Just-Style Reports On Survey That Highlights Unfair Buying Practices
A recent Just-Style.com article, published 9th March 2026, by Isatou Ndure has highlighted growing concern within the UK fashion manufacturing sector following the results of a survey examining purchasing practices between brands and suppliers.
The survey, Who pays? Brand Purchasing Practices in UK Fashion Manufacturing, analysed by researchers from the University of Nottingham and the University of Leicester, with trade justice charity Transform Trade, revealed widespread issues affecting UK clothing manufacturers. Findings showed that many factories face cancelled orders, last-minute changes without compensation, reduced order volumes after quoting and delayed payments from brands.
According to the results, 78% of manufacturers said brands did not cover the costs of last-minute production changes, while 75% reported that prices were not adjusted to reflect minimum wage increases. In addition, 44% experienced requests for extended payment terms and some reported payments being delayed by more than three months beyond agreed deadlines.
The findings have intensified calls for a UK Garment Trading Adjudicator to help rebalance relationships between brands and suppliers and ensure fair purchasing practices across the sector.
Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion-Enter Ltd and Chair of the Apparel and Textiles Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), supported the proposal, highlighting the financial vulnerability of many factories.
She commented: “I have always supported the call for a Fashion and Textiles Adjudicator… we need an impartial body to review imbalances of power. We only have to look at the recent treatment of factories by Quiz Clothing’s third administration to realise that this coercion of the supply chain has to stop.”
Jenny also stressed the need to ensure any regulatory approach supports UK manufacturing rather than creating additional barriers to orders, while continuing to advocate for more public procurement contracts for clothing to be produced in the UK.
The research adds further evidence to ongoing industry discussions about fair purchasing practices, supply chain resilience and the future sustainability of the UK’s garment manufacturing sector.