MODEULE 4 FAST-RESPONSE LOGISTICS FOR RETAILING

A. IN-CLASS PRACTICE
I. VOCABULARY 1: Read paragraphs A and B of the article on page 57 and match up the
following words/expressions with their definitions/explanations in English.
A. to try to be more successful or better than
1. fast fashion [U]
somebody else who is trying to do the same as you
2. affordable (adj) B. all the time; repeatedly
C. to show or be a sign of the nature of something
3. constantly (adv)
or of somebody’s attitude or feeling
4. to compete (vi)
~ (for sth – e.g. a contract,
attention, job, etc.) // ~
D. cheap enough that people can
(with sb/sth) // ~ (against
afford to pay it or buy it
sb/sth) // ~ (on sth – e.g.
price, quality, cost, etc. )
//~ (to do sth)
5. to reflect (vt) E. having two parts or aspects
6. dual (adj, only before F. clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that
noun) people can buy new clothes often

II. VOCABULARY 2: Read paragraphs C and D of the article on page 57

and choose the best definition/explanation in English that matches up the
underlined word/expression in each of the following sentence.
1. This used to be a marvelous hotel but it has lost its appeal in recent years. (cf. l. 17, p. C)
A. a request to the public for money, information, or help
B. the quality in someone or something that makes him, her, or it attractive or interesting
C. a request made to a court of law or to someone in authority to change a previous decision
2. The hospital is carrying out tests to find out what's wrong with her. (cf. l. 30, p. B)
A. approving or accepting something, especially that you have said you would do or that you have been
told to do
B. doing or completing something, especially that you have said you would do or that you have been told
to do
C. postponing or delaying something, especially that you have said you would do or that you have been
told to do
3. We don’t have that kind of software in house. (cf. l. 30, p. D)
A. within a house or an apartment
B. within a community or an society
C. within a company or an organization
4. He dyed his hair black. (cf. l. 30, p. D)
A. cut something short by using special equipment or tools
B. designed something using a special fashion
C. changed the colour of something using a special liquid
5. Some products are labelled exclusively for indoor or outdoor use. (cf. l. 35, p. D)
A. for only one particular person, group or use
B. completely
C. for many common people or groups of people
III. VOCABULARY 3: Read paragraphs E and F of the article on page 57
and use the words/expressions in these paragraphs to complete the
word/expression in each of the following sentences by writing the missing letters.
1. For further information, please refer to the r_____ leaflet. [= connected with
what is happening or being discussed]
2. Take some foreign c_____ to cover incidentals like the taxi fare to your
hotel. [= the money that is used in a particular country at a particular time]
3. The pound rose s_____ against the dollar today, then settled at $1.53. [= a little]
4. Our main o_____ is to improve the company's productivity. [= something
that you plan to do or achieve]
5. The percentage of companies being downgraded was typical for this point
in the economic c_____. [= the fact of a series of events being repeated
many times, always in the same order]
IV. READING 1: Choose ONE word/expression to fill in each blank of the
following text.
another longer
arm manufacturing
as or
business pipelines
ends tendency
further that
gained times
lengthen ways

Traditional (1)_____ of responding to customer demand have been

forecast-based, with the resultant risk of over-stocked (2)_____ understocked situations.
More recently there has emerged another trend that has added
(3)_____ complexity and difficulty to the management of fashion logistics.
The growing (4)_____ to source product and materials offshore has led in
many cases to significantly (5)_____ lead times. While there is usually a
substantial cost advantage to be (6)_____, particularly in manufacturing,
through sourcing in low labour cost areas, the effect on lead (7)_____ can
be severe. It is not only distance that causes replenishment lead times to
(8)_____ in global sourcing. It is the delays and variability caused by
internal processes at both (9)_____ of the chain as well as the import/export
procedures in between. The end result is longer (10)_____ with more
inventory in them, with the consequent risks of obsolescence that arise.
V. READING 2: Read the following text and choose the best option to fill in each blank.
Much of (1)_____ pressure for seeking low-cost manufacturing
solutions (2)_____ come from retailers. At the same time (3)_____ have been
moves by many retailers (4)_____ the apparel business to reduce significantly
the (5)_____ of suppliers they do business with. This (6)_____ base
rationalization has been (7)_____ by a number of considerations, but in
(8)_____ by the need to develop more responsive (9)_____ systems –
something that is not possible when sourcing is (10)_____ over hundreds, if
not thousands, of suppliers.
1 A. a B. an C. the D. no article
2. A. have B. has C. having D. had
3. A. them B. we C. they D. there
4. A. by B. on C. at D. in
5. A. number B. numbers C. numbering D. numbered
6. A. supplies B. supplied C. supply D. supplying
7. A. drives B. drive C. driven D. driving
8. A. particular B. all C. particularly D. all of
9. A. replenishes B. replenish C. replenishment D. replenishing
10. A. spread B. spreads C. spreading D. spreaded

VI. TRANSLATION: Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese.

1. In fashion retailing, what makes a supply chain effective?
______________________________________________________
2. Products of all its markets go through its two distribution centers in Spain.
______________________________________________________
3. The company is an example of a very successful fast-fashion retailer.
______________________________________________________
4. Few products are available in store for more than a month.
______________________________________________________
5. The company’s manufacturing systems are similar in many ways to those
developed so successfully by its competitors.
______________________________________________________
VII. WRITING 1: Use your own words (from 6 to 15 words) to complete the
following sentences.
1. The company has ______________________________________.
______________________________________________________
2. All manufacturing is ____________________________________.
______________________________________________________
3. The company prefers its __________________________________.
______________________________________________________
4. About 20 per cent of its __________________________________.
______________________________________________________
5. The company does ______________________________________.
______________________________________________________
VIII. WRITING 2: Build sentences from the following suggested
words/phrases.
1. stock / its / store / be / contsant / change /.
______________________________________________________
2. company’s / core / customer / be / 18 - 35-year-old / woman / .
______________________________________________________
3. new / delivery / arrive / twice-week / basis /.
______________________________________________________
4. company / achieve / rapid / grow / and / success / high / compete /
environment / .
______________________________________________________
5. every / week / , / one / million / item / distribute / store / our / two region /
distribution / centre / .
______________________________________________________