The Better Buying Institute, which publishes the BBPPI said apparel workers cannot afford to wait for apparel companies to improve as the overall industry score for garments and footwear has remained static at 66 points.
This rating has been in place for three consecutive cycles of the BBPPI, despite a growing focus on buying purchasing practices since the pandemic and a number of initiatives aimed at accelerating change.
Better Buying’s president and co-founder Dr Marsha Dickson commented: “It’s a tough time to be doing business at the moment, with high inflation, global unrest and inventory piled up due to uncertain demand. On top of that, brands and retailers are still dealing with the after-effects of Covid-19, and the ongoing adjustments that they have had to make in its wake, and we understand that. So kudos to our repeat subscribers for the hard work they are doing, and the improvements they have made.”
The Better Buying Institute explained it has seen improvements in payment and terms and in cost and cost negotiations amongst its repeat subscribers. This includes practices such as pricing to cover the full costs of production.
The BBPPI has also seen a reduction in buyers’ use of high pressure negotiation strategies, which it called “a nice surprise”. However, the Better Buying Institute warned the average category scores include a lot of variation, with some subscribers performing above the average and others below.
