List of top Fashion buyers in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the leading exporters of ready-made garments in the world, with a huge and diverse fashion industry. The country has more than 5000 apparel industries that produce various types of knit, woven, and sweater garments. These products are exported to different countries, especially in Europe, North America, and Asia. The fashion buyers of these products are mainly international brands, retailers, and wholesalers, who are attracted by the quality, design, and price of Bangladeshi garments. This article aims to provide a list of the top fashion buyers in Bangladesh.

Introduction:

The fashion industry in Bangladesh has emerged as a key sector of the economy, contributing to 83% of the total export earnings. The industry employs more than 5 million workers, mostly women, who are the main breadwinners for their families. The industry has also played a significant role in the social and economic development of the country, by creating employment opportunities, empowering women, reducing poverty, and enhancing skills and productivity.

The success of the fashion industry in Bangladesh is largely attributed to the development of the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, which started in the late 1970s with a few small factories. Since then, the sector has grown rapidly, with more than 5000 factories operating across the country. The RMG sector produces various types of knit, woven, and sweater garments, such as shirts, trousers, jackets, sweaters, t-shirts, polo shirts, jeans, dresses, skirts, etc. Fashion buyers imported these products to different countries around the world, especially in Europe (60%), North America (23%), and Asia (12%).

The fashion buyers of these products are mainly international brands, retailers, and wholesalers, who source their products from Bangladeshi manufacturers. These fashion buyers are attracted by the quality, design, and price of Bangladeshi garments, which are competitive in the global market. Some of the factors that make Bangladeshi garments attractive to fashion buyers are:

Skilled and educated workforce:

Fashion buyers are impressed particularly for skilled and educated workforces. Bangladesh has a large pool of skilled and educated workers who can produce high-quality products with efficiency and accuracy. The workers are trained by various institutions and organizations, such as BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association), BKMEA (Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association), BTEB (Bangladesh Technical Education Board), etc.

Better transportation and port facilities:

Bangladesh has improved its transportation and port facilities over the years, which facilitate the smooth movement of goods from factories to ports and airports. The country has two major seaports (Chittagong and Mongla) and three international airports (Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet), which handle most of the export cargo.

Short shipment time:

Bangladesh has a shorter shipment time than other competing countries due to its geographical proximity to major markets. For example, it takes only 15 days to ship goods from Bangladesh to Europe by sea, compared to 25 days from China and 40 days from India.

Easy order execution:

Bangladesh has a flexible and responsive order execution system that can meet the demands of fashion buyers. The manufacturers can produce small or large orders with short lead times and quick delivery. They can also customize their products according to the specifications and preferences of fashion buyers.

Low labor cost:

Bangladesh has one of the lowest labor costs in the world, which enables the manufacturers to offer low prices for their products. The average wage of a garment worker in Bangladesh is around $95 per month, compared to $280 in China and $400 in India.

List of top Fashion buyers:

1. IKEA

  • Founded in: 28 July 1943; 80 years ago, in Sweden
  • Founder: Ingvar Kamprad
  • Headquarter: Netherlands

2. KIABI

  • Founded in: 1978
  • Founder: Patrick Mulliez
  • Headquarter: Hem, France

3. BIG-W

  • Founded in: 1964
  • Founder: Woolworths Limited
  • Address: Bella Vista, New South Wales, Australia.

4. UNIQLO

  • Founded in: 1949
  • Founder: Tadashi Yanai
  • Address: Tokyo, Japan

5. DECATHLON

  • Founded in: 1976
  • Founder: Michel Leclercq
  • Address: Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.

6. G-STAR

  • Founded in: 1989
  • Founder: Jos van Tilburg
  • Address: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

7. BENETTON

  • Founded in: 1965
  • Founder: Luciano, Giuliana, Gilberto, and Carlo Benetton.
  • Address: Ponzano Veneto, Italy
  • Website: www.benetton.com

8. JCPenney

  • Founded in: 1902.
  • Founder: James Cash Penney.
  • Headquarters: Plano, Texas, USA.

9. JACK AND JONES

  • Founded in: 1989.
  • Founder: Troels Holch Povlsen
  • Headquarters: Brande, Denmark.

10. CARREFOUR

  • Founded in: 1958
  • Founder: Marcel Fournier, Denis Defforey, and Jacques Defforey.
  • Headquarters: Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

11. TOM TAILOR

  • Founded in 1962.
  • Founder: Uwe Schröder
  • Headquarter: Hamburg, Germany.

12. LC WAIKIKI

  • Founded in: 1985
  • Founder: Vahap Küçük and Wajih Shurrab.
  • Headquarter: Istanbul, Turkey.

13. Stanley/Stella

  • Founded in: 2012.
  • Founder: Jean Chabert and Stanley Hainsworth.
  • Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

14. Ralph Lauren

  • Founded in: 1967
  • Founder: Ralph Lauren
  • Headquarter: New York City

15. Varner-Gruppen

  • Founded in: 1962
  • Founder: Frank Varner.
  • Headquarter: Asker, Norway.

16. Sainsbury’s

  • Founded in: 1869
  • Founder: John James Sainsbury and Mary Ann Sainsbury
  • Headquarter: London, England.

17. H&M

  • Full Form: Hennes & Mauritz AB
  • Founded Year:  1947
  • Founder: Erling Persson
  • Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
  • CEO: Karl-Johan Persson (President and CEO)
  • ISIN: SE0000106270

18. Wal-Mart

  • Founded Year: July 2, 1962
  • Founder: Sam Walton
  • Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.
  • CEO: Doug McMillon (President, CEO)
  • ISIN: US9311421039

19. Li & Fung

  • Founded Year: 1906
  • Founder: Li Daoming
  • Headquarters: Hong Kong
  • CEO: William Fung
  • ISIN: BMG5485F1445

20. Adidas

  • Former: Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik (July, 1924)
  • Founded Year: 18 August 1949 (as Adidas)
  • Founder: Adolf Dassler
  • Headquarters: Herzogenaurach, Germany
  • CEO: Kasper Rørsted
  • ISIN: DE000A1EWWW0

21. Levi’s

  • Founded Year: May 1, 1853(as David Stern & Levi Strauss)
  • Founder: Levi Strauss
  • Headquarters: San Francisco, California, U.S.
  • CEO: Chip Bergh
  • ISIN: US52736R102

22. VF Asia

  • Founded Year: October 1899
  • Founder: John Barbey
  • Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, U.S.
  • CEO: Steve Rendle
  • ISIN: US9182041080

23. Nike

  • Formerly: Blue Ribbon Sports (1964–1971)
  • Founded Year: January 25, 1964
  • Founder: Bill Bowerman & Phil Knight
  • Headquarters: Beaverton, Oregon, U.S.
  • CEO: John Donahoe
  • ISIN: US6541061031

24. GAP

  • Founded Year: August 21, 1969
  • Founder: Donald Fisher & Doris F. Fisher
  • Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
  • CEO: Sonia Syngal
  • ISIN: US3647601083

25. Tesco

  • Founded Year: 1919
  • Founder:  Jack Cohen
  • Headquarters: Tesco House, Shire Park, Kestrel Way Welwyn Garden City. Hertfordshire, AL7 1GA, UK.
  • CEO: Dave Lewis (CEO)

26. C&A

  • Founded Year: 1841
  • Founder: Clemens &August Brenninkmeijer
  • Headquarters: Vilvoorde, Belgium& Düsseldorf, Germany
  • CEO: Alain Caparros

27. Target

  • Founded Year: June 24, 1902
  • Founder: George Dayton
  • Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
  • CEO: Brian C. Cornell (Chairman, CEO)
  • ISIN: US87612E1064

28. ASDA

  • Founded Year: 19 February 1949
  • Founder: Peter and Fred Asquith & Noel Stockdale
  • Headquarters: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
  • CEO: Roger Burnley (President & CEO)
  • Parent: Walmart

29. Next

  • Formerly: J Hepworth & Son (1864–1982)
  • Founded Year: 1864
  • Founder:  Joseph Hepworth
  • Headquarters: Enderby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom
  • CEO: Simon Wolfson
  • ISIN: GB0032089863

30. Zara

  • Founded Year: 1975
  • Founder: Amancio Ortega & Rosalía Mera
  • Headquarters: Arteixo, Spain
  • CEO: Amancio Ortega (founder)

31. Old Navy

  • Founded Year: March 11, 1994
  • CEO: Sonia Syngal (CEO and Global President)
  • Parent: Gap Inc.

32. PVH

  • Founded Year:  1881
  • Founder:  Moses Phillips
  • John Van Heusen, Dramin Jones
  • Headquarters: Manhattan, New York City, USA
  • ISIN:  US6936561009

33. S. Oliver

  • Founded Year: 1969
  • Founder: Bernd Freier
  • Headquarters: Rottendorf, Germany

34. PUMA

  • Founded Year: 1948
  • Founder: Rudolf Dassler
  • Headquarters: Herzogenaurach, Germany
  • CEO: Bjørn Gulden

35. K-mart

  • Founded Year: July 31, 1899 (legacy)
  • November 23, 1977 (renamed as Kmart)
  • Founder:  S. S. Kresge
  • Headquarters:  Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United State

36. M&S

  • Founded Year: 1884
  • Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
  • CEO: Steve Rowe
  • ISIN: GB0031274896

Conclusion:

We have provided a list of the top fashion buyers in Bangladesh, based on their history, product range, market presence, and customer feedback. These fashion buyers are among the largest and most influential buyers of Bangladeshi garments, who source their products from various manufacturers across the country. They offer a wide range of products for different segments of the market, from fast fashion to casual wear. They also have a strong reputation and relationship with their suppliers and customers, ensuring quality, compliance, and satisfaction. These fashion buyers play a vital role in the development and growth of the fashion industry in Bangladesh, by providing market access, technical assistance, and social responsibility. They also face some challenges and opportunities in the changing global scenario, such as environmental sustainability, digital transformation, and consumer behavior. We hope that this article has given some insights into the top fashion buyers in Bangladesh and their impact on the fashion industry.

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