BGMEA urges Canada’s Reitmans to develop, source value-added items from Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Wednesday sought cooperation from the Canadian clothing retailer and brand Reitmans for developing value-added products and increasing sourcing those products from Bangladesh as it would be a win-win for both.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan had a meeting with Gary Ross, chief of the global sourcing at Reitmans, and Pauline Ng, managing director of Reitmans Canada Asia, in Dhaka.

The Canadian clothing company operates several store brands, including Reitmans, Penningtons, Addition Elle, Hyba, Thyme, and RW and CO.

Faruque, Gary, and Pauline discussed various trade-related issues, including the global apparel market situation and Reitmans' plans for business expansion in Bangladesh.

The BGMEA chief said Bangladesh's apparel industry is increasingly emphasising business capacity development and manufacturing value-added products, especially non-cotton apparel.