CHARMING INSIGHTS

The global supply chain disruptions of 2024 left manufacturers and distributors scrambling to adapt. Extreme weather events and ongoing geopolitical conflicts impacted the availability and cost of materials and products worldwide. As the new year approaches, analyzing what sparked these disruptions and how they affected the trajectory of global supply chains going into 2025 can help mitigate future risks.  

After months of protest, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stepped down from her position and fled the country to India. She has served as Prime Minister for over two decades, and the impact of this event can be felt around the world. Here’s what happened — and how it might affect your organization.

Looking back at 2023, we saw a mix of exciting wins and unique challenges for apparel brands worldwide. Black Friday brought a nearly historical peak, with supply chain executives, “100% ecstatic with the results.” But beneath the surface of the retail rejoice, we saw a string of difficulties facing the global shipping industry — particularly concerning the Panama Canal. 

We had the distinct pleasure of hosting a Q&A with Kathleen Talbot, Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of Operations at Reformation to pick her brain about one of our favorite topics: sustainability in the apparel industry.

The state of the climate is scary. In fact, it’s overwhelming when you consider that the retail industry accounts for nearly 8% of the global GHG greenhouse gas emissions. 

When you hear the word disrupt, you tend to think of a positive, innovative change. But when it comes to today’s supply chain in a post-pandemic world, disruption is a double-edged sword.

If the global pandemic has taught businesses anything, it’s that supply chain resilience is critical to future-proofing brand and business operations. Global sourcing and manufacturing are increasingly critical to meeting evolving consumer demands and sustainability requirements. And at the epicenter of that evolution is nearshoring.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) US retailers lose an estimated $61.7 billion per year from shoplifting, employee or vendor theft, and administrative error. These losses average at 1.4% of retail sales but can be greater than 2% in some apparel and cosmetics categories—a huge potential loss when looking at billion dollar companies.