A store may have its address, its decor, and its opening date. But the elements needed to bring it to life must arrive together—and in the right order. This is the less glamorous side of fashion: behind the product staging lie pickups to schedule, suppliers to coordinate, and inventory to check. Yet the care taken in these operations determines what the customer will see, receive, or be able to buy. By bringing together several departments in its Fashion Logistics Lab, D.B. Group places the focus squarely on this very issue: a brand’s promise is also made behind the scenes.
The store begins long before its doors open
Opening or renovating a retail location presents a unique challenge. Stakeholders spread across different locations, each working to different schedules, must all meet the same deadline. A properly executed shipment is therefore not enough to guarantee that the entire project will be ready. The problem lies in the interdependencies between operations: which materials should be consolidated, which should be shipped first, and how should their arrival be organized without losing sight of the installation’s needs?
D.B. Group’s section on store planning addresses the issue from the very beginning. Coordination begins at the point of shipment, with the suppliers. It encompasses scheduling pickups, consolidating materials, and prioritizing shipments. The value of this approach lies less in each individual step than in their integration into a single project management framework. The store’s opening date becomes the common reference point, rather than a deadline interpreted separately by each stakeholder.
At the destination, deliveries are synchronized all the way to the point of sale. A “white gloves” service, dedicated to careful handling, may accompany this stage. The group also provides operational assistance to install visual display elements and communication materials at the point of purchase, known by the acronym POP. Whether it’s a corner, a multi-brand boutique, or a special installation, the support is tailored to the project’s format.
This detail matters in an industry where the store gives physical form to the brand’s identity. Materials that guide the eye or draw attention to a product contribute to the shopping experience. Their delivery and installation cannot be considered separately from the rest of the store opening.
A Matter of Connections, Not Just Transportation
With 79 locations worldwide, D.B. Group has brought this business and two other service offerings together under its Fashion Logistics Lab. In addition to store projects, the group offers warehouse logistics tailored to the fashion industry and a process for handling international returns. While these services can operate separately, their complementary nature is the guiding principle of the entire offering.
This offering addresses a practical challenge: the proliferation of markets and sales channels also increases the number of transfer points. E-commerce, marketplaces, and international sales result in more products in circulation—including returns. As these flows expand, a compartmentalized management approach makes delivery times less predictable and creates bottlenecks.
It would be misleading to reduce the issue to a race for speed. A fast delivery does not correct an incorrect quantity in the computer system. A return processed without the required documentation can result in additional customs fees. The real challenge is maintaining actionable information from one stage to the next, particularly as activity intensifies and exceptions become more frequent.
Inventory only truly exists if it is reliable
In the warehouse, problems sometimes start with a seemingly trivial discrepancy: what’s physically on the shelf doesn’t match what the software shows. This discrepancy undermines the accuracy of inventory availability data. Added to this are picking errors and varying lead times for order fulfillment. These are all separate problems whose effects ultimately converge when it comes time to ship the product.
The system presented by D.B. Group combines receiving, storage, and shipping within a single facility, which also handles returns. It relies on a WMS, or “Warehouse Management System,” software dedicated to warehouse management. Its role is to track the movement of goods and maintain an accurate inventory of quantities on hand. The challenge is not simply knowing where to store a garment, but being able to trace its path through the operations.
Checks are then performed at two points: when the item is picked, and again during package preparation. This double-check is designed to catch errors that may occur between the order and its packaging. Packaging, meanwhile, is tailored to the nature of the product and its value. Here, logistics aligns with a requirement familiar to fashion houses: not all items are handled in the same way.
A customer service team integrated into day-to-day operations monitors unusual situations and agreed-upon service levels in real time. This close integration prevents customer relations from being viewed as a separate department from operations. Discrepancies must be identified where they occur, with a real-time view of ongoing operations.
International Returns: A Documentary Challenge
A garment sold abroad and then returned does not automatically regain its original status. When an exported item re-enters the European Union’s customs territory, it is formally considered foreign merchandise. If the re-entry formalities do not follow the proper procedure, the company risks having to pay customs duties and VAT again. Commercial returns then become a complex tax and documentation process.
Processing each reimport individually becomes particularly burdensome as volumes increase. Repeated procedures prolong customs clearance and increase the chances of errors in the submitted documentation. The Easy Free Back procedure shifts part of this work to an earlier stage: instead of a separate application for each case, it provides for a prior authorization valid for one year.
This authorization is subject to certain conditions. In particular, the product’s traceability must be ensured, and it must be possible to identify it unambiguously upon its re-entry. The simplification therefore relies on the quality of tracking, not on the elimination of controls. This is a key point: the administrative processing of the return depends on the ability to determine precisely which item is being returned.
Returning to inventory does not mean returning to sale
Once the border has been crossed, another decision awaits the garment. Its presence in the warehouse is not enough to make it marketable again. D.B. Group conducts an inspection of each returned item based on the technical specifications provided by the brand. The item is put back on sale after this inspection, according to the criteria provided by the brand.
For premium lines, designated areas and restricted access further enhance the process. This level of care is reflected in specific storage and handling protocols. At the end of the process, the final decision remains a very practical one: comparing the returned garment to the manufacturer’s specifications before offering it to another customer.