Whether we like it or not, we live in a fast fashion era. So now it is time to think about buying and sourcing in Turkey through Atro Sourcing. The “see now, buy now, wear now” mentality has almost become a normal part of modern British consumer behaviour. High street brands such as H&M, Zara and Topshop have turbo-charged this psyche, enabling shoppers to get their hands on fashion trends soon after they have appeared on the catwalk.
One of the countries at the forefront of this disruption to the fashion industry is Turkey, whose factories have been manufacturing clothes for high street retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Karen Millen and Asda’s George for many years. The Turkish economy is heavily dependent on the fashion industry. Market research firm Euromonitor reports that textiles accounted for the greatest share (18.5%) of total goods exported from Turkey in 2015. In monetary terms, the value of clothing exported reached $16.8bn (£13.4bn) in 2015, figures from the Turkish Ministry of Economy show.
Although the country has faced political upheaval and has been subject to the terrorist activities that are affecting many countries across the world, buying and sourcing in Turkey is still feasible.
“Turkey is a crucial market for many UK fashion brands and retailers, whose fast-track and capsule collections are dependent on very short lead times and high flexibility from suppliers and factories,” explains Peter Rinnebach, senior manager at global consultancy firm Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy.
Although more expensive than heir counterparts in Asia, Turkish manufacturers can offer faster delivery times and the flexibility to repeat in season. Asia cannot compete with Turkey’s close proximity to the UK, which allows buyers to quickly make repeat orders on products that are flying off the rails or to quickly make changes – for example, trying a new pattern or a new colourway – to existing designs.