Supply Chain news and archive

Better Cotton shifts to certification model

Better Cotton has announced its official transition into becoming a certification scheme, contributing to efforts of boosting “impartiality and independence” among its business. Farm-level certification decisions will now be outsourced to independent third parties. Tom Owen, head of certification at the non-profit organisation, dedicated to...

Business|Interview FeaturedMember

Future Institute forecaster: 'Simply selling stuff is not a model for the future'

The clothing industry is suffering from dampened consumer spending, but what macro trends lie behind this phenomenon? Boris Planer, expert for retail and consumer goods at the Frankfurt Future Institute, explains in this interview what the dominant trends of our time could mean for fashion. One hypothesis: in the face of a shift in values and a...

BusinessMember

Shein bans cotton from unapproved regions for US

Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein has introduced new rules for sourcing cotton in products destined for the US market, Reuters reports. The company announced that cotton will now only be sourced from approved regions, such as the US, India, Brazil and Australia. Pressure is mounting for Shein to be more transparent about its supply chain,...

BusinessMember

Survivors of the earthquake in Türkiye now receive compensation

The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) Türkiye, a non-governmental organisation that protects workers' rights in the global supply chain, reports in a press release that a number of workers who survived the devastating 2023 earthquake in southeastern Turkey and Syria, which killed over 50,000 people, have finally been compensated by their employer....

BusinessMember

New report unveils child labour concerns at Indian cotton farms

A new report by Transparentem has brought forth worrying allegations of child labour, abusive working conditions and wage violations at Indian cotton farms linked to 60 global brands. The organisation’s initial investigation began in 2022 and ran until March 2023, with the report further underlining companies’ efforts to remediate the issues as...

BusinessMember

Shein dodges supply chain questions during UK parliamentary hearing

Amid its pursuit of a listing on the London Stock Exchange, Shein left a bad impression with British MPs during a hearing on Tuesday, January 7. The hearing is part of the UK's Workers' Rights Bill, which aims to protect workers from poor working conditions when buying imported goods. It was intended to give potential investors more clarity...

How to comply with the CSRD? Frontrunner Schijvens Corporate Fashion shares the tips for SME companies

Schijvens Corporate Fashion is a leader in sustainability and has taken a pioneering role in preparing for the CSRD. Although the reporting requirement is not yet in effect for SMEs, the Brabant-based family business, which falls into this category, has already provided sustainability information with its latest annual financial statement...

BusinessMember

Italy: Audit system for luxury companies raises questions

Following the scandal surrounding working conditions at certain subcontractors of luxury brands based in Italy, Reuters is shedding light through an investigation on the audit system of large luxury groups that is deemed to be "failing". Last June, Dior, Armani and many other luxury brands were accused of collaborating with subcontractors who do...

BusinessMember

Rolex's latest price increase signals industry-wide cost pressures

Rolex's latest price increases, reaching up to 8 percent on some models, signal a broader industry challenge as precious metal costs continue to pressure luxury watchmakers' margins. The move comes as gold prices maintain their upward trajectory, forcing high-end watch and jewellery manufacturers to reassess their pricing strategies. Last year...

Fashion Featured

Fashioning a better future for 2025

As we step into 2025, the fashion industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. The past decade has witnessed a seismic shift in consumer expectations, technological advancements, and the urgent call for sustainability. These forces have converged to challenge fashion to not just create beauty, but to redefine its purpose and impact. To imagine a...

BusinessMember

Report: Ralph Lauren, Coach and Gucci among brands linked to alleged human rights abuses

A report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has uncovered 28 cases of alleged human rights abuses related to the purchasing practices of large scale, global brands. The organisation said the cases identified and tracked over a nine month period, from January to September 2024, were “global in scale and have impacted thousands of...

BusinessFeaturedMember

Uniqlo boss says brand does not use Xinjiang cotton

Fast Retailing’s chief executive, Tadashi Yanai, has claimed that the company’s core brand, Uniqlo, does not use cotton sourced from China’s Xinjiang region in its products. Yanai addressed the concern to the BBC, to which he confirmed that the company was not utilising cotton from this district, before stating: “It gets too political if I say...