Retail management: manufacturing for retail

Bringing manufacturing closer to retail stores can have a benefit for both ... fast response times and smaller inventories.

It's not a view that’s probably widely held in many parts of Britain these days, but Giles Gilhooly is happy to declare his belief that manufacturing - at least in the retail trade and on a small scale - will make a comeback over the coming years, driven by the demands of fashion.

The opinion offered by the director of garment design firm Fast Forward Scotland flies in the face of recent evidence, which has seen a massive exodus of manufacturing capacity to less-costly labour markets, such as eastern Europe and the Far Fast.

"The major high street retailers don’t have the facility to react to changes in fashion trends quickly enough," Mr Gilhooly, a former international water polo player, says.

"That can leave them a step behind. I’m adamant on manufacturing coming back round and playing a vital part in the retail supply in the UK," he adds.