Supply Chain news and archive

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Gucci Logistica increases stake in Colonna Group tannery to 100 percent

Kering subsidiary Gucci Logistica is increasing its stake in Colonna Group to strengthen its investment in the leather industry. Gucci Logistica, which is active in the design, development, engineering, production, purchasing, sales, import and export of Gucci branded products, already held a 51 percent stake in the tannery since 2019, but is...

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Fashion Police: Types of fraud the US False Claims Act can target in the fashion industry

What does whistleblower law have to do with fashion? Despite the glitz and glamor, the fashion industry ultimately deals in merchandise and must face unsexy topics like supply chain issues, warehousing, shipping, and customs. This article will give a brief overview of the history of US government enforcement against fashion brands for evading...

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US extends import ban to dozens of Chinese companies on forced-labour claims

Dozens more Chinese companies have been added to the US’ growing blacklist for allegedly using forced-labour. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified a further 29 businesses that it said were using forced Uyghur labour in China’s Xinjiang province to produce goods. As such, these firms are now banned from importing into the US....

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Inditex's challenge: Can it continue selling more while polluting less?

Recent reports by Reuters have accused Spanish fashion giant Inditex of increasing air freight shipments from its supplier factories in India to its logistics centres in Spain by as much as 70 percent. This increase in air freight, and its associated environmental impact, calls into question the company's ability to continue growing and...