The Hong Kong-based company Li & Fung announced a partnership with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The Hong Kong-based company Li & Fung announced a partnership with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Among others, this company provides merchandise to Kohl's ( KSS - news -people ), Target ( TGT - news -people ), Marks and Spencer (MASPY.PK - news - people ) andTalbots ( TLB - news - people ). Moreover, last year took over Liz Claiborne Inc. ( LIZ - news - people)'s sourcing arm, and bought U.S.-based Wear Me Apparel's clothing and accessories operations, whose products are sold at retailers like Macy's. The Wal-Mart’s deal would let this company become a global sourcing giant. I recommend a close follow up.

Source: Forbes

Discovering how to meet the needs of the marketplace is also the driving force for apparel companies

Keep eyes and ears open. When you see a need don’t let it pass. Look for solutions, execute and deliver. There are needs that seem impossible to supply because the conditions of the market sometimes are extreme. Fortunately, when there is clear understanding of a need, impossible things become possible. In the presentation: A warm embrace that saves lives, Jane Chen the CEO of a social enterprise shows how thousands of premature babies in India are saved thanks to an innovate sleeping bag. This social enterprise, with the help of technology and the understanding of the local needs could create, execute and deliver a sleeping bag that keeps premature babies at the needed temperature to survive. I highly recommend this video posted by TED.