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Global Sourcing in Fast Fashion Retailers: Sourcing Locations and Sustainability Considerations

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  • Elisa Arrigo

    (Department of Economics, Management and Statistics, University of Milan-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

For decades, apparel companies have profited from moving their manufacturing to low-cost countries and several academic studies have focused on understanding whether low-cost locations could support optimal supply chain configurations. However, the exploitation of resources in foreign sourcing countries often resulted in many environmental and social issues and apparel companies became progressively more concerned about the negative exposure that they could face with a limited supply chain transparency. Therefore, this paper aims at investigating global sourcing strategies of fast fashion retailers in order to understand whether the decision criteria influencing sourcing locations have changed over time to also embrace sustainability considerations. Drawing on a literature review on sustainability in fashion supply chains, offshore outsourcing, and fast fashion global sourcing, a new theoretical framework concerning fast fashion retailers’ sourcing locations is proposed together with a content analysis of their reports. The findings show that fast fashion retailers identify sustainability as a key element to consider in selecting sourcing locations since sustainability issues at suppliers’ factories may represent relevant hidden costs. Moreover, actions aimed at checking and improving sustainable practices in global sourcing policies are proven to support the development of a strategic sourcing reputation for their fast fashion brands.

Suggested Citation

  • Elisa Arrigo, 2020. "Global Sourcing in Fast Fashion Retailers: Sourcing Locations and Sustainability Considerations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:508-:d:306777
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Saskia Manshoven & Wim Van Opstal, 2022. "The Carrot or the Stick? Stakeholder Support for Mandatory Regulations towards a Circular Fashion System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-31, November.
    3. Sheng Lu, 2022. "Explore U.S. Retailers’ Sourcing Strategies for Clothing Made from Recycled Textile Materials," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Eve Fraser & Hamish van der Ven, 2022. "Increasing Transparency in Global Supply Chains: The Case of the Fast Fashion Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-24, September.
    5. Vijay Kumar, 2022. "Product Recalls in European Textile and Clothing Sector—A Macro Analysis of Risks and Geographical Patterns," Stats, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-18, October.
    6. Silvia Dimitrova, 2020. "Ethical Fashion," Izvestia Journal of the Union of Scientists - Varna. Economic Sciences Series, Union of Scientists - Varna, Economic Sciences Section, vol. 9(3), pages 27-39, December.
    7. Sumera Ahmad & Suraya Miskon & Rana Alabdan & Iskander Tlili, 2020. "Towards Sustainable Textile and Apparel Industry: Exploring the Role of Business Intelligence Systems in the Era of Industry 4.0," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-23, March.
    8. Sara Cavagnero & Simona Giordano, 2022. "Sui Generis Geographical Indications Fostering Localized Sustainable Fashion: A Cross-Industry Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-21, April.
    9. Olli Sahimaa & Elizabeth M. Miller & Minna Halme & Kirsi Niinimäki & Hannu Tanner & Mikko Mäkelä & Marja Rissanen & Anna Härri & Michael Hummel, 2024. "From Simplistic to Systemic Sustainability in the Textile and Fashion Industry," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 1115-1131, June.
    10. Pedrini, Giulio & Cappiello, Giuseppe, 2022. "The impact of training on labour productivity in the European utilities sector: An empirical analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

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