It's no good being the cheapest if it takes three months to get to us. We want to make up the garment in the same place that the fabric is sourced, as it doesn't make sense to import a fabric from one country and then send it elsewhere for manufacture. He adds that China is seen as a good source for specialised fabrics, such as stretch cottons, silks and coated qualities. The offer we can make is viable for the market, and buyers can find all the right qualities and colourways with us. As suppliers, we can see that there is a lot of business going to China at the moment.
Buyers also emphasise other factors that come into play when making their sourcing decisions.
Many repeatedly stress the importance of adequate health and safety standards for their suppliers' workers, as well as good environmental policies. This ensures that, for example, they do not later become embarrassed by media exposure concerning child labour or environmental pollution. Despite the demands made upon suppliers to satisfy all the commercial requirements of UK garment and fabric buyers, from pricing through to working practices, the market is still seen as full of opportunity. Countries including Sri Lanka, Morocco and Turkey are competing heavily for a share of the buyers' budgets. Turkey especially is promoting its industry strongly to the UK, as it expects most of its export growth to come from there over the next few years.