OP-ED: Kenneth Mackenzie, CEO of 6876

Photo: Kenneth Brunswick

By Kenneth Mackenzie, CEO of 6876

Over the last year sales online from the EU have dropped dramatically and working relationships with suppliers in the EU are becoming increasingly difficult to manage due to the problems we are all experiencing.

(1) Shipping costs have increased hugely & services have decreased in value plus competence probably due to the sheer pressure of the work.

(2) Delays are increasingly becoming a major problem.

(3) Even to ship samples back and forward is problem as due to IOSS (which ludicrously you have to sign up to via a private company) being implemented and ignored by many brands means that due/vat is even due on samples as you have to list at 150 Euros and over.

(4) We are reluctantly moving production back to UK as the stress/delays and hassle of making in the EU is proving too much.

Overall the systems of shipping / Duty / VAT are not working.

Even if we are working more in the UK now, there is no Government investment and it’s simply a case as always of brands/manufacturers working together to solve problems. The level of finance involved to create a viable fashion manufacturing industry rather than a niche one would shock an already disinterested government.

In France post Brexit the government invested into manufacturing. Localised manufacturing is becoming a buzzword even with larger brands but in my view it will be private investment rather than Government that would develop this area. I have in fact no faith in this Government at all. But the IOSS system being a free to sign up to system would help and the aforementioned Government investment and incentives which I won't hold my breath for would be of course ideal.

Finally fashion courses and the system is pretty bankrupt and we need more courses related to the nuts and bolts of the industry rather than hundreds of ordinary design graduates with no prospect of employment.