Introduction

Abstract

Industrial manufacturing of clothing has over the last two decades become a truly globalised operation enabled by dramatic changes in the global political and economic context in which this industry operates. On the economic side significant changes with impact on clothing-production patterns have occurred both in the industrialised and the developing world. Industrialised countries have witnessed significant changes in the structure of the retail distribution of clothing to the end consumer generally moving towards an increasing concentration of market share in the hands of larger national or international retail chains. In Europe, these trends are most pronounced in Northern and Western Europe where the remaining share of independent stores has dropped mostly below 20% sometimes into single digits. In recent years also Eastern Europe has seen an accelerated trend into that direction (Baker, 2007). © 2009 Springer London.