The impact of sustainability is rising on the global fashion industry’s agenda and it’s having a knock-on effect on the buying behavior of consumers. As consumers, we are encouraging brands to answer ‘Who made my product?’ and pushing the industry to become more transparent. After the Rana Plaza incident five years ago in Bangladesh, the fashion industry called for change and the first vital step was to increase visibility and transparency in the supply chain. No doubt a lot has changed since the incident and some very positive progress has been made. However, it’s still impossible for a consumer to find out where their clothes are made, by whom and what impact this has on people’s lives and our planet?
This year over 2.5 million people worldwide participated in the non-profit global movement Fashion Revolution. 113,000 social posts included the hashtag #whomademyclothes. Consumers love fashion, but they don’t want their clothes to come at the cost of people or the planet.
As per the Fashion Transparency Index 2018 survey,
– Only 10 brands scored above 50% for their transparency score
– Not a single brand is scoring above 60%
– 37% of brands and retailers are publishing the list of their manufacturers
– Only 1 brand (ASOS), disclosed its raw material suppliers
So how can retailers cope up with transparency and answer the major question – “Who made my product?”
Having the right, scalable technology helps build the foundation for a stable and connected network of suppliers and their factories, this will assist retailers to enhance their reputation and products, not put them at risk.
Duncan Grewcock, Chief Operating Officer – APAC, EV Cargo Technology, looks at 5 key areas to optimise sustainability through vendor and factory engagement- On-board, Collaborate, Manage, Monitor and Predict.
He also delves into how these 5 crucial areas can tackle the major issues retailers face and how technology can help.