Top stories on just-style in February include a look at how changes in minimum wage rates are likely to be of significant concern to apparel brands and retailers sourcing from Southeast Asia in 2019, an interview with Anna Maria Rugarli, senior director of sustainability and responsibility for EMEA at VF International, a guide to how brands can source responsibly from Myanmar, Debenhams is to develop a new strategic sourcing partnership with global sourcing giant Li & Fung, and Egypt’s garment industry is set to benefit from the eventual implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
1. Minimum wage rises squeeze Southeast Asia sourcing
Changes in minimum wage rates are likely to be of significant concern to apparel brands and retailers sourcing from Southeast Asia in 2019, with pay in many countries continuing on an upward trajectory.
2. ‘Made in the USA’ apparel – Who’s selling what and for how much?
Anecdotal evidence suggests ‘Made in the USA’ clothing is growing in popularity – but there’s little insight into who’s selling it, what products are available, and the pricing strategy. In this detailed analysis, Dr Sheng Lu, associate professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware, crunches some numbers on the US retail market to find out more.
3. VF has a vision for circular supply chains – it just needs them to scale up
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By GlobalDataMore than a year into its new global sustainability and responsibility strategy, apparel giant VF Corp is helping to drive efforts to lead large scale commercialisation of circular business models. As Anna Maria Rugarli, senior director of sustainability and responsibility for EMEA at VF International, explains, there are opportunities ahead to make circularity work.
4. How can brands source responsibly from Myanmar?
The ongoing human rights crisis in Myanmar has prompted the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) to launch a four-point guide aimed at helping brands and retailers to continue to source responsibly from the country.
5. EU begins process to suspend Cambodia trade benefits
The European Union has confirmed it is to start the process that could temporarily suspend Cambodia’s duty-free trade benefits – prompting the group that represents garment manufacturers in Cambodia (GMAC) to say such a move would jeopardise the country’s efforts to build a responsible apparel supply chain.
6. From Field to Shelf – Using data to rank top apparel supplier countries
In a changing and uncertain world, data across a range of metrics for individual production countries has a key role to play in decision-making. Here Robert Antoshak, managing director at Olah Inc compares labour, production and import prices across the top 25 suppliers of apparel.
7. Debenhams in new sourcing partnership with Li & Fung
Debenhams is to develop a new strategic sourcing partnership with global sourcing giant Li & Fung in a move CEO Sergio Bucher says will be a “key part” of the struggling UK department store retailer’s turnaround plan.
8. Digital map of Bangladesh garment factories will facilitate sector growth
A new digital map that charts Dhaka’s garment factories, helping buyers know more about the suppliers they are involved with, will strengthen and facilitate the growth of Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry, experts say.
9. UN warns of “massive” impact of US-China tariff hike
The United Nations is calling for a fast resolution of the tit-for-tat trade dispute between the US and China, warning it could have “massive” implications on the global economy. And with analysis showing bilateral tariffs would do little to help protect domestic firms, a handful of countries are set to capture a slice of the giants’ exports.
10. Egypt garments set to benefit from African free trade treaty
Eventual implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement is expected to provide a boost to Egypt’s garment industry – but logistics and government red tape will pose a major challenge, industry executives have told just-style.
