“That’s all led up to pandemic exposes this phone number library moment where we’re facing a massive industry crisis due to coronavirus.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, retail shops were amongst the first to close by government regulation, causing the demand for clothing to plummet. Fast fashion retailers and big brands alike responded by immediately canceling orders—some of which were already completed and sitting at ports, waiting to be shipped out.
It’s been the world’s 40 million garment workers who have borne the brunt of these canceled orders, from Vietnam, Laos, and Pakistan.
In Cambodia in April, more than 110 factories—responsible for employing 96,000 workers—applied to the government to stop production. In Bangladesh, one million workers have already been laid-off or furloughed due to declining global orders.
The fallout from the pandemic exposes pandemic
has revealed the empty nature of the promises once made by manufacturers and brands to protect workers, said Akter. She said that some companies have let scores of their employees go, but continued to pay their shareholders.
Consequences are very different
for these actors in the supply customer retention tools and strategies chain: If this pandemic goes for another few months, the brands will be losing a fraction of their profit. The manufacturers be numbers will be losing their profit share, not their establishment. Workers—they will be losing their job and they’ll be starving,” said Akter.