The number of UK companies manufacturing textiles and apparel rose sharply last year, according to a new report of the UK Fashion and Textiles Association (UKFT). confirming the growing momentum of ‘Made in Britain’ movement. The number of firms producing textiles and apparel rose to 7,880, a 7.6 per cent increase from previous year. The biggest increase came from a rise in the number of apparel manufacturers, up 10.7 per cent to 3,830 companies, while the number of textile firms had increased by 4.9 per cent year on year to touch 4,030.
Experts say a number of factors have been driving this increase such as the rising cost of overseas production and the increasing need for supply control and flexibility on the part of retailers and brands, as well as greater consumer awareness of UK production and the continued export demand for UK-produced textiles and apparel.
The UKFT argues the growth rate could be even higher than the statistics suggest, as the data covers only companies and self-employed individuals registered for value-added tax (VAT) and Pay as you earn (PAYE) tax.