The years 2022 and 2023 were going against the backdrop of challenges for textile manufacturers. According to them, international brands rearranged their business processes and focused on relatively budget enterprises due to the reduced demand for clothes worldwide.
Maia Simonidze, director of the sewing company "Imeri", says that due to the increased cost of the labor force and transportation in Georgia, international brands are no longer interested in cooperating with sewing companies in Georgia, therefore, they move to markets where production and transportation are cheaper.
"2022 and 2023 were difficult years. The textile industry was affected by the current situation in the world. Apparel sales were down for the companies we worked with. For example, in 2022, we worked with a German company, which stopped working due to a decrease in sales. Wages in our market increased, the cost of transportation increased, and therefore it was no longer worth it for them to order.
We only sew clothes that are shipped to the customer and payment is made after sewing. After 2022, this company was replaced by an Italian company, but they also faced sales problems, and because of this, they again preferred to renew their orders in factories of European countries. They also moved to the African continent, where the labor force, as well as transportation, were cheaper. Therefore, there is a serious shortage of customers and we face serious problems.
Now we are looking for new customers and let's see how 2024 will be," says Maia Simonidze, director of the sewing company "Imeri".
