Pandemic resilience strong in US' Better Buying subscriber brands

The scorecard presents an overview of topline findings and scores for Better Buying subscriber brands and retailers, as well as those who are yet to subscribe but whose suppliers have already begun rating their performance in relation to purchasing practices, the ratings platform said in a media release.

Dr Marsha Dickson, president and co-founder of Better Buying Institute, said “Our findings indicate that the story from COVID-19 is not all bad, and clearly show the benefits to garment brands of engaging with Better Buying. Companies that had already started the hard work of improving their purchasing practices and strengthening their supplier relationships before the pandemic, by engaging with Better Buying, appear to have continued that effort over the last year.

“There are notable declines in scores for Sourcing and Order Placement. We saw increased volatility of monthly order volumes being shipped during the pandemic. Also, 63 per cent of suppliers reported at least some orders were cancelled by the customers they rated. Yet, companies engaged with Better Buying have continued to improve their performance in multiple categories, particularly in relation to Planning and Forecasting.”

Twelve companies engaged in both the 2019 and 2021 Better Buying ratings cycles. Scores in Sourcing and Order Placement improved for 2 of those companies, while 7 improved their Planning and Forecasting scores. The Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index, which looks in detail at how companies performed in relation to five key principles of responsible purchasing practice, is out in October.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)