30 Towards a sustainable profitability
2 now Cutter & Buck has reduced its air freight imports from 18 % to just 0,29 %
2017 Cutter & Buck reduces their air freight by half
CUTTER & BUCK The year was 2014 and the lifestyle brand Cutter & Buck based in Seattle , USA , was reliant on air freight as a critical component of its supply chain , ensuring just in time arrival of fabrics and trims in manufacturing countries , and for finished goods at their final destination . With a focus on cash flow , and on minimizing leftover fashion products , Cutter & Buck was stuck with only hard choices to make , and utilizing air freight had been part of the fashion strategy for as long as anyone remembered .
Beginning in 2015 , Cutter & Buck determined that the only way out was to start with an entirely new objective : could they eliminate air freight in the supply chain ?
Cutter & Back launched the objective “ We Hate Air Freight ”. First , it was determined that disciplined fabric consolidation could help , with the result of reducing air shipments of raw materials . Next , by ordering sooner , and by trading upgraded freight on late orders for product discounts , Cutter & Buck could make further progress . The air freight had halved by 2017 , but challenges remained .
The traditional and seasonal fashion industry just did not have enough time in it to avoid the use of air freight .
The only way to achieve zero air freight , was to align its development , production and market strategies .
Thus Cutter & Buck combined the production volume of its corporate business with its in-stock model , and its retail business . All products would now launch to consumers , retailers , and corporate customers at the same time , when they first were received in stock .
Cutter & Buck has achieved a class leading development timeline of ten months , creates no “ prebook ” samples that need to be air-freighted , and relies entirely on sea freight for its fabrics and finished goods . Over the five years of this effort , Cutter & Buck has reduced its air freight imports from 18 % to just 0.29 %.
2015 Cutter & Buck launch the objective " We Hate Air Freight "
2014
Cutter & Buck is dependent on air freight