Previously, the rich customers bought expensive luxury goods, the impoverished customers bought cheap low quality merchandise and the middle class customers stayed true and loyal to the middle market. However, today there has been a change in the customer shopping behaviour, especially among the middle class customers who no longer want to be stuck in mediocrity. Either the customers “trade up”, which means that they buy goods with higher price and quality; or they “trade down”, which means that they buy cheaper low quality goods. This has created a change, which means that around the world, premium and no-frills products are squeezing middle-of-the-road products and services. Sales in the middle market are pressed while sales on both the top end and the bottom end of the market are rapidly growing. The market conditions are changing and this thesis is written with the purpose to analyse the given market situation - giving companies, primarily in the fashion industry, an opportunity to overview the possibilities for positioning on a market where the gap between discount and premium brands is getting bigger. Obviously, the phenomenon of market polarization will continue and the pressure on the companies to change will increase. This thesis discus therefore how a company can position and reposition itself in the emerging and ever changing environment. Three companies have been researched – Helly Hansen, Pennyblack and Nova Star. The choice of the companies have been made on the basis of all being active on the Scandinavian middle market practicing in three different parts of the fashion industry, which gives this study a broader approach. The study is qualitative and based on interviews with representatives from each company. After conducting the interviews and analysing the empirical framework, the conclusions suggest that the most beneficial way for a company to position itself on the current saturated market is by differentiating themselves, providing something that the competitors cannot offer. Nevertheless, the differentiation has nowadays become more complex and convoluted. This happened since the saturation has made attributes that previously have been seen as unique - such as for example, superior quality and design, to be mainly common. The saturated market leads to more and more tough competition between the companies. The study shows that this actually is the reason making the companies to try to make profit everywhere, attempting to reach people that should not fall within their targeted segment. On the contrary, it is more beneficial to target as narrowly as possible, specifically aiming at the consumers that would actually benefit form the products a company offers. Lastly, the results indicate that the International brands attempting to enter the Scandinavian market should be prepared to adjust their strategies, since the Scandinavian market seems to be different from the rest of the world. / Program: Master in Fashion Management with specialisation in Fashion Marketing and Retailing

Le premier chapitre de cette thèse s’intéresse à la relation entre les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) et la productivité dans 8 pays de l’OCDE. L’objectif est de trouver une explication à la coexistence d’un progrès technologique marqué associé à l’absence de rupture dans les performances de productivité sur les dernières décennies. Nos résultats suggèrent qu’il y a une relation positive entre la diffusion des TIC et le progrès technique tandis les variations d’efficience sont associées négativement avec ces technologies. Ces résultats suggèrent que les économies étudiées sont toujours en phase d’adaptation. Le deuxième chapitre analyse le rôle des TIC dans la polarisation du marché du travail. En utilisant des données de 8 pays industrialisés, nos résultats attestent d’une contribution des TIC à cette dynamique et d’un impact différencié par pays et par industrie. Nous relevons aussi que la diffusion des TIC s’accompagne d’abord d’un biais technologique en faveur des travailleurs les plus qualifiés (SBTC) puis contribue à la polarisation du marché du travail. Nous notons également un affaiblissement de la relation positive entre TIC et demande de travailleurs qualifiés. Le troisième chapitre évalue le risque de destructions d’emploi par le capital informatique au Japon. Nous estimons que près de 55% de l’emploi est susceptible d’être réalisés par des outils informatique dans les prochaines années. Ce type de risque semble égal si l’on prend en compte la différence de genre des travailleurs. En revanche, nous notons que les travailleurs les plus précaires sont soumis à un risque plus important. / The first chapter of this thesis investigates the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and productivity within 8 OECD countries. It aims at providing explanations for the coexistence of this strong technological evolution together with the absence of break in the productivity trend during the last decades. Our results suggest that there is a clearly identifiable positive relationship between computerization and technical progress, while ICT diffusion negatively affects pure efficiency changes. Our findings support that the economies under consideration are still in a phase of adaptation.The second chapter analyses the role of ICT on the job market polarization. Using data for 8 industrialized economies, our results show a significant contribution of ICT on polarization dynamics with some differences between countries and industries. We also find evidence that diffusion of ICT is initially accompanied by a Skill Bias Technological Change (SBTC), then contributing to job market polarization. Finally, our findings highlight a progressive weakening of the positive link between ICT diffusion and the increasing demand for high-skilled workers over time.The third chapter evaluates the risk of job destructions induced by computer technology in Japan. Relying on recent methodology, we found evidence that approximatively 55% of jobs are susceptible to be carried by computer capital in the next years. We also show that thereis no significant difference on the basis of gender. On the contrary, non-regular jobs (those that concern temporary and part-time workers) are more vulnerable to computer technology diffusion than the others.