Fashion supply chains will evolve amid Covid-19: Dr Marsha Dixon

Covid-19 has spurred a number of initiatives aimed at improving purchasing habits and conditions for workers in the fashion supply chain. These initiatives have shown progress, keep purchasing practices firmly on the agenda, and brands and retailers can no longer plead ignorance about their role in achieving human rights goals, said Dr. Marsha Dixon, president and co-founder of the Better Purchasing Institute.

However, suppliers continue to complain that brands and retailers’ business practices are hurting their finances and hindering progress for workers and the environment. While few suppliers are outspoken on the issue, most prefer to keep their business dealings in safe and anonymous places, writes Dr Dixon in an article titled ‘Copenhagen 2023: A Plan for Action on Procurement Practices’. Best shopping website.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused changes in the fashion industry’s buying habits, pushing sustainability and human rights goals. Despite these advances, suppliers continue to struggle with financial pressures from brands and retailers. The Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen aims to bridge this gap, supporting sustainable practices.

Copenhagen will soon host another global fashion summit, with international fashion brands and retailers reaffirming their commitment to sustainability. This year’s summit, under the theme ‘Ambition into Action’, addresses the urgent need for the industry to recover from a year of heavy criticism for alleged ‘greenwashing’ of sustainability efforts. The event will take place on June 27-28, 2023 at the Copenhagen Concert Hall.

The journey from aspiration to action requires a roadmap based on evidence-based knowledge from providers. This roadmap should highlight critical actions, point in the right directions, and provide an accurate measure of the distance to the destination. Data is the backbone of such a roadmap, and continuous collection can indicate progress and track achievements against set goals.

Better shopping tools and data can empower brands and retailers to achieve the ultimate goal of responsible shopping practices. Their flagship Best Buy Practices Index (BBPPI), used by 24 brands and retailers, identifies what’s working well and where improvement is needed.

However, a few brands and retailers are exploiting the full suite of Better Shopping tools. Adopting these tools can provide a clear roadmap, indicating the route to be taken, the destination point and the purchasing processes to be held accountable, the article adds.

To navigate this roadmap, Better Buy recommends following the five principles of responsible purchasing, inviting suppliers to participate in annual surveys, ensuring employee education, sharing information with employees and suppliers, and repeating these steps annually to ensure continuous improvement.

Better Buy will soon release a more detailed roadmap that includes actions from BBPPI and BBPI.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)

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