Press Release: Annual survey opens to gather manufacturer perspectives on brands' purchasing practices
Manufacturers' insights key to helping drive change in the garment industry.
Amsterdam, 2 October 2023
The Better Buying Partnership Index™ survey opens for its third cycle from October 2 - November 3. The survey calls on manufacturers in the global apparel sector to anonymously rate their brand partners' purchasing practices. Through this annual temperature check, the multi-stakeholder initiative The Industry We Want (TIWW), in partnership with the Better Buying Institute, aims to collect data that helps accelerate change in the garment and footwear industry.
The Industry We Want is encouraging manufacturers across the apparel sector to help drive change for themselves and the industry by participating in the survey. Brands, retailers and other stakeholders are invited to share the survey with manufacturers. The anonymous questionnaire consists of 15 questions and will take 5 - 10 minutes to fill in. It is available in Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese (simplified), English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
The survey results feed TIWW’s purchasing practices metric and will be incorporated in the 2024 Industry Dashboard, which will be revealed at the OECD Forum in February 2024. The responses will provide insights into the risks linked to brands' purchasing practices and help suppliers to better negotiate with their brand partners to develop more responsible purchasing practices. This cross-sector collaboration aims to establish fairer terms and ensure better and more profitable business for all parties.
“The wellbeing of brands is dependent on the wellbeing of suppliers, which is why we need a joint destiny and to work together to find solutions on the issues we’re facing today.”
Fatima-Zohra Alaoui, General Manager at Association Marocaine des Industries de Textile et de l'Habillement (AMITH) and co-spokesperson at the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI).
Through the Better Buying Institute's Partnership Index™ survey, TIWW provides a platform for manufacturers to engage in meaningful, two-way dialogue with their brand partner(s). Based on this input, manufacturers and brands can jointly map solution pathways and promote shared responsibility, transforming fleeting relationships into real, long-term partnerships.
Results 2023: Stagnating progress in the garment industry
The 2023 scores, released earlier this year, highlight the need for closer collaboration between stakeholders from along the supply chain. While the metric on purchasing practices shows minimal improvement, with recognition of the importance of fair financial practices and timely forecasting growing among buyers, the individual sub-scores also indicate a decline in business stability and the visibility buyers provide to suppliers regarding their order planning.
“This year's The Industry We Want dashboard highlights the need to take action. Not tomorrow, but today. To drive systemic change, we need all actors in the supply chain to collaborate in equal partnerships. Let's walk the talk together.”
- Alexander Kohnstamm, Executive Director at Fair Wear Foundation
About The Industry We Want
The Industry We Want is a multi-stakeholder initiative, facilitated by Fair Wear, Ethical Trading Initiative and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, dedicated to driving industry transformation towards dignity for workers in decent jobs, thriving businesses along the supply chain, and a positive impact on the planet.
This can only be realised when the whole value chain works together. That’s why The Industry We Want convenes traditionally siloed stakeholders and galvanises actions across three interconnected challenges: responsible purchasing practices, living wages and GHG emissions.
The Industry We Want has developed a set of industry-wide metrics that measure progress on these three issues on an annual basis and represent those whose voices are too often silenced - helping us to hold each other and ourselves accountable.