Industry Codes (NAICS)
The United States Census Bureau created a classification system for business entities called the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Several company databases and industry research databases use these to organize their information, and it is useful to know the codes for adjacent industries as well as the codes for the businesses that you are selling to B2B. These codes start at 2 numbers to identify broad industry group and move to 6 to identify specific industries.
Example Fashion NAICS codes:
315240 - Women's, Girls', and Infants' Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing
454110 - Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses
448120 -Women's Clothing Stores
Trade Publications and Magazines
Trade publications and magazines with editorial content pertaining to fashion are the best place to keep track of the current trends in the fashion industry. Trade publications that release their content exclusively online with the exception of a few special releases, such as BoF and WWD, are updated daily and cover international runway shows, trending looks, successful brand strategies, and more. Magazines with fashion editorial content can also be useful, but the ads from major brands in these publications are a great resource for determining what looks are trending. In addition to the links below, the library databases also have articles from fashion trade journals which may be useful for finding information on sourcing, pricing, and other best practices. Click here to see what fashion trade journals can be found in the library databases.
Industry Reports
Several Market Research Companies make packaged reports that cover industry statistics and projections, industry trends, information on major companies, consumer preferences and more. These reports are, almost always, something that needs to be purchased, and the library subscribes to a number of databases that contain these reports. Read the descriptions to each link below to learn about the reports in the following databases and how to access them.
One exception is the management consultant McKinsey & Company, which makes many of their reports, articles and other features freely available through their website. For example, check out their State of Fashion 2024 report, a collaboration between McKinsey & Company and The Business of Fashion (BoF), or this recent article, Unlocking the full potential in fashion for Black consumers.
Trade Associations
Trade Associations are organizations that are created to ensure the success of a particular industry. These organizations, generally, advocate for laws that legislation that help grow or protect businesses in that industry, but they also usually have webinars, in person trainings, research, and business or service directories that are designed to help people in the industry. Some of these resources and this content is free, but a lot of the services are either paid for or only open to individuals or companies that pay to become members of the organization. In addition to the ones listed below, check Plunkett Research Online for a more complete list of fashion trade associations.
