Stock changes in UK manufacturing with particular reference to the clothing manufacturing sector

The concepts of supply chain management and quick response manufacturing systems have been forwarded in the clothing sector as a route to competitive advantage for manufacturers based in high labour cost countries. An integral part of the advantage gained via such systems is reduction in inventory throughout the supply chain. The aim of the paper is to examine the movement in inventory in the clothing sector relative to the average as obtained in the manufacturing sector as a whole and to use the results to test the hypothesis that supply chain management has progressed in the sector.