Mercado has partnered with sustainable luxury brand Public Habit by launching an innovative 28-day or less direct-to-consumer model, to transform the way fashion is sourced, created, and delivered across the international supply chain. Public Habit hopes that this collaboration will encourage other businesses to adopt this model.

Public Habit turns the traditional 9-18 month apparel manufacturing cycle on its head by delivering all orders on demand, reducing the entire production and distribution period — from Asia to destination — to 28 days or less. Suppliers only produce quantities based on retailer orders placed on the brand's eCommerce website, reducing inventory and ensuring a more longer-lasting wardrobe. Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber, and other celebrities also have endorsed Public Habit's groundbreaking project.

This industry-shattering paradigm hasn't been without its setbacks. The business model dictated the need for a way to efficiently and reliably handle the end-to-end operation and ensure visibility and connectivity at every level in order to satisfy customer demand and sustain the brand's fast turn-around times.

Co-founder and CEO at Public Habit, Sydney Badger, said the obvious alternative was Mercado. They realized they wanted a technology partner to help them integrate their supply chain and e-commerce operations seamlessly. Mercado shared their idea of getting their suppliers and customers together through technology.

CEO of Mercado, Rob Garrison, said they were overjoyed when Public Habit decided to use Mercado because issues like Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are critical to their overall goal.

Better connectivity in the first mile of the supply chain ensures shorter lead times and better insight into consumer demand, making it easier for Public Habit and the suppliers to remain in the loop and, as a result, reducing excess inventory.

Badger said he thinks of Mercado as the Shopify of their supply chain. He believes the big force that Mercado is onto is embedding very basic technology that is rooted in their suppliers and if they have access into the market, they will unlock so much value,” says the CEO.

This is critical to the success of Public Habit. Public Habit doesn't have to think about overstocking or holding garments in a factory since the factories they use in Asia will manufacture minimum order volumes as low as one. Their one-on-one relationships with both suppliers and clients can be unconventional in the fashion industry, but they are groundbreaking in their attempts to minimize duplication, strengthen supplier relationships, and boost customer loyalty.

With Mercado's leading digital hub supporting this vision and bringing upstream and downstream activities together for apparel designers and those in other sectors, Public Habit claims it will help inform and encourage other businesses to shift toward a more effective direct-to-consumer model.

Mercado Labs is a digital supply network solution that helps companies handle millions in dollars of products through their supply chain from the first mile to the last mile with less reliance on email and spreadsheets.