Debenhams pledge embraced by textile champions
A COMMITMENT by Debenhams to British-made clothing has been welcomed by former N Brown chief Lord David Alliance, who wants to bring large scale textiles manufacturing back to Manchester.
The department store has put out a call for manufacturers to supply its new ‘Made by Great Britons’ label.
It’s the latest major retailer to seek British producers as high street names attempt to associate themselves with the country’s textile industry.
Lord Alliance is spearheading a project with former Rochdale MP Lorna Fitzsimons and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) to help local textile firms capitalise on the opportunities presented by this trend.
He said: “A year ago, I made a speech in the House of Lords stating the case for re-shoring textile manufacturing in this country. By Debenhams calling on British manufacturers to get in touch, they are further emphasising the need for the work we have started in Greater Manchester – jointly between industry and government.”
AGMA chair Lord Peter Smith said: “Our project team is going out to speak to textile manufacturers in Greater Manchester to find out if they have the capacity to take on more orders.
“We know that skills shortages and access to finance are key challenges but we want to talk direct to local businesses to develop solutions to these issues. We want to make sure that Greater Manchester businesses are first in line to benefit from the new push to buy British.”
