Structures of textile-apparel supply chain ： concepts and cases

Abstract

In recent years, supply chain management (SCM) has been in popularity as a new management philosophy for all industries, including textile and apparel industries. The textile-apparel supply chain is relatively complex because it encompasses many participants such as yam manufacturers, fabric manufacturers, garment manufacturers and retailers. Although many scholars are engaged in researching SCM in textile and apparel industries, a systematic classification of textile-apparel chain does not exist. The paper proposes three types of textile-apparel chain,nominated vertical integration chain, traditional sourcing chain and 3P-hub (third party as the hub) chain. Different coordinators exist in different types of chain. Three Hong Kong headquartered companies, Esquel Group, TAL Apparel Ltd., and Li & Fung (Trading) Ltd. are used as cases responding to each type of the structures respectively.