In an era where many apparel brands are striving to capture market attention, are the strategies behind their success truly addressing real consumer concerns, or are they just well-prepared façades? China, a major textile producer, still faces significant challenges in product quality assurance. Only 45% of clothing companies submit their products for domestic commodity and fiber inspection, while only about 5% opt for third-party testing. This means that less than half of the products in the domestic textile market undergo any official quality check, leaving a large number of garments entering the market without proper verification.
Take Tianjin as an example: only 10% of garment companies send their products to the National Quality Inspection Center for testing. This implies that 90% of manufacturers skip this step entirely. Many simply make verbal promises about quality and safety, but lack written proof of compliance. These products then flood the market with no real assurance of safety.
Why do so many small garment factories avoid national quality inspections? According to Tang Xiangtao, deputy director of the National Garment Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (Tianjin), the cost is a major factor. Testing each batch can cost between 400,000 to 500,000 yuan annually. While larger firms may find this manageable, it's a huge burden for small businesses. To cut costs, some choose to take the risk and sell without inspection. If they're lucky, they save money; if not, they face fines of 5,000 to 10,000 yuan — a fraction of the testing fees.
Well-known brands, on the other hand, tend to prioritize quality checks, understanding that brand reputation is hard-earned and easily damaged. However, smaller companies often neglect brand maintenance, focusing more on short-term profits.
Quality monitoring involves self-checking, mandatory sampling, and third-party inspections. Some large retailers require third-party reports, but many smaller traders don't. For start-up brands, the cost of testing is seen as “astronomical,†making it a luxury they can’t afford.
Testing agencies fall into three categories: state-owned, private, and foreign-invested. State-owned labs have transparent pricing, while private ones offer competitive rates. Foreign labs charge more due to international certifications, which can be appealing but costly.
For example, testing a single cashmere fabric in Tianjin might cost between 400 to 700 yuan, depending on color fastness. A Japanese lab, however, charges 1,330 yuan with no discounts, citing global recognition as justification.
Such high costs deter many SMEs. To save money, some set up in-house testing departments, but these often lack the equipment and expertise of national labs, leading to unreliable results. This contributes to ongoing quality issues, even among well-known brands.
Clothing inspections typically involve two steps: fabric testing and garment submission. Fabric composition and color fastness are difficult for consumers to assess, making them blind spots. If fabric doesn't meet standards, it’s often replaced, adding to production costs and pressure on small businesses.
Fast fashion brands, known for rapid style turnover and small batch sizes, face additional challenges. Frequent new releases mean testing delays could cost sales opportunities. Many choose to skip testing to stay competitive, contributing to recurring quality scandals.
Tang Xiangtao noted that testing fees vary based on quantity, with faster turnaround times available but at a premium. For fast-moving goods, the cost of delays often outweighs the fine for non-compliance.
Ultimately, the balance between cost, speed, and quality remains a tough challenge for the industry.
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