What is Garment on Hanger (GOH)?

Garment on Hanger (GOH) describes the end-to-end handling of clothing items while they remain on hangers throughout parts or all of the supply chain. Instead of folding garments and packing them flat, GOH keeps garments suspended on hangers from the factory through warehousing, transport, distribution, and often all the way to the retail display. This approach protects delicate fabrics, preserves creases, reduces rework at the store, and supports faster replenishment of shop floors and pop-up displays.

At its simplest, GOH is a physical format decision: garments are placed on hangers and typically covered with a protective sleeve or bag, then grouped on rails, mobile hanging racks, or specialized pallets designed to accept hanging rails. But GOH also implies process choices — receiving, storage, picking, and shipping workflows are adapted to handle hung garments safely and efficiently. For apparel categories such as dresses, suits, coats, and premium merchandise, GOH is often the preferred method because it reduces the need for steaming and re-hanging when items reach the store.

Why retailers and logisticians choose GOH:

• Speed to shelf: Stores receive merchandise ready to place on fixtures with minimal handling, cutting store labor and display time.
• Product protection: Hanging reduces folding lines and creases, lowering the risk of damage or customer dissatisfaction.
• Improved presentation: Garments arrive in a display-ready state, which is critical for full-price selling of higher-margin items.
• Efficiency in replenishment: GOH enables cross-docking and quick transfer from inbound to outbound flows when supported by the right layout and systems.

Where GOH is typically used:

• Premium and full-price retail where product presentation drives sales.
• Fast fashion and seasonal drops where speed and low store handling are priorities.
• E-commerce and omnichannel models that offer 'ready to display' returns or store pick-up items.
• High-value garments, bridal wear, suits, and outerwear that need extra protection.

Types of GOH handling equipment:

• Mobile hanging racks: Steel or aluminum racks on wheels that hold rails populated with hangers and garments; commonly used for short-term storage and store-ready staging.
• Hanging pallets and crate systems: Pallets fitted with rails so large batches of hung garments can be moved and stacked safely in transit.
• GOH conveyors and sortation: Automated lines that move hung garments through inspection, labeling, or packing stations in distribution centers.
• Protective covers and polybags: Lightweight covers protect garments from dust and moisture while still allowing them to be hung.

Process implications and systems support:

Handling GOH requires deliberate layout choices in a warehouse: hanging lanes or aisles must allow clear movement, storage density is typically lower than folded palletized goods, and material handling equipment is specialized. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Transportation Management Systems (TMS) can be configured to track garment-level serials, SKU-on-hanger, and movement of hanging racks just as they track pallets or cartons. Labels, RFID tags, or barcode tags are often attached to hangers or garment loops to maintain visibility and to enable fast pick/ship processes.

Operational trade-offs:

• Space vs. value: GOH uses more volumetric space than folded packing, which raises storage costs per cubic meter. It is typically justified for higher margin items or where labor savings and presentation value outweigh space costs.
• Handling complexity: Staff need training on safe hang-to-hang transfers, loading rails, and preventing tangling. Poorly executed GOH flows can cause damage and slow throughput.
• Sustainability considerations: Reusable hangers and cover systems reduce single-use packaging, but the environmental trade-offs of heavier fixtures and transport inefficiencies must be considered.

Real-world example:

Imagine a brand shipping a seasonal dress line. Using GOH, dresses are hung at the manufacturer, received onto mobile racks in the distribution center, undergo quality inspection while hung, and then are cross-docked to stores on the same racks. Stores roll the racks to the sales floor and place garments directly on their rails. This eliminates re-hanging, steaming, or ironing at store level and dramatically shortens the time from distribution center receipt to available-for-sale time.

In summary, Garment on Hanger (GOH) is a tactical choice that merges product protection with customer-facing presentation and faster store readiness. For beginners, think of GOH as an extension of merchandising into logistics — it prioritizes keeping garments looking their best while optimizing flows between factory, warehouse, transport, and store.