UK textile manufacturing is booming with production up 25% and 50% of businesses reporting an increase in turnover compared to last year, according to the annual study conducted by Make it British.
Half of UK textile manufacturers saw turnover increase in 2017. Nearly 100 manufacturers from across the fashion and textile sector were surveyed, ranging from small workshops producing luxury womenswear to textile mills producing millions of metres a year. The results showed that despite economic uncertainty and issues surrounding the availability of skills, nearly half were seeing an increase in turnover on the previous year. One manufacturer reported that “this year has been an exceptional year”.
Enquiries are increasing too, with 58% of manufacturers receiving more interest than they were a year ago, as more companies look to source locally and restore their production back to the UK. The production for UK textile industry moved up more than 25%. Textile manufacturers reported that on average production was up by 25%, and many are now running double shifts to keep up with the demand. Yet others were reporting that production volume had stayed the same as “we are focusing on clients with higher margins and less bulk turnover”.
The increase in production and turnover is being helped in part by the exchange rate working in UK manufacturers favour. One manufacturer reported “as the pound loses its value our turnover has increased by 30%”. 30% of UK textile manufacturers are exporting more than they were in 2016, yet still a third of those surveyed said that they weren’t yet exporting – a massive opportunity going forward.
