We are quite surprised this morning at the headlines in the China Daily newspaper, which allege “Foreign luxury retail brands fail quality control test.”According to the Zhejiang Administration for Industry and Commerce, the issuer of these quality tests, there was evidence of too many chemicals in the garments and poor colour fastness. The brands mentioned include Versace and Hermes. Hermes was criticised for improper labelling, but have allegedly taken steps to remedy the situation.
What we would like to know is what other like-for-like tests are done in other countries for quality control (QC). The QC of the brands mentioned is usually stellar, so the question we ask; is the fact they are manufacturing in countries outside their country of origin and perhaps the more distant level of control to blame for these quality issues? Given the 'quantity' of production is ever increasing due to consumer demand in China, will this issue also get worse? One of the key criteria to a brand’s ongoing success is its quality.
As European luxury brands are highly coveted in China, a country of the finest artisans, they must ensure their QC is 120 percent regardless of where the product is manufactured. The Chinese are astute consumers and no-one should ever feel they are not getting the best....
Image credit: Liz Hong/China Daily. It shows a Versace boutique in China.
