Post-COVID-19: Possible Scenarios for Apparel Design, Sourcing and Production

The apparel supply chain will look very different in 12 months’ time. Operational and strategic responses to the coronavirus will have implications on product design, development, sourcing and manufacturing resiliency for months and years to come. Here are some likely scenarios that the apparel industry can begin to prepare for now: 1. Post-Pandemic Supply Chain Consolidation The pandemic has put the lights out for many SME manufacturers and suppliers in markets like India, China and Bangladesh, with government small-business support obsolete. Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers will be absorbed by larger entities to localize manufacturing and take advantage of the benefits of vertical integration for supply chain control, resiliency and risk management. Brands and retailers will find that the diversity of their supply chain partners may be changing in the months and years to come. Post-pandemic, upstream consolidation will offer manufacturers the potential to provide integrated solutions and become a strategic partner to its international retailer and brand customers, achieving faster product innovation and lead-times. Welspun in India started with a solitary textile mill and has invested Capex in purchasing yarn spinning capacity locally to support it’s textile production, making it vertically integrated from fiber to finished product. Brands and retailers will be seeking to

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