DHL provides tailor-made logistics solutions to showcase the 2014 Spring collections at Mercedes Benz- Fashion Week

• DHL global network offers retailers efficient transit times from remote manufacturing locations worldwide
• E-commerce shipping solutions help designers go global

New York, NY, September 9, 2013: As the world’s top designers and fashion brands bring their Spring 2014 collections to the runway, DHL returns as the Official Logistics Provider for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week from September 5-12. DHL provides tailor-made logistics solutions for a total of 30 global Fashion Week events across 15 cities, including its partnership in New York City since 2007.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a fast-paced event that spans seven days and includes nearly 90 designers from more than 30 countries, so expert logistics support is vital for the success of the shows. As part of the team of backstage heroes, DHL and its global network handles everything from the delivery of haute couture masterpieces to the transport of equipment to and from catwalk venues. Fashion customers range from multinational retail groups with complex distribution requirements to small, independent boutiques requiring individualized service.

“The ability to offer customers consistent transit times – for instance from remote manufacturing locations in Asia to our DHL facilities across the region – not only provides customers with peace of mind but also with full visibility of their shipments across the supply chain,” stated Tim Robertson, vice president of marketing & sales. “Whether you are a boutique designer or large fashion house, our expertise in trade regulations, transportation, consolidation, warehousing and value added services gets fashion collections into the hands of consumers at record speed.”

According to the Rakuten E-Commerce Index, an independent global shopping trend survey published in August, global e-commerce growth is expected to reach $1.2 trillion in sales this year and is being driven in large measure by consumer demand for clothing and accessories. In the Americas, the United States leads with the highest percentage of online fashion shoppers, followed by Brazil. To facilitate this growth, DHL has developed shipping solutions that give designers and fashion retailers the ability to sell worldwide via online or mobile applications. For instance, Snapette is an e-tailer that allows users to shop more than 200 top brands and retailers in fashion capitals worldwide. It has built purchasing and shipping capabilities, using the DHL platform as a shipping option, into its mobile application.

“The novelty of being able to easily click to buy a pair of shoes you find in a boutique in Geneva, a shirt in San Francisco and a necklace from New York, all from your mobile phone, is really astonishing and speaks to the new connectedness of the world,” said Sarah Paiji, Snapette’s co-founder and president. “DHL is essential in supporting the connectivity of Snapette's 1.6 million shoppers to our retail partners spanning over 1,000 locations."

DHL offers designers and fashion houses the opportunity to use its GOGREEN carbon-offset transport services for their collections, reflecting the increasing importance of sustainable practices in the fashion industry.

"Behind the glitz and glamour of the red carpets and the runways is an incredibly demanding schedule and DHL excels at meeting our requirements for timeliness and cost efficiency – whether it is for a renowned designer or small entrepreneur just starting out,” said Jarrad Clark, Global Creative Director for IMG Fashion Events and Properties. “Its worldwide network, knowledge and experience of the fashion industry and local customs procedures have proved invaluable during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.