Embedding sustainability in clothing supply chain strategies

The fashion clothing industry is particularly subject to strong external pressure for sustainable behaviour and the increased outsourcing of manufacturing has created long, globally fragmented supply chains. Supply chain management (SCM) has come to the fore in this industry, as the way a firm designs and manages its supply chain can provide competitive advantage in a market focused on cost, speed and availability. It also provides a relational view of the supply chain that can be used to evaluate and address the environmental, social and economic impacts of products, processes and practices. Building on sustainability theory and supply chain strategy, this chapter attempts to provide an integrated understanding of how supply chains can be managed in practice to effectively address the dimensions of sustainability. It analyses all stages within the clothing supply chain and assesses the different environmental and social impacts that can occur throughout the product life-cycle. It considers the value of long-term, collaborative relationships in providing a coordinated supply chain strategy which addresses these serious, increasingly high profile issues, and in turn generates competitive advantage. The chapter will address the following research questions: