The enormous success of vertical retailers like H&M, Zara, Gap and Next in the apparel industry in the last 10 years has forced manufacturers of brand labels like Esprit and Levi, and department stores like El Corte Ingles and Marks & Spencer, to speed up their supply chains. Partly, this has been achieved by integrating their processes and systems upstream (towards their suppliers) and downstream (towards their end-customers) in the supply chain.