The Textile Industry Resource, the ultimate guide to UK textile Manufacturing
The UK textile manufacturing industry designs and supplies garments, principally for the lingerie, swimwear and nightwear markets. The Group’s focus on technical and design skills ensures a fast and effective response to the changing needs of our customers around the world.The UK textile industry products are designed and engineered with specific personalised manufacturer of lace concerns in mind and are marketed to those textile news companies that have an interest in the decorated garment industry.
The company offers a totally flexible approach to training and can offer events on weekdays, evenings and Saturdays, full or half days or hourly sessions, depending on our client’s needs. All delegates at the training sessions are given a certificate of attendance for their professional development portfolios and all training materials needed.
Famous Quaker tapestry tops the bill at textile celebration
Learn about the famous Quaker Tapestry at a celebration of lace-making and textiles being held at a Derbyshire County Council Adult Community Education Centre.
High quality, hand-made steel corsets recommended by us.
The mission of the UK textile industry is to turn its customers, its competitors customers, from all industry sectors, onto the products and services that are offered now and in the future.
Textile Industry
The UK textile industry is a very big name in Global textile industry. The textiles and clothing industry is the UK's 9th largest manufacturing sector, and has a turnover of over 17.7 billion per year. In 1999 the industry exported 5.1 billion of goods. But the British textile industry has been hit by one of the deepest slumps in its history over the last five years. Total output has declined each year and from the first quarter of 1997 to the second quarter of 2001, production has collapsed by 30%. The industry faces a severe competitive squeeze from low cost textile suppliers in other countries. Business information provider Experian estimated in a report issued in August 2001 that the clothing and textile sector could report an overall loss during 2001.
Factors behind the collapse in production
Several factors have caused a sharp decline in the market demand for finished textiles in the UK.
1. The impact of the strong exchange rate - that has made imports of textile products much cheaper when priced in sterling. As a result, the scale of import penetration in UK domestic markets has risen. The high value of sterling has also led to a dip in textile exports from the UK. This loss of overseas market share has been hastened by the economic downturn in Asian economies.
2. Out-sourcing of clothing manufacturing by UK retailers - traditionally, the British clothing industry has relied upon a steady demand from leading UK clothing retailers to sustain their production levels. There has been a gradual erosion of this demand - not least from the decision by retailers such as Marks and Spencer to out-source their supplies from outside the UK. M and S has also come under extensive competition from the influx of European clothing retailers in recent years, A fall in their own sales has inevitably had a negative impact on the demand for finished textile output in the UK
3. The introduction of the National Minimum Wage - may have had some negative consequences for the international competitiveness of the sector. But it is important to realise that many of the remaining larger textile businesses in the UK pay average wages well above the NMW rate. The problems created by the high exchange rate and the downturn in Asian and US economies have been more influential than the national minimum wage.
4. The long term loss of comparative advantage in textiles - the expansion of low wage competition from economically less developed countries is a relevant factor behind the decline in UK production - although the UK economy is not unique in facing this type of competition. The main competition has come from other industrial market economies who have developed a comparative advantage in producing high volume clothing.
5. The textile sector is extremely diverse. Textiles covers the manufacture of items such as threads, yarns, lace, narrow fabrics, knitted fabrics, hosiery and knitwear. Clothing manufacture includes men's and women's outerwear and underwear, and items such as hats and clothing accessories. Leather clothing is also included, but all other leather goods (shoes, handbags etc.) are classified separately.
6. The industry has also suffered from a number of supply-side problems that have created inefficiencies in production. These include an inefficient supply chain (poor communication, lack of trust etc.), under investment in new capital machinery. Inadequate research and development in new products. The industry has also found it hard to overcome a lack of skills, particularly in marketing, exporting and use of technology.
The industries most affected by the long term shift towards production in other countries are those where valued-added is fairly low. Some commentators argue that the deindustrialization in textiles is an inevitable consequence of natural shifts in competitive advantage. And, those British textile producers should be looking to increase investment and shift output towards higher quality and higher priced textile production. This type of output would have a more inelastic demand and would be less sensitive to the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. At the end of the 1970's, the UK industry employed over 800,000 people. Two thirds of those jobs have now gone. Currently, the industry is losing jobs at the rate of over 2000 per month. By the summer of 2001 just over 260,000 workers were employed in textiles and clothing. Many of the people made unemployed over the last three or four years have worked nearly all of their adult lives in the clothing and textile industry. Their chances of finding equivalent full-time paid employment even at a time when total unemployment in the UK is at historically low levels are slim.
Factors behind the collapse in production
Several factors have caused a sharp decline in the market demand for finished textiles in the UK.
1. The impact of the strong exchange rate - that has made imports of textile products much cheaper when priced in sterling. As a result, the scale of import penetration in UK domestic markets has risen. The high value of sterling has also led to a dip in textile exports from the UK. This loss of overseas market share has been hastened by the economic downturn in Asian economies.
2. Out-sourcing of clothing manufacturing by UK retailers - traditionally, the British clothing industry has relied upon a steady demand from leading UK clothing retailers to sustain their production levels. There has been a gradual erosion of this demand - not least from the decision by retailers such as Marks and Spencer to out-source their supplies from outside the UK. M and S has also come under extensive competition from the influx of European clothing retailers in recent years, A fall in their own sales has inevitably had a negative impact on the demand for finished textile output in the UK
3. The introduction of the National Minimum Wage - may have had some negative consequences for the international competitiveness of the sector. But it is important to realise that many of the remaining larger textile businesses in the UK pay average wages well above the NMW rate. The problems created by the high exchange rate and the downturn in Asian and US economies have been more influential than the national minimum wage.
4. The long term loss of comparative advantage in textiles - the expansion of low wage competition from economically less developed countries is a relevant factor behind the decline in UK production - although the UK economy is not unique in facing this type of competition. The main competition has come from other industrial market economies who have developed a comparative advantage in producing high volume clothing.
5. The textile sector is extremely diverse. Textiles covers the manufacture of items such as threads, yarns, lace, narrow fabrics, knitted fabrics, hosiery and knitwear. Clothing manufacture includes men's and women's outerwear and underwear, and items such as hats and clothing accessories. Leather clothing is also included, but all other leather goods (shoes, handbags etc.) are classified separately.
6. The industry has also suffered from a number of supply-side problems that have created inefficiencies in production. These include an inefficient supply chain (poor communication, lack of trust etc.), under investment in new capital machinery. Inadequate research and development in new products. The industry has also found it hard to overcome a lack of skills, particularly in marketing, exporting and use of technology.
Excellent blog..very nice focus on UK textile industry..Advance technology in Textile industry has made it possible to offer all types of fabric with innovative design in global market..This blog provides great information on growth of textile industry in UK and reason behind collapse of production in textile industry..very descriptive research report
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