GIANT online retailer Amazon is expected to be the world's biggest clothing seller when it opens for business in Australia next year.
And, while seemingly steeped in tradition, the global wool industry and marketing of wool products is rapidly and inexorably, being drawn into the digital age.
These were messages taken away from the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) annual meeting and conference in Harrogate, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, last month by a contingent from Ruralco Holdings.
The contingent included Ruralco executive general manager rural operations Matt Pedersen, Primaries of WA general manager Andrew Lindsay and wool technician Carl Poingdestre, wool manager at Rodwells & Co, Melbourne, Michael de Kleuver, and the Calvert brothers from Roberts Ltd, Tasmania - operations manager Robert and State wool manager Alistair.
"The theme of the conference was wool in the digital age and the message was clearly that online sales are growing at a massive rate - digital is the future and it includes wool products," Mr Poingdestre said.
"We learned that Amazon will be the biggest seller of garments in the world by next year.
"It is massive, and for all types of garments," he said.
"(Other) big names like Net-A-Porter (London-based international online women's designer fashion and accessories retailer) and Zara (a Spanish-based international online clothing and accessories retailer) have increased their online sales substantially in the past few years.
"Online shops are starting to release their own brands and to become raw materials buyers."
Mr Poingdestre said delegates learned that even if consumers ultimately bought from a regular bricks-and-mortar clothing store, many went online first to check price, styles, colours and availability.
"Seven out of 10 store purchasers look online before visiting the store," he said.
Mobile phones and phone apps also had an impact, he said, with 35 per cent of web purchases made from mobile phones.
While mainstream wool apparel, particularly trendy wool and wool-blend active wear and athleisure items, would increasingly sell online, Mr Poingdestre said the general opinion of the conference was that digital retailing was unlikely to have significant impact on high-end wool fashions and men's suits where personal service was "a part of the overall shopping experience".
"We don't think any of that will change for the very wealthy, the full service will still be a part of the deal of buying an expensive suit," he said.
Apart from the way many wool products will be sold, the digital age was also changing the way wool was marketed, Mr Poingdestre said.
"We were told the internet is predicted to take over from TV this year (as the main advertising platform) and the prediction is 90pc of advertising will happen on social media.
"With the digital age, they've (UK knitwear and wool clothing manufacturers) had a very successful marketing campaign with high-profile athletes like (road racing cyclist) Chris Froome and high-profile English soccer players promoting wool.
"They were also having a lot of success with high-profile bloggers - they call them influencers - a lot of the millennials (people born 1982-2004) out there follow the bloggers and believe anything they say.
"It's a bit like word-of-mouth recommendation, but on steroids," he said.
There was also a move to further promote wool's environmental credentials as a natural, sustainable fibre with "some work" being done on recycling woollen clothing.
"We have to continue to get the message out that wool is sustainable and biodegradable,” Mr Poingdestre said.
