Industry overview
What is shaping textile
Textiles run from handloom weavers and spinning mills to garment exporters and retail brands. Buyers demand quality, compliance and speed; workers and artisans need fair, stable livelihoods.
- International buyers expect compliance and traceability
- Handloom and artisan programmes support livelihoods
- Fabric preferences change with fashion and climate
Client background
A garment exporters’ association, working in Buyers in the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy & Spain. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A garment exporters’ association
- Sector
- Textile
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Qualitative research, Online surveys
Client challenge
Members were losing orders to competing sourcing countries but received little feedback from buyers. The association wanted to understand how buyers compared countries and where Indian exporters could improve.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: what international buyers want from Indian garment exporters.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 8 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 28 interviews, 150 survey responses.
Audiences we typically reach in textile
Weavers and artisansMill and factory workersGarment exportersInternational and domestic buyersFabric retailers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Buyers in the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy & Spain. Markets: India, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
- India
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Spain
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Sourcing manager interviews
- 3Online buyer survey
- 4Insight
We interviewed sourcing and compliance managers at brands and importers about lead times, quality, compliance, sustainability and communication, then surveyed a wider group to prioritise the issues. All responses were confidential. We also asked buyers to describe one recent sourcing decision in detail, which revealed how lead times, audit results and price were weighed against each other in practice.
Business panelQualitative researchOnline surveys
Sampling strategy
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- interviews
- 28
- survey responses
- 150
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Buyers valued Indian design flexibility and small-order capability but worried about lead times and inconsistent sustainability documentation.
- Member exporters who adopted the framework reported smoother compliance conversations with buyers within the following season.
Buyers were candid when assured of confidentiality.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: buyers were candid when assured of confidentiality.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: buyers valued Indian design flexibility and small-order capability but worried about lead times and inconsistent sustainability documentation.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The association launched a shared sustainability reporting framework and lead-time improvement workshops for members.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: which fabrics are customers moving towards?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.