Competition from very low- cost nations in Africa as well as Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and elsewhere is intense, and a large portion of apparel manufacturing formerly done in China is moving to these areas at a rapid pace.
While China continues to have a robust apparel manufacturing industry, it is moving up the industrial chain by fostering manufacturing that requires greater skills, better technology and more investment in advanced equipment. Such segments that are rapidly evolving in China include InfoTech, automobiles, trains, aerospace, medical equipment and telecommunications gear.
As wages rise in China, workers are also calling for better working conditions. Workers in many parts of the world are beginning to demand shorter hours and safer working environments. The apparel and textile manufacturing industry has historically been one that has few barriers to entry, little capital investment needed and a high level of low-skilled labor involved.
Demand for workers is high, and workers are able to demand much higher pay than those in less-developed nations. Many Chinese firms are massive in size, with tightly integrated units providing rapid design, manufacturing and logistics. One of the most interesting organizations is the Esquel Group of Companies. Esquel www. The company also sells its products through its proprietary brand, PYE, which markets high-end cotton apparel in China with a flagship luxury retail store in Beijing.
Esquel maintains group sales offices in select locations around the world, including U. Meanwhile, some manufacturers outside of Asia have become very efficient and quick to react to consumer trends. The firm is famous for its lean inventory and fast-fashion strategy. It can get a new item of clothing from its person design team, through its manufacturing plants and into its more than 4, stores in as little as two weeks.
The company operates several manufacturing facilities in Spain for its clothing. Many of its outside suppliers are located in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. One of the more interesting recent developments in apparel manufacturing has been to reshore, which is the return of some of the business to plants based in the country where most sales are made.
Some designers and retailers find that their orders are not of sufficient size to interest major offshore plants, or their need for fast delivery makes it impossible to use overseas manufacturers.
There is promising growth among many American manufacturers. Likewise, the need for extremely high quality is keeping some manufacturing of luxury apparel and accessories at home by Italian designers. As wages continue to rise in emerging nations, and shipping costs continue to be subject to spikes due to high fuel prices, some portion of clothing manufacturing will continue to reshore.
Growing productivity from better manufacturing technology will add to this trend. Apparel and accessory stores have generally been enjoying a rebound in sales around the world.
Meanwhile, the luxury apparel, shoe and accessories market has enjoyed exceptional growth in hot economies such as Brazil and China. Leading brands have been opening large numbers of new stores in these markets.
These numbers are from the U. International Trade Administration. In the European Union EU , the textile and apparel sector is quite large, particularly in nations that enjoy lower operating costs, such as the Baltic States and Eastern European States.
Nearby, the textile and apparel industry remains a major part of the economy of Turkey. South America, Central America and Africa also play minor roles in world apparel trade. For the decade ending in , compound annual growth averaged 5. Over the past several years, manufacturers of basic synthetic textiles, such as polyester fabrics, have been dealing with a global manufacturing glut. Synthetic textile manufacturing has been dominated by the largest global chemical firms, but many of them have exited the business by spinning off or selling their holdings.
Trade agreements among the U. Because trade agreements will never satisfy all parties concerned, they tend to lead to controversy and much critical discussion. On the retail end, consumers of apparel have long enjoyed wide selections and moderate prices in North America, Asia, Europe and elsewhere. During , retail sales at clothing and accessories stores in the U. Apparel retailing has always been a tough, highly competitive business, and many chains rise dramatically and then fail.
Retail fashion merchandising is a vast challenge witness the recent ups and downs of The Gap. Just-in-time inventory, driven by highly computerized supply chain management systems, is now an immense asset to major retailers.
Speaking of figures, the well-documented expanding girth of consumers in many nations is placing new challenges upon fashion merchandisers as overweight people of all ages, tastes and income brackets require clothes in larger sizes. Designers and merchandisers face the task of developing and presenting larger clothes in a flattering light.
While Americans as well as residents of many other countries from Mexico to China have been putting on weight, they have also developed a keen interest in sports apparel and workout gear to wear at the gym and in other leisure activities. This is one of the fastest-growing product categories in the apparel and shoe sector. Over 50 million Americans have some sort of gym membership, and they need appropriate clothing to wear while they work out.
Plunkett Research estimates the active sports apparel segment of the U. Demographic changes will offer immense opportunities to U. As more and more of these people become seniors, their tastes and needs will bring great revenues to savvy apparel sellers who learn how to cater to this market.
Meanwhile, the rapid growth of ethnic consumer groups in America, Hispanics in particular, will offer superb marketing and product development opportunities. Department stores have changed their business models drastically. This change has created problems within the department store industry, as managers, faced with intense competition, developed the habit of continuously discounting apparel in sale events, consequently putting pressure on profitability.
Consumers have been trained to wait for items to go on sale before they make purchases, thus lowering profit margins at stores. Nonetheless, department stores remain major forces in apparel retailing today. In many Asian nations including China, however, a department store of today typically looks more like one did in America years ago.
Department stores in China are known to sell everything from medicinal herbs to clothing to furniture and even automobiles. Another sweeping change in apparel retailing is the rising success of e-commerce. Retail apparel chains are employing bricks and clicks together successfully. That is, they create synergies between very active web sites and their retail stores. Your search terms. Open Access only. Going global : the textile and apparel industry Grace I.
Garner Illinois State University. The manufacturing and distribution of textiles and apparel products is a truly global industry, making it crucial that students are aware of the most current political, social and economic developments within the international marketplace. This edition includes updated discussions of ethics, social justice, and environmental responsibility; trade agreements; and the role and specialization of the world regions and selected countries that are major players in the textile and apparel marketplace.
This current text will help students gain a holistic understand of supply chains and global sourcing concepts and practices. Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips Review concepts with flashcards of terms and definitions Access images of all of the photos in the book in full colorTeaching Resources: Instructor's Guide, Test Bank, and PowerPoint presentations available.
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More details Report error. Extent: xvii, Seiten. Introduction to Globalization -- 2. Consumers, Consumption, and Well-Being -- 3. Textile and Apparel Supply Matrix -- 4.
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