The existence of intricate global supply chains is one of the defining characteristics of the modern world economy. It is typical for a product sold in one location to be assembled in another from parts created at a third site using raw materials from all over the planet. As a result, numerous otherwise unconnected individuals and local and international companies can become involved in the producing of a single item. The complexity of interactions involved in creating goods often goes overlooked by the public, even though it directly relates to many everyday products such as food, electronics, or clothing. Although increasing consumer concerns over ethical sourcing and sustainability have led to corporate transparency initiatives, the high level of opacity in supply chains remains a vital issue (Crewe, 2017). Nevertheless, it is possible to track the provenance of some products and identify those involved in their creation at various stages.
Lee Cooper jeans are sold by wholesalers and retailers around the world, including the House of Fraser department store, which has several locations in London. The finished product arrives at those locations from a Lee Cooper warehouse in northern London, where it is held after being transported from Ras Jebel in Tunisia (Crewe, 2017). There, local workers make jeans in a Lee Cooper factory, using parts and materials supplied by companies from all around the world. For example, denim is provided by Italdenim in Milan, which sources its cotton from individual producers in Africa. The Coats Group, based in Uxbridge, makes polyester thread at a cotton mill in Northern Ireland. Artificial indigo dye is produced in a Frankfurt am Main factory belonging to Paris-based Sanofi S.A. Aurubis AG owns a facility in Stolberg that manufactures brass from copper and zinc mined by Ongopolo Mining, a Namibian concern. Pumice used in stone washing is acquired from Turkey, where it is exported by numerous companies such as Üçler Mining or Blokbims Mining. Brass zippers are made at a Seclin factory belonging to the Japanese multinational YKK Group’s French branch.
A vast and intricate transportation network brings all of those components together in Ras Jebel. Large water carriers remain the primary means of transportation for raw materials and bulk commodities (Novack et al., 2019). Trains and trucks are used to move finished parts and raw materials, from metals to pumice and cotton, from inland locations such as mines, cotton fields, and factories to seaports. Ships move this cargo from many different locations to the sea port of Tunis. Trucks deliver materials and components from Tunis to Ras Jebel and bring finished jeans back to the capital. From there, jeans are taken by ship across the Mediterranean Sea, by train through France, and by truck to Great Britain using the Channel Tunnel (Crewe, 2017). Finally, another truck delivers the merchandise from the warehouse to the department store.
The need for such complex interactions can be seen in the deceptive complexity of the product itself. Jeans are traditionally understood to be indigo denim trousers with metal hardware, such as rivets, buttons, and zippers (Muthu, 2017). Denim, in turn, is made from cotton, which Italdenim mainly sources from Benin (Crewe, 2017). A different variety of cotton used as pocketing material is grown and processed in Pakistan. Stone washing, which gives jeans their iconic worn-out appearance, still relies in large part on pumice mined from inactive volcanoes, such as Acıgöl–Nevşehir in Turkey. Lee Cooper relies on brass for its hardware, and the metals that are converted into brass can largely be traced back to the Ongopolo Mine in northern Namibia. However, YKK France’s zippers are made from brass and polyester produced and supplied directly by the parent company in Japan. Many of those components have additional or alternate suppliers as well; for example, Aurubis also sources zinc from Australia.
Many seemingly ordinary everyday products have similarly complicated backgrounds. Companies seeking to maximize profits want to offer cheap, high-quality products to their customers, but arranging an optimal supply chain is anything but straightforward. Different sources can provide the needed components and raw materials, but the manufacturing and transportation costs will vary from one source to another, as will the quality, necessitating trade-offs. Supply chain transparency has become a popular cause among consumers for a variety of reasons, including concerns about quality, ethical production, and a desire to support local producers. A critical examination of supply chains is essential for both companies and consumers if they want to create a more equitable and open economy.
References
- Crewe, L. (2017). The geographies of fashion: consumption, space, and value. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Novack, R. A., Gibson, B. J., Suzuki, Y., & Coyle, J. J. (2019). Transportation: A global supply chain perspective. Cengage Learning.
- Muthu, S. S. (Ed.). (2017). Sustainability in denim. Woodhead Publishing.