The slow death of UK manufacturing
ok, that title is maybe melodramatic - but if this was a murder, Boohoo's bloody handprints are all over the scene.
If you haven’t heard the news, Boohoo is “cutting ties with UK supplier” following forced overtime accusations made in the BBC documentary “Boohoo’s Broken Promises”.
Without minimising the experience of the garment workers here in the UK, this is an absolute PR win for Boohoo. Not only can they look like the hero withdrawing their business in mock outrage due to unfair working conditions, they can also take that business straight to other countries with much lower prices - and much more unfair conditions.
No one’s going to be raising alarms over too much overtime in the Global South - and even if they did, we would ignore it. Brands and consumers have both agreed plausible deniability is the best tactic when it comes to cheap clothing - don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t do anything about the millions of exploited garment workers across the world. To be fair, it’s easy to ignore anything while you wait for your next #shoppinghaul delivery to arrive in the mail.
If this isn’t the case, why is Boohoo making a stand now?
All I’m saying is that the timing is fishy. If the 2020 modern slavery investigation or the fresh labour violation allegations in 2021 didn’t cause such a strong reaction, why now? why this scandal? Is it simply the case of the final straw on the camel’s back, or is it a well-timed exit due to high inflation and plans for a record national living wage boost here in the UK?
The logical truth is that Boohoo is only crying out about unfair working conditions because it benefits them and their bottom line. BoF reported that shares in the company “fell as much as 4.6% Friday [26th January]” - the brand is struggling massively, and has become increasingly desperate as it feels the increasing pressure of ultra-fast fashion brand Shein, and recently Temu.
As mentioned above, moving your supply chain almost exclusively to the Global South is a great way to save some money. There was major media coverage when Boohoo tried to demand discounts from its UK suppliers back in May last year, causing public outcry and a lot of backlash for the brand. This was following more bad PR when they changed manufacture payment terms from 30 to 60 days in 2022.
Both of these practices are par for the course in factories abroad. Just like mandatory overtime or unsafe working conditions, we turn a blind eye to unfair repayments when it’s not our own economy or population suffering.
The state of Boohoo manufacturing
Boohoo’s UK factories were already little more than perfunctory anyway - an illustrative example of British Businesses™ doing business with British Manufactures™ (if you don’t believe this, maybe the recent headline that Boohoo put 'Made in UK' labels on clothes made overseas will convince you, or if not, maybe the news they’re closing the UK factory specifically set up to Improve Workers’ Treatment?)
According to their Global Factory List, they already rely more on these developing countries than they do UK suppliers - currently, they have 417 factories in China, 94 in India and Pakistan, respectively, and 111 in Turkey. The 50 UK-based suppliers on the list seem pretty pathetic in comparison (i guess that’s 49, now…)
“Boohoo’s commitment to manufacturing in the UK has diminished. In 2022 it sourced only 25 percent of its products in the UK and that had fallen to 20 percent last year” - BoF
Boohoo’s scapegoat is lack of responsibility. Fashion brands rely on outsourcing manufacturing, and when things go wrong (like forced overtime in this case, or Rana Plaza in the worst), they can hide behind opaque supply chains and pin the whole thing on the factory owners. After all, who can reasonably ask a fast fashion label to individually audit the hundreds of international suppliers it works with? Nevermind what we’re actually asking for is the end of fast fashion altogether, and a new system that supports small businesses with its own seamstress(es) or just a handful of suppliers.
What I’m saying is, this whole situation ends up with UK fast fashion brands smiling. Sure, they still have the Shein/ Temu beast at their heels and investors at their throats, and they’re still bleeding from the side thanks to the cost of living crisis. But now they have a nice, shiny certificate that says they tried to support national manufacturing, but had to offshore because UK manufacturing isn’t viable - and no, it has nothing to do with cheaper costs abroad- how dare you?
Anyway, rant over. Until next month!
Katie
Here’s what I did this month:
made lots of youtube videos:
& too many tiktoks:
Some much-needed good news first:
Want to make a difference in 2024? Sign up to Fashion Revolution Canada’s ‘No Polyester’ challenge and cut out the plastic from your wardrobe!
EU Bans ‘Misleading’ Environmental Claims That Rely on Offsetting
Being more environmentally-friendly key for UK consumers - Klarna report
& What else I read this month:
Can sustainable fashion come back from the brink of burnout?
Boohoo put 'Made in UK' labels on clothes made overseas
TikTok’s anti-overconsumption movement is a wake-up call for brands
Turns Out Certified Organic Clothing Isn’t Always Non-Toxic
Why Aren’t More Brands Upcycling Their Excess Stock?