Made to measure and ordered online

The online mall of Foshan Shunde Everstar Clothing Co allows shoppers to personalize T-shirt designs. [Photo/China Daily]

This is how it works:

? Shoppers first log onto the Everstar virtual store at www.idiymall.com.

? Then they type in their measurements and decide on the color, the cut and the style of the items they are looking for from a selection of pictures and illustrations.

? A couple of clicks later and the virtual fitting room will show them on screen what their tailor-made fashion items will look like.

? A final click and their orders are processed.

Simple? But that is only half the logistics battle. To keep delivery dates down to three days in China's domestic market, Everstar uses state-of-the-art laser-cutting technology, which can fashion the fabrics to custom-ordered designs in only 20 seconds, compared to 30 minutes using traditional methods.

Once the "smart tailor", as it is known, has finished, the items are moved along a conveyor belt "hanging system", where factory workers put the final touches to the items.

"The smart tailor has radically reduced the time needed to cut cloth and print patterns, which in the old days could take between 30 minutes and one hour by our work force," Fan said.

The switch into "smart manufacturing" has paid off for Everstar, which employs 490 staff at its two factories. In 2014, the clothing company reported 40,000 online orders.

Still, revenue from the "virtual fitting room" accounted for less than 10 percent of last year's business, which was worth 70 million yuan ($11.27 million).

Fan expects Everstar's online operation will steadily increase and is predicting it will hit 20 percent of total revenue in 2015.

"The Internet of Things (a term used for traditional manufacturing coupled with online technology) makes it possible to produce a profit from tailor-made small orders," he said.

In 2013, revenue was about 160 million yuan, but profit margins slowed against a strong currency and rising labor costs.

It was at this point that the company decided to roll out the Everstar brand and the online store. The move into e-commerce has helped boost its domestic market presence and compensate for falling overseas orders.