Sourcing news and archive

Alibaba to transform B2B sourcing with agentic AI

E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the integration of agentic AI capabilities into the user journey of its business-to-business (B2B) marketplace. Launched under the 'AI mode' feature, this technological innovation aims to transform the processes by which professionals discover, evaluate and interact with suppliers. Even more impressive than...

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Fairs

CHIC Shanghai: China's garment manufacturers navigate trade conflicts and rising costs

Rising pressure surrounding the trade conflict between China and the US, as well as growing competition domestically and in other Asian countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, demand new measures for China's garment manufacturers. To understand how manufacturers are handling the situation, while rising costs and consumer reticence shape the...

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Global apparel exports: EU displaces China from top spot

For the first time since 2005, China was not the world's leading apparel exporter last year. This is according to a report by the trade magazine “The Spin Off”, which refers to current data from the World Trade Organization (WTO). According to the report, European Union (EU) member states exported apparel worth a total of 166 billion dollars in...

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Accompanying report helps navigate new GFA Fashion Impact Toolkit

A new Fashion Impact Toolkit, presented by the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and Deloitte at the Global Fashion Summit in June, wants to share a meaningful inventory of industry impacts for guidance on strategy assessment. But how to use it? And what are some of the key findings from the impact inventory? An accompanying report, published...

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Myanmar garment manufacturers call for support after Friday’s earthquake

Following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar last Friday, 28th March, and killed more than 2,700 people, the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) and partner associations have called for financial assistance for the garment producing country. Locally, they are requesting factory owners, management and members to provide...

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Fairs

Denim, DPP and durability - Texhibition charts its course ahead

The sixth edition of sourcing fair Texhibition Istanbul took place from 11th to 13th September 2024 at the city's exhibition centre near Atatürk Airport. All three days were well attended - according to official figures, almost 24,600 trade visitors attended; about the same number as at the March edition. A good 25 percent of (6,488) came from...

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Business|CEO Interview

Bharat Ahir, 28 One: “Supply chain transparency cannot be a box-ticking exercise”

The fashion supply chain is a complex construct, involving many steps and stakeholders from sourcing, freight and shipping to market trends and many more in between. Thus, talking to supply chain expert Bharat Ahir, CEO of supply chain management company Two Eight One, is like opening Pandora’s box - you cover one question but it throws open the...

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Retraced introduces Due Diligence Guide geared for fashion industry

Retraced, the compliance platform for the fashion and textile supply chain, has published a new Due Diligence Guide. The white paper aims to demystify the legal frameworks reshaping fashion, helping companies reduce risks and enhance their social and environmental impact. Especially in view of new legislation being introduced to shape...

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Un-bear-ably cool: Material Exchange introduces first AI sourcing assistant for fashion

Digital sourcing platform Material Exchange has introduced the world’s first AI-supported sourcing assistant for fashion: His name is Frank and he's a bear. He leaves digital assistants like Alexa, Siri and Paperclip (remember?) far behind, because he has style - and an interesting background story. Frank comes from northern Sweden and always...

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New website to portray “the real story of Bangladesh garment industry”

Recent events in Bangladesh - repeated unrest due to wage disputes and the most recent government overthrow - have left many buyers wondering if production will be able to continue, what the latest developments mean for the country long-term and if they threaten the global apparel supply chain. Speculation is rife and facts are often hard to...

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Business|Interview

Government overthrow in Bangladesh: “All factories are expected to be fully operational again from today”

Bangladesh is the world's largest garment supplier after China. What does the political unrest of recent weeks mean for the fashion industry and what will happen now that the government has collapsed? After weeks of violent unrest in Bangladesh, in which around three hundred people have died and curfews have been imposed, there is growing hope...

BusinessPress Release

It’s time for Bangladesh to look forwards with our fashion partners

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has resigned following weeks of intense protests across the country. At the time of writing, Army Chief General Walker-Uz-Zaman has just addressed the nation. Most importantly, he has withdrawn the nationwide curfew. I believe he will reunite Bangladesh and that our country is now ready to put the...