December 2012

In this issue, the ApparelOnline Team uncovers the Chittagong Hub and the various issues surrounding it. Both exporters and buying offices have been tapped to give a detailed and in-depth coverage of the hub. In our Buyer Talk segment, many small buying offices discuss the challenges of running a buying agency in Bangladesh, which is known more for huge volumes. “I value my workersand have takenspecial care toensure their safetyin tragedies likefire outbreak… Wehave installed fireextinguishers on allfloors and conductunannouncedmock drills not onlyin the day time butalso in the night– teaching themswift evacuationand how to operatefire extinguishers,” says Mostafiz Uddin, Managing Director ofDenim Expert Limited,Chittagong to Team AO. Also read the Autumn/Winter 2013-14 womenswear forecast by Team FFT. As per the PMR publication’s latest report the clothing, footwear and accessories (CFA) market in Russia is expected to increase by9.4% on an average over the next few years. In the Tech Management segment, the article ‘The Great Knowledge Divide – Fat Truths about Lean’, unmasks some interesting truths about Lean, busting many myths. Also discussed in detail by our technology team is a Button Sewing and Button Holing technology option.