Manufacturing diversification issues staying front of mind

Manufacturing diversification issues staying front of mind

With the recent news of Shenzhen shutting down Foxconn and other Apple suppliers, manufacturing diversification has returned to the news.

But that doesn't mean it ever left the minds of brands. The Gap recently added Central American and South American suppliers to diversify their sourcing.

This works for categories like apparel, furniture, home goods, and other items, but not necessarily for things like electronics.

I recently learned about a directory called ZipFox which focuses on Mexican manufacturers, but I thought others might have other options. ThomasNet is the standard in the United States for product sourcing, from what I can tell. But there are others, depending on your category. Drop your tips in the comments for diversifying your sourcing.