Deloitte (Spring 2025)

Getting started

The purpose of this page is to highlight resources that will be helpful in researching aspects of the of the apparel industry that could support solutions to the Deloitte MAD HATS case. The case primarily centers on the following topics, each of which will have separate recommendations in the tabs on this page.

Apparel industry trends
Consumer behavior
Sustainable business practices

Be certain throughout this case to also make use of the data provided from Deloitte on the case prompt as it tells a very distinct story that may drive your research direction.

Industry Searching

Industry research can provide a macro-level view of a variety of issues facing a particular service field. The databases recommended on this page provide expert analysis reports on the apparel and clothing industry as well as several related industries. Utilize multiple resources from multiple databases to construct the most comprehensive understanding of the industry environment.

Recommended Databases

IBISWorld
There are multiple potentially relevant industry reports here available including coverage on hat stores, apparel, and clothing. Be sure to search all of the variant terms you could potentially associate with clothing and accessories. Reports will provide a macro view of the industry that could indicate potential trends one may want to look out for when considering expanding on a clothing line.
ABI/Inform Trade and Industry
Provides access to domestic and international First Research industry reports in addition to articles from trade journals.

Click on Browse, choose First Research for a list of industries to browse, or select Advanced Search, type an industry keyword in the search box, and look for Document type in the box down below. Find Industry Report and check the box. Click Search. Note that Trade Journals could potentially be a good source of information as a source type. There are many ways to approach using this database which could be relevant to the case. Starter search:
- apparel OR clothing
Business Insights: Essentials
Provides access to various types of company, industry, and market information. Start with a broad search by selecting "keyword" from the dropdown on the main search bar and typing apparel. Use the filters just beneath the search bar to quickly scan the results. This is an especially helpful as Business Insight's can show you related professional associations where more information may be found.

Market and Consumer Searching

The resources on this page specifically focus on the topics of market research and consumer behavior. These resources may be useful in identifying target consumers for an apparel related product. You may also be able to identify the level of market saturation for competing apparel retailers in regions.

Recommended Resources

Mintel Academic
Perfect for reports about popular consumer trends, with daily updates on the latest issues affecting key consumer markets and the economy. Market data includes size, segmentation and forecasts. Includes both analytic data, and reports category tag to quickly find information on the impact of the pandemic on consumer trends. Relevant category search path: Retail and Apparel.
Statista
Provides access to data sets across disciplines. Search apparel for multiple current data sets pertaining to apparel. Dossiers in Statista provide an especially comprehensive overview of data surrounding its topic. When you find a useful dataset, be sure to check the source section of the item as it may lead to more data outside of Statista on the topic. We also subscribe to Statista's eCommerce Database (ECDB) located under insights -> explore eCommerce insights and clicking on the University Access button on the top right of the page to sign in.
Technavio
Provides over 17,000 marketing research reports over 100 industry segments and over 800 niche and emerging technologies.
SimplyAnalytics
Select "Sign in as a guest" if you do not want to create an account. Create an account if you wish to save your work. Licensed for 5 simultaneous users.
A mapping application for creating professional-quality thematic maps and reports using demographic, business, and marketing data for the U.S.

Sustainable Growth

The growth rate demonstration by the MAD HATS case shows a very rapid increase over a short period of time, and when such trends occur, it is important to take into consideration the myriad of sustainability issues across employment and the environment that could be impacted. Growth is not necessarily always everything, and the resources provided below may give some insight into the potential pitfalls and opportunities that this case could encounter.

Beyond the specific recommendations outlined here, there is likely more to be found in databases in previous tabs such as ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry by applying the search strategy outlined there with a focus on sustainability focused keywords. Google Scholar may also be suitable in a similar way.

Recommended Databases

Deloitte Insights - Sustainability
Deloitte makes publicly available various insight reports on the topic of sustainability ranging from business management to the climate and human labor concerns.
Productivity reimagined : shattering performance myths to achieve sustainable growth
A book covering numerous cases of how major companies dealt with a variety of sustainability issues related to the concept of productivity.
Current trends in economics, business and sustainability
A collection of proceedings from a major Economic conference detailing various topics of sustainability in the business and economics environment. One or two of the proceedings available here may have overlap with the concerns of the apparel growth case.
The company of the future: Integrating sustainability, growth, and profitability in contemporary business models
Article analyzing methods to applying sustainability to traditional business practices in the context of maintaining revenue growth.

MGTO 30300 — Business Problem Solving (Harms/Balko)

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