Fashion retailers adapt to rising freight costs through stronger supplier relationships and operational discipline

Retailers facing higher freight costs and more volatile shipping conditions need to lean more heavily on supplier relationships and operational discipline, according to speakers on a Drapers Talks podcast recorded at the Drapers Supply Chain Summit in London last month.

The episode featured Tom Palombella, director of logistics operations at Matalan; Kirstie Di Stazio, chief commercial officer and co-founder of Albaray; and Simon Jones, UK sales executive at fulfilment provider...

Exotec. Their discussion focused on how fashion businesses can keep supply chain spending under control at a time when geopolitical tensions, including the US-Israel war on Iran, have pushed up oil prices and created disruption in freight markets.

Di Stazio said the most effective responses often come from collaboration rather than confrontation. She stressed that manufacturers and retailers need to be able to have difficult but open conversations if they want to find workable compromises and keep product moving. Her comments echoed wider supply chain thinking at Matalan, where chief supply chain officer Phil Hackney has previously said stronger supplier partnerships and honest dialogue can improve efficiency and help both sides solve problems more quickly.

The broader message from the summit was that cost control is not simply a matter of cutting rates. It also depends on building resilient commercial relationships, planning more carefully and ensuring logistics partners are aligned when external shocks hit. For fashion retailers under pressure from rising transport costs and freight instability, those fundamentals may be increasingly important.

Source: Noah Wire Services