Goodbye China, no more of super mass-produced cloth from cheap china factories. Why may you ask? Because it simply isn’t a part of the way consumers want the world to be anymore. First of all quality is an absent element and will soon be a primary one as economies change.

To make it clear, production in China has some significant characteristics. Quality is secondary – cost is the primary parameter, then come elements like quality, environment and the national BNP. It is built on years of financial thinking and business development, where consumers were fed the idea, that things will be cheaper tomorrow, and it can only last a short while and by the way there is always something new – that “you must have” - based on law of advertising.

Now the world has changed, we have come to an end of this financial decade, and a new area will slowly take its beginning.  The core values in the consumers mind, that also will be the key drivers in there like & dislikes and shopping behaviour, will turn to  quality, environment and traceability. These three key driving forces will be a focus in the consumers mind over the next many years and because the consumer rules the retail market, the brand will have to change the image they send to the world.

To put it short, a key driver is the basic element in how the human brain evaluates objects and actions, how it decides it’s likes and dislikes. It will often not be directly expressed but in their actions, the determined needs and wants of the consumer will be evident.  With motions of “change” and “cleaning up” the economy and international business, consumers will weigh more on what is right and what is wrong.

Quality is not a brand or an advertising word it is the thing itself. Consumers know better and communicate more, than before so this will not change. Therefore the content, the actual product must live up to the expectation of the consumers, and their expectations will rise. Based on the given economic situation and the focus on environment, it will be a natural outcome.

Environment has not been a major issue in the clothing industry yet. But as well just like the automobile industry has had it’s rude awakening, so will the consumers demand a change in the clothing industry. It is a growing matter in the consumers mind, both on a social level and the personal influence (the “what-does-chemical-do-to-your-body” thinking). The initial questioning in terms of manufacturing is the long amount of transportation it takes to get goods from China to the rest of the world.  Then proper manufacturing practises will follow.

The result of transportation discussion and knowing, that products contain of different materials and chemicals, will make a growing demand for traceability. Traceability will come up as a big issue, because trust between companies and consumers is currently at an all time low. Consumers trust in media, and since the media lacks the choice to report all of the mistakes and improper manufacturing situations consumers take matter into their own hands.

So unless major changes are made, the consumers will most likely say goodbye to production in China, as they cannot deliver with these conditions.

Grane Steinrud, Human Factor Specialist, The emotional LAB