US retail inventories hit new heights, and probably caused early transpac peak
In a warning to container shipping lines serving North America that the hitherto strong demand ...
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By Alex Lennane
Fascinating article on American Apparel, the garment retailer that manufactures its wares in the US. But times are tough. Can it compete with the 97% of clothes sold in the US that are made far more cheaply elsewhere? There are a couple of things it can do – convince shoppers that ‘buying American’ is a good political choice, and concentrate on the benefits that a shorter supply chain brings – namely making “extremely trendy items” that can get into the shops faster and keeping little inventory. Production costs remain high, though, and the US-based, but Mexican workforce are seeing real wages fall as well as layoffs. Can the new CEO turn it all around?
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