Fashion brands urged to improve purchasing practices for workers

Fashion brands are facing pressure to improve purchasing practices that affect garment workers. Saks Fifth Avenue announced it will extend payment terms from 30 to 90 days, addressing long-standing issues of late payments that harm suppliers and workers. New initiatives are emerging to establish industry standards for purchasing practices. The Better Buying Purchasing Index allows suppliers to anonymously evaluate their clients, aiming to foster fairer practices and improve relationships between brands and manufacturers. The OECD and Ethical Trading Initiative have developed frameworks to guide brands in responsible purchasing. These tools encourage better communication and planning, which can lead to improved production quality and worker conditions in the fashion supply chain.