Mike Flanagan
Biography
Mike Flanagan is CEO of Clothesource Limited, which provides apparel buyers and sellers throughout the world with the hard data they need to understand their competitiveness. Clothesource, with the world's largest collection of intelligence on clothing price comparisons, supplier capabilities and national resources, provides both buyers and sellers with advice and training on improving sourcing and selling skills.
Mike began his career in the advertising industry in the UK and Italy, before moving into retailing. Before setting up Clothesource, he held a number of senior international buying, marketing and operations posts in the retail divisions of groups such as Associated British Foods, British Petroleum and US Shoe.
Columns by Mike Flanagan
The Flanarant
A forthright take on the follies the world’s apparel buying community has to deal with, from Mike Flanagan, CEO of Clothesource – and his suggestions for putting them right.
Articles by Mike Flanagan
The Flanarant: Solutions to prevent another Bangladesh tragedy
3 May 2013
Actions need to speak louder than words when it comes to tackling working conditions in the Bangladesh garment industry. And in the wake of the collapse last week of the Rana Plaza building near Dhaka, Mike Flanagan has what he describes as "a modest proposal" for identifying and delisting all unsound factories.
The Flanarant: Trade deals - the devil is in the details
17 April 2013
The explosion in proposed trade agreements will probably stimulate major changes over the next decade in how apparel buyers organise their supply chains. But as Mike Flanagan explains, they never deliver what - or when - their lobbyists say they will.
The Flanarant: Asia hit by multiple whammy
13 March 2013
New pressures on Asian manufacturers are likely to hit apparel buyers on both sides of the Atlantic, including labour issues, minimum wages, raw material prices, abscondment, pollution and financial “redlining”. Mike Flanagan looks at the likely impact.
The Flanarant: Compliance campaigns set to take a new direction
1 February 2013
Comment: Walmart's 'buy American' plan offers industry hope
23 January 2013
The Flanarant: How's sourcing going to be in 2013?
14 January 2013
The Flanarant: Where does the Tazreen fire leave Bangladesh?
5 December 2012
The Flanarant: China's textile and clothing challenge in new era
19 November 2012
The Flanarant: Onshoring - a new dawn or a false hope?
5 November 2012
The Flanarant: The perils of social risk on garment supply
17 October 2012
The Flanarant: Workers' rights not a universal option
20 September 2012
The Flanarant: Bangladesh's surprising fall in garment sales
14 February 2012
The Flanarant: Apparel 'slumpflation' is all-round confusing
10 January 2012
The Flanarant: Debunking the garment industry myths of 2011
22 December 2011
THE FLANARANT: Is own label about to collapse?
16 November 2011
THE FLANARANT: Local knowledge is key to retail success
25 October 2011
THE FLANARANT: Apparel sourcing rules start to unravel
30 September 2011
