At Clothing Manufacturers UK, we get asked numerous times about what is the best place to manufacture their clothing. It's probably one of the most important questions.
Manufacturing in London has its perks and downfalls, which is also the same with manufacturing abroad.
Here we will go over the pros and cons of manufacturing in London vs abroad.
One of the great things about manufacturing in London, if you live in the UK, is the close proximity of where the garments are being made. It's much easier to get in contact with the manufacturer when they are located close to where you live. Manufacturing in London, is also a great USP for your brand. Not many brands manufacture in the UK, let alone London, therefore it allows your brand to standout. Especially in the world of fashion, where it can be difficult to stand out. Manufacturing in London usually has faster turnaround times. At Clothing Manufacturers UK, our turnaround time is typically 1-3 weeks depending on the number of styles you would like manufactured and how many units per style.
While manufacturing in London has quick turnaround times, if manufacturing more complex styles such as coats, there is much higher costs involved per unit. Its much more expensive to manufacture complex designs in London. However if you are willing and able to afford to spend more money on manufacturing then its a great place to manufacture those garments.
Manufacturing abroad is usually more cheaper than manufacturing in London. This is because wages are more lower than it is in London for example. The turnaround times are usually much longer than it is in London. It could take a few month for production to be complete. However if you are not in a rush then it is an option to consider.
While manufacturing abroad is cheaper, it could be difficult to communicate with the factory as they might not speak English and your requirements may not be able to be done due to communication issues. Also you might not be able to have face to face conversations at all with the factory.
When deciding which location to pick, bare in mind what is suitable for you, what philosophies you want your brand to have, how much you can spend and how involved you would like to be with your factory. Also don't forget bare in mind shipping and import fees that you might incur when manufacturing.