Is apparel manufacturing coming home? Nearshoring, automation, and sustainability – establishing a demand-focused apparel value chain

The paper identifies nearshoring and onshoring (the term is used as a synonymous of reshoring) as two increasing phenomenon in the US apparel industry. More specifically, the offshoring model that has been adopted by companies in the last decades is not more consistent with the increasing needs of faster fashion and flexibility. Moreover, it has a negative impact on environmental issues. Consultants expect that in the next years, labor productivity and flexibility will be further enhanced by automation of sewing production systems and innovation in the logistic processes; innovations in gluing/bonding, knitting, and finishing will also be very relevant. However, companies should carefully evaluate capital expenditures and cost savings belonging to the adoption of automated production technologies.