The development of technologies and digitization offer new opportunities for many companies that allow them to access greater productivity and relevance in a world that constantly changes. Besides, the digitization of the economy and society is called megatrend since its importance is widely recognized in many domains, on the other hand, the digital transformation is called disruptive megatrend, as a result of the pace of change and innovation it carries (Lederer et. al., 2018; Lloyd, 2017). Companies strive to be the most innovative and use the latest technologies possible. Finally, digital transformation has become an important issue for all companies globally (Westerman et al., 2011).
The fashion industry has been able to allow itself to be disconnected from technological developments, as it has usually been related to intangible values related to the product, but it has had to adapt. Rocamora (2017) claim the fashion has started a great digital transformation which is undergoing through all its processes and facets, from the supply chain to its communication. For instance, digital transformation, properly driven, could transform the fashion industry into a more sustainable and truly customer-oriented business (Bertola & Teunissen, 2018).
On the other hand, the pandemic forced many companies to boost investment in technologies and prioritize their digital transformation initiatives, since there was no other way of sale. Even, John Lewis for the first time in its 155-year history, during which we have faced various difficult periods, including two world wars and the 2008 financial crisis, would also close their stores on the same day (Elle, 2020). Apart from the effects of the pandemic, online sales of fast fashion have increased due to the growing penetration of the Internet, offers exclusively for online purchases and increased trust in paying through the Internet. Especially, mobile apps (Rey-García et. al., 2018). The competition is extremely fierce in the online segment of the United Kingdom fashion industry with brands like Jaded London, Miss Guided, ASOS or Pretty Little Things.
Zhou et al. (2007) indicate that convenience is the main reason why consumers choose to buy online. Since there are fewer inconveniences in the online process compared to those that can be found in the traditional purchase, for example, that the consumer has to queue (Ahuja et al. 2003). Another advantage for consumers of online sales is that they have the possibility of buying at any hour or moment of the day (Childers et al. 2001), while in traditional stores there are limitations on the opening hours of the stores.
The objective of digital transformation is continuous optimization, that is, when a company detects changes in the market and has the ability to respond quickly. Moreover, some advantage of the digital transformation are better quality of broadcasting, lower costs, more substantial programs and freedom of choice of services (Verhoef et. al., 2021).
