Season 2 Episode 4: Our partners in product. Our supply base is so important, we talk all about our experience of finding suppliers and how to collaborate to build a long lasting relationship!

In Episode 4 we talk about our experience of working with suppliers across the world, both direct factories and agents, in the UK, and the Far East. It feels like we have only just scratched the surface on this one as it is such a huge topic, suppliers are a huge part of a Buyer's life as without our suppliers and factories we wouldn’t have any product! We spend most of this episode talking about finding suppliers, developing relationships, and the importance of establishing a strong network of suppliers that you can rely on. How do you find a new supplier or factory? How do you know if they have the capabilities and the quality and prices will be as you need? This can be particularly hard when venturing into a new product area, so how do you onboard new suppliers without taking too much of a risk. Just imagine if there was a tripadvisor but for factories…gold dust! 

Here are our top 3 takeaways from today's conversation… 

1. More transparency is essential for more ethical practices. If we share more information on suppliers and factories we can protect our businesses AND support factories to grow.  Take the view that a supplier is a tool for creating the product. The supplier is there to help to execute and if you’re confident with your brand handwriting then sharing the tools shouldn’t be a concern
2. Support your supplier and factories by sharing your product plans at the earliest opportunity so they are confident to plan better, pay their workers well, and encourage them to share their critical paths so you can work together to utilise the workforce better and potentially increase their production.
3. Build your supply base for the long haul, a great team requires time and investment on both sides. By doing this you will future proof your range and it allows you to concentrate on developing great product and the best deals for both parties

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