Fashion Brands Plan to Consolidate Sourcing Over Next Two Years, Benchmarking Study Finds

Summary

A 2026 fashion industry benchmarking study reported on 29 July 2026 found that apparel and footwear brands intend to consolidate their supplier bases over the next two years while retaining the geographic diversity they have already built. Rather than adding new countries, companies are concentrating volume with fewer, better-vetted vendors and prioritising flexibility and compliance rigour as tariff regimes and forced-labour enforcement tighten. The finding lands as US Section 301 forced-labour tariffs and the expiry of Section 122 levies reshape landed-cost calculations for Asia-sourced garments.