The contest for value capture: consumers as external claimants of value

Chapter 6 The third point of contention for value capture, that between global brands and consumers in the market for the final output is addressed in chapter 6. We examine this contest in the US and the EU, the largest markets for Bangladesh apparel exports. We discuss the position of consumers as claimants of value that are external to the supply chains and do not contribute to value creation, at least directly, and address the challenge of evaluating the socially-adequate level of value capture in the absence of value creation as a yardstick. We show how competitive dynamics in the market for final goods put pressure on price and reduce apparel prices well below their level in earlier decades, suggesting the consumers of the final products of the apparel GVC as the major beneficiary of the value created.