Determinants of location changes in the clothing industry in Poland

Abstract

Abstract The clothing industry is often perceived, particularly in the European context, as a declining, traditional, labour-intensive industry. Nonetheless, in recent years in Poland, after over three decades of steady shrinkage, though the average scale of operations has continued to decline, the number of firms in the sector has been much more stable. In their analysis of the locations of apparel producers on the national level, the authors point to the changing geography of the sector in terms of its increased or diminishing relative presence in some areas. The links between location tendencies among firms in the clothing industry and other fashion-related institutions and initiatives are noted, as are new firms in the creative sector. The spatial patterns observed point to the ability of the resized sector to leverage emerging market opportunities and upgrade selectively, and to its broader evolution from a traditional towards a creative industry.