Tesco Looking to Expand into Ethiopia

With the rise of more western business such as H&M and Primark looking to expand to Africa. Tesco's plans to expand into Ethiopian manufacturing is no surprise.

Tesco, the world's third-largest retailer, expects to source more clothes from Ethiopia, but wants the nascent industry there to uphold high ethical standards as global chains seek to prevent factory disasters like those seen in Bangladesh.

"Ethiopia is a very exciting potential country to grow a supply chain but needs to grow up to be a well regulated, ethical new industry," Giles Bolton, ethical trading director at Tesco, told the Retail Week Live conference on Wednesday.

Hennes & Mauritz, the world's second-biggest fashion retailer, said in January it saw good opportunities for producing clothing in sub-Saharan Africa, as it seeks to diversify from relying on Asian sourcing.

Bolton said he hoped Ethiopia could blaze a trail in Africa in garment production, which he said could be a major driver of economic development for the continent as it has been in Asia. Click here to read the full article

 

Source: Reuters