Global buyers of Bangladeshi apparel products have recently expressed concern over the outflow of brand items to the local market and sought cooperation from the garment exporters to protect the image of the brands. Buyers raised the issue repeatedly at the Buyers’ Forum meeting in the capital as the products made for international buyers are being sold in the local market with the labels of the noted brands. At a meeting of the Buyers’ Forum on Monday buyers alleged that the image of their brands were being hampered as leakage is taking place from some factories and left-over products are being made available in the local market in Bangladesh, meeting sources said. They also alleged that some of the manufacturers which are not involved with the export business were using fabricated tags in low quality products and selling those in the local market. According to the sources, the leakage of brand items from the factory and fabricated tags were the prime concern for the buyers and they thought the issues should be resolved to protect the image of the global brands. Responding the call from the buyers, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association has recently issued a circular to its members asking for better disposal of the left-overs so that no leakage takes place. To maintain good business relationship with the buyers, it is very important that all factory owners extend support to the buyers to resolve the issue, the BGMEA circular said. ‘We strongly feel that the precautionary measures which we follow to dispose of the left-overs have to be more closely monitored to ensure that no leakage takes place,’ the BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim told new Age on Tuesday. The BGMEA suggested its members that if necessary, they may consult with buyers’ agent for better disposal of the left-overs, he said. At the meeting, Azim called upon the buyers to take back the excess products on payment and arrange destruction of the defective items by burning those after paying for the cost of production. If the buyers take back the left-overs, no leakage of brand products would take place in the local market, he said. The BGMEA leader admitted that some of the brand products were being leaked from the factories and being sold in local market with the tags of renowned global brands. On the other hand, a section of dishonest business people were using fabricated tags of the global brands and marketing low quality products in the local market but BGMEA has nothing to do as they were not members of the association, Azim said.
Source: https://newagebd.net/117558/rmg-buyers-concerned-over-brand-image/#sthash.TdUmz6l1.dpuf
