Keywords: Resilience, pandemic, supply chain, CSR, policy

Abstract

There has been criticism of the fashion industry in the media and from NGOs about the response of fashion brands to the pandemic with widespread cancellation of orders and non-payment of suppliers. It has also been suggested that the pandemic crisis is giving rise to unethical buying practices, with workers in global supply chains bearing the brunt of the economic consequences of Covid 19. The scale of these impacts can be examined in relation to resilience of brand CSR governance, supply chain relationships and government policies.

This research project uses a mixed methods approach, based on qualitative and quantitative data, to compare and contrast the pandemic experiences of UK brands with that of their suppliers. The project focusses on Indian clothing supply chains and explores the impacts for the complete supply chain, going beyond Tier 1 garment makers, by including fabric mills, dyers, spinners and cotton farmers in the research. This multi-tier analysis is important as it reflects the supply chain definition of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The research indicates a divergence of experiences to the pandemic for brands and suppliers depending on the pre-pandemic resilience of CSR governance structures and the relationship between the two groups. Suppliers with strong relationships with brands who have robust governance for ethical practices tended to experience less extreme impacts of Covid 19, than other suppliers. However, there is evidence to suggest government policies could have a significant negative impact on workers despite any inherent resilience within the governance and relationship structures.