‘Chasing the sourcing caravan’ is a phrase intertwined with how this sector has grown over the decades, seeking out the cheapest overseas labour to create designs imagined, traditionally, in Europe and the USA.

Though this model may have once served us well, the associated costs are growing and thus savings are no longer as favourable. Bringing manufacturing home may be the Holy Grail of Western brands but without sufficient automation and robotic capability, is it a non-starter?