Balancing global and local production: supply network configurations in the fashion industry

Where and how to locate production and sourcing in a global scenario have become an increasingly important part of firm’s competitive strategy and are critical decisions to achieve competitive advantages. This research, studying companies operating in the Italian fashion industry, intends to offer an original contribution on the issue by analysing what strategies of production and sourcing are implemented to remain competitive in a global context. Statistical analyses on fresh survey data highlight the existence of different clusters of companies that have identified alternative ways to organize their production and sourcing.