The diversification paradox
The **** US Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) benchmarking study, based on ** leading US fashion companies surveyed between April and June, found respondents collectively sourcing apparel from ** countries, up from ** in ****. About ** per cent of larger companies use at least ten sourcing countries.
Yet appetite for further expansion has collapsed. Only **.* per cent expect to add countries, down from **.* per cent in the previous survey; **.* per cent expect to add vendors, down from **.* per cent. More strikingly, **.* per cent plan to work with fewer suppliers or vendors, versus **.* per cent a year earlier. Only * per cent reported sourcing from more than ** countries in ****, versus roughly **–** per cent in ****–****.
