NAU

Nau is a Maori word for Welcome! Come in. Nau (pronounced "now") is a clothing company based in Portland, Oregon. They make sustainable urban outdoor apparel - integrated designs for the modern mobile life. Nau is a brainchild of executives who worked in esteemed companies as in Patagonia, Nike and Adidas. They thrived for socio-economic growth; they used strategies which inculcated new enthusiasm in customers so that they can breathe in lively and enjoy the shopping all around. These individuals shared a belief that in addition to generating a profit, companies have an equal responsibility to create positive social and environmental change. The founders wanted to be unconventional; not to follow the conventional means of business. It mitigated sense of authority in every member which helped them to reap best results in short stipulated time. Their then CEO Chris Vari Dyke said that they had to start with nothing in their hands, planning, implementing the plans and an immediate positive result was the key in settling them in the market. Sustainability was an important factor for Nau and its founders. They had to strive for their existence and to that they had be the best of its kind.

Strategy
Their goal is to use design to redefine business so that it can be a force for change. They do this by making sustainability and philanthropy inherent in everything they do; by blending the tailored and the technical to craft urban and outdoor performance apparel; by pioneering premium, eco-friendly fabrics, and crafting clean, intuitive silhouettes that are built to move. The topic of a global sourcing and manufacturing approach is more complex than can be done justice in this short space, but they are trying to offer more visibility into the choices they make and the reasons behind them. At the end of this piece, the customers will find links to more in-depth explorations of this topic. Widespread public opinion still contends that a company's decision to source and manufacture goods in Asia - and more specifically in China - is solely based on a desire for cheap labour. The truth, though, is often much more complicated and nuanced. Not only have Asian manufacturers become the experts in working with the most modern textiles and technologies, but they also produce some of the highest quality workmanship at competitive prices. Combine those factors with recent improvements in workers' conditions and the use of third party monitoring of social and environmental conditions, and it becomes clear that there is room for new perceptions of offshore manufacturing. Strengths They manufacture clothing in four countries Canada, China, Thailand and Turkeyusing fabrics from China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Thailand and the U.S.A. One reason they manufacture many of their products in Asia is because many of their cutting-edge textiles originate only in Asia, and one of their goals is to have their production facilities as close as possible to where their fabric, hardware and fixtures originate, in order to reduce the environmental impact of shipping. For many of the products we are producing (some of the most highly tailored and technical on the market) the required skill sets and technologies no longer exist in the U.S. While there are U.S.-made garments available to consumers, they are almost always less technical than what Nau designs, and are produced in far greater volume. The demise of the U.S. textile and garmentmanufacturing segment of the economy is a well-known macro-economic trend, in place for many years. While disappointing, this is not something that we, as a small newcomer brand, can truly counteract.

Thankfully, along with the years of industry experience that many of their staff members bring to their team come lasting, established relationships with foreign manufacturers whose practices and integrity we know and trust. Of course overseas production is not without controversy, but if approached with honesty and transparency, and monitored by a system of checks and balances, we believe it can actually benefit the people and countries where the work is done.

Besides working with manufacturers with whom we have long-established relationships, we have created a code of conduct with which they must comply. Their Code of Conduct addresses three major areas: human rights, environment, documentation and review. The human rights section addresses issues related to voluntary employment, child labour, freedom of association, fair and equal treatment, non discrimination, compensation, hours of work, overtime, and health and safety. Opportunities We will continue to evaluate all their manufacturing partners and practices. We remain committed to producing their goods with integrity, and only with the help of manufacturers who approach their work in the same manner, wherever they are located. 1. When deciding what Nau was going to be like and how it was going to do business, the founder knew they didnt want to do things the way theyd always been done by traditional businesses. They believed that every single operational element in the business was an opportunity to turn traditional business notations inside out, integrating environmental, social and economic factors. From design to sales to finances, Nau is driven by these factors. Everything in Naus operation has been approached with sustainability and social justice filter. Each supplier, manufacturer an d even Nau itself is bound by a code of conduct. To ensure that al parties are living up to the standards, their actions are over seen by independent, non-profit auditing and research firm. So, in a way, it is being responsible and ethical because Nau is concerned with the social, economic and environmental issues and is striving to keep its code of conduct intact.

2. Naus approach will have a staying power as long as the people it works with respect their beliefs and customs. However, the way the company retails its products is unique. Using a concept it calls a web-front, Nau has combined the efficiency of the web with the intimacy of a gallery-like boutique. In the store, customers can try on clothes, but they use self-serve kiosks to purchase from the web. Because the in-store inventory is greatly reduced, the stores are small as compared to the standard outdoor retail stores. 3. Yes it does make a company responsible, a company needs to raise social issue while they promote. Being unconventional in the market makes a company reliable and catchy among the customers. They access the customer needs and cater their strategy accordingly. Connecting the dots is a perfect maxim to understand their strategy in roping the customer base. They had to start from a white sheet and successfully they have managed to fill that so far with their hands being painted. 4. Nau has done a commendable effort in the market; it has initiated the modern means to inculcate in the customers the sense of being adhered to the company. Companies have been too mainstream in their approach, and some brand companies are successful because of the fact that they are already established in the market but for a new comer being conventional can prove disastrous. So unconventional methods, raising social issues and promoting environmental changes, bringing forth the changes around helps their cause in the long run. So other companies can take a notice of it and evolve according.