TFG Apparel Supply Company
TFG Apparel Supply Company (TFGA) performs a number of essential services for the trading divisions, namely:
- facilitating and managing the processes by which apparel and certain other types of merchandise are, to the extent possible, manufactured locally;
- sourcing imported merchandise and managing relationships between the group and its offshore suppliers;
- managing the shipping of all imported and exported merchandise;
- operating a fashion design studio for apparel to be sold in the group’s stores, together with an in-house sample room and pre-production and production units; and
- operating a quality assurance unit which monitors the merchandise purchased by the group.
TFGA has a solid foundation with the clothing industry, built by cultivating strong relationships over a long period with a number of local clothing cut, make and trim manufacturers (CMTs). These CMTs are closely aligned to the group in their understanding of its needs and of their own capabilities and limitations, having demonstrated their capacities and their interest in being long-term partners in the supply process. In several ways these relationships go far beyond those which apply to simple contract supply arrangements, as is demonstrated by the fact that TFGA procures all of the textiles and trims to be used by the CMT manufacturers and by the intensive co-ordination that exists between TFGA and these manufacturers to ensure the delivery of products on time and in good order.
The group quality assurance unit continues to serve the needs of the group’s trading companies by introducing quality requirements at the onset to ensure high standards in all merchandise supplied to the group’s stores. The textile-testing laboratory provides a service to both our internal manufacturing division and to external suppliers, testing in excess of 13 000 different fabrics per annum to maintain stringent product quality standards.
The sourcing division is well represented in both Asia and India and is procuring ready-made garments, jewellery and accessories from these regions.
The strategic approach of this division is to procure differential merchandise for the trading companies, constantly looking for opportunities to offer them the exclusivity and reliability that they require. A primary initiative is to improve on speed and efficiency, assisted by better communication with all our suppliers and customers. BEE supplier development remains a strategic focus.