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I'm happy to be proved wrong, so please PROVE my statement to be incorrect - in my humble opinion it would be naive to think Rapha use Chinese labour / manufacturing solely because they have to deal with high volumes / require a high skilled workforce , if it was that simple then how can other clothing retailers use solely UK manufacturers priced below Rapha Products , indeed i would see that as an insult to the talented UK workforce we do have and investing in said workforce...
- i note Rapha have some blurb on their website about KTC China and how ethically and socially responsible employer they are - i also note it doesnt say if ALL Rapha "made in china" products are made at that manufacturing site, and also note that the average wage based on the 2015 KTC own report is around £8 an hour before tax, and includes an additional "financial value" for feeding and housing said workforce, - although not detailed, it would therefore not be clear what the workforces take home pay would actually be.
- i note Rapha have some blurb on their website about KTC China and how ethically and socially responsible employer they are - i also note it doesnt say if ALL Rapha "made in china" products are made at that manufacturing site, and also note that the average wage based on the 2015 KTC own report is around £8 an hour before tax, and includes an additional "financial value" for feeding and housing said workforce, - although not detailed, it would therefore not be clear what the workforces take home pay would actually be.
anthonyj-
Do we finally have a baby boomer in the rapha thread?
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I'll bite.
Which retailers use uk manufactures and are lower price?
How do you know that £8 per hour in China is low wage?
Do you understand brand value?
Do you understand fashion industry?
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I'd take the word of someone who works at Rapha ahead of some misinformed gobshite on the internet.
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that 1)your being 2)conned by 3)super high prices with 4)super low paid 5)Chinese labour and 6)Quality?
1) you make this too easy.
2) implies a knowing deception, or misdirection by lying, which is clearly not the case - it's a Customer Service issue that's being dealt with directly.
3) 'super high price' within context of bib shorts, I think we can all agree, are Assos Campionissimo S7. On their site at £360, so over twice the cost. 'below median average price' would be more correct.
4) you've worked this one out for yourself, appreciated
5) again within the context of bib shorts, the Lightweights are made in Portugal.
6) it's not 100% clear, but as it follows on from 'super low paid Chinese labour' I deduce you are connecting China with low 'quality' production? First, the quality issue in the picture is the gripper elastane (out of Europe) not the make. Second, make out of anywhere can be fantastic or terrible; assuming that anything out of China has low quality is a bizarrely outdated view to hold in the 21st Century. Where did you get your keyboard from? Seems to be working ok. And your screen? And... oh dear....Considerations for production location often come down to where the fabric is sourced from (European fabrics are usually made up in Europe, and Far East in the Far East), coupled with the skill capabilities of the factory. Not always the case, but you'd be unhinged if you sent a technical Japanese 3-ply fabric around the world to a factory with limited capabilities to try to make seam-sealed outerwear.
Feel free to respond to any/all of these points, but I'm not going to go any further. Thanks for reading.
amey
andyp
Chopsicle
I normally stay out of this sort of thing - everyone is entitled to their own opinion on products and brands - but pretty much everything about your sentence is incorrect.