Leather, footwear and ethical sourcing move up the agenda for retailers
05/11/2015
These factors could be good news for tanneries, footwear and leathergoods manufacturers as retailers look to reshore or change to suppliers with better working and environmental standards, it suggests.
The findings were mentioned by Stephen Taylor as part of a presentation at a UK-based leather and footwear conference, Head to Toe, organised by the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI).
ASBCI said its members had requested an event focusing on leather and footwear because an increasing number were looking to add these lines to clothing collections to round out their offering.
Andrew Hudson, from testing group SGS, told delegates of the importance of testing products. He said 78% of product recalls in 2014 were due to finding chrome VI in the leather. However, the number of recalls in Europe had fallen from 160 cases in 2010 to 70 last year (across all softlines, not just leather products).
Pittards’ CEO Reg Hankey discussed working in Ethiopia, and the company’s journey from sourcing skins to investing $25 million, and operating a tannery and four finished goods factories there. Pittards-owned Ethiopia Tannery Share was named Tannery of the Year in 2009.
Similar rapid growth has been seen at footwear company Joseph Cheaney & Son, which was taken over by Jonathan Church and cousin William in 2009. Since then, the workforce has expanded by 50% and exports have tripled.
Amanda Michel from consultancy Leatherwise explained to the retailers in the audience the failings of leather alternatives, and how the manufacture of plastic is much worse from an environmental as well as a quality standpoint.
Lectra’s Laura Mylius-Prou highlighted the situation in the leather market and the French company’s solutions for increasing productivity for leathergoods manufacturers.
World Leather’s publisher Simon Yarwood concluded the day by explaining industry initiatives World Trades Publishing has launched to support the industry, including the Tannery of the Year competition and the myth-busting series of essays and website Nothing to Hide.
Image: World Leather publisher Simon Yarwood
Share this story:
