K. H., & Lyons, A. (2025). The billion-pound question in fashion E-commerce: Investigating the anatomy of returns. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 194, 103904.
45. Mangan, J., Lalwani, C., & Calatayud, A. (2020). Global logistics and supply chain management (4th ed.). Wiley.
46. Monczka, R. M., Handfield, R. B., Giunipero, L. C., & Patteson, J. L. (2009). Purchasing and supply chain management(4th ed.). South-Western Cengage Learning.
47. Orcao, A. I. E., & Pérez, D. R. (2014). Global production chains in the fast fashion sector, transports and logistics: the case of the Spanish retailer Inditex. Investigaciones Geográficas, Boletín del Instituto de Geografía, 2014(85), 113-127.
48. Pornsing, C., Sangkhiew, N., Chirachetsadang, N., Tanti-arporn, N., Tonglim, T., & Inthawongse, C. (2022). Fast fashion strategies in logistics and supply chain management. Journal of Logistics and Supply Chain Operations (JLSCO), 8(2 กรกฎาคม-ธันวาคม), 126-139.
49. Purnomo, A. (2022). A supply chain mapping model of the textile industry upstream sector: the proof from Indonesia. The Seybold Report Journal, 17, 506-518.
50. Rodrigue, J.-P. (2024). The geography of transport systems (5th ed.). Routledge.
51. Rushton, A., Croucher, P., & Baker, P. (2010). The handbook of logistics and distribution management (4th ed.). Kogan Page.
52. Sabio, C. J. (2024). Cross-border e-commerce revolution: Analyzing Shein’s supply chain advantage. In Proceedings of the 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (pp.[insert page numbers if available]). IEOM Society International. https://doi. org/10.46254/AP05 (Vol. 20240055).
53. Shah, S. M., Luetjen, M., & Freitag, M. (2021). Text mining for supply chain risk management in the apparel industry. Applied Sciences, 11(5), 2323.
54. Shen, B. (2014). Sustainable fashion supply chain: Lessons from H&M. Sustainability, 6(9), 6236-6249.
55. Shen, B., Minner, S., Chan, H. L., & Brun, A. (2020). Logistics and supply chain management in the luxury industry. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 143, 102095.
56. Singh, A., R., V., Singh, N., & Singh, O. (2024). RFID technology implication in the apparel industry. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR), 6(2)
57. Singh, O., Singh, N., Singh, A., & R, V. (2024). Supply chain management in apparel industry. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR), 6(2)
58. Vakulina, A., & Evdokimova, E. (2021). The methodological basis of defining research trends and fronts. Journal of Big Data, 8(1), 1–17.
59. Wahab, S., Tan, A., & Roche, O. (2023). Comparison of cross-border reverse logistics of a fast fashion brand in China. Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 16(1), 25-35.
60. Wren, B. (2022). Sustainable supply chain management in the fast fashion Industry: A comparative study of current efforts and best practices to address the climate crisis. Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 4, 100032
61. Xuejie, C., Chang, Q., & GuangHao, Z. (2019, August). Research on Innovation supply chain Management in Fast Fashion Industry A comparative analysis of ZARA and H&M. In 2019 3rd International Conference on Education, Culture and Social Development (ICECSD 2019) (pp. 7-16). Atlantis Press.
Published
2026-04-18
How to Cite
Rahaf Naif al-nefaie, & Dr. Amal Abdullah Albishri. (2026). Research Trends in the Application of Logistics within the Fashion Industry. International Journal on Humanities and Social Sciences, (71), 146-163. https://doi.org/10.33193/IJoHSS.71.2026.925
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Copyright (c) 2026 رهف نايف النفيعي , د.أمل عبد الله البشري
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