— CASE STUDIES / 30+ YEARS
Proof,
in production.
A selection of programmes drawn from three decades of fashion and apparel sourcing. Each one illustrates the same core method — fabric engineering, pattern optimisation, supplier leverage, marker efficiency — applied to deliver material cost reduction without compromising product integrity or brand standards.
Selected cases
0
+
Avg. cost reduction
~
0
%
Combined savings
$
0
K+
— INDEX
001
Surfwear
South Africa
002
Womenswear
United Kingdom
003
Denim
UK Export
004
Childrenswear
UK Retail
005
Outerwear
USA Export
001
CASE
Surfwear
South Africa
Mid-2000s
Turning a high-cost T-shirt programme into a profitable launch.
South African surf brand — knit tops programme — 50,000 units
23%
Cost reduction
$1.30
Saved per unit
$65K
Programme savings
2
Factories optimised
PROGRAMME / OVERVIEW
Client
South African surf & beachwear brand
Programme
Core knit T-shirt range
Market
South Africa domestic + select export
Quantity
50,000 units / 10 SKUs
— CHALLENGE
A growing South African surf brand approached Amaltas with a core T-shirt programme that factory quotes had priced beyond viable margin. The client specified a 220 GSM combed cotton jersey with an oversized sweep — a combination factory costing confirmed at USD 5.65 FOB per unit. With retail prices fixed and freight rising, the brand was left with under 8% gross margin. The programme was in danger of being cancelled ahead of the season launch.
— INTERVENTIONS
01
Substituted 220 GSM fabric with a 180 GSM ring-spun cotton from an alternative Tirupur mill — same hand feel, better dye uptake, materially lower fabric cost.
02
Reduced garment sweep by 9 cm through pattern re-engineering, eliminating excess fabric without altering the relaxed silhouette.
03
Improved marker efficiency from 76% to 87% through lay planning optimisation across sizes.
04
Split production across two factories — one India, one Bangladesh — removing single-source premium and improving lead time flexibility.
05
Renegotiated trim pack: woven label replaced with high-quality print; cord toggles sourced direct rather than through factory markup.
— RESULTS & IMPACT
Original FOB
USD 5.65 / unit
Final FOB
USD 4.35 / unit
Saving / unit
USD 1.30 (~23%)
Programme value
USD 217,500
Total savings
USD 65,000
Total savings
Programme viably launched; brand margin restored to 28%. Repeated in subsequent seasons.
Even after factoring in Amaltas’ sourcing fee, the client’s effective manufacturing cost remained substantially lower than the factory-direct scenario.
002
CASE
Womenswear
United Kingdom
Early 2010s
Rescuing an overbudget woven blouse collection.
UK mid-market womenswear label — woven blouse collection — 30,000 units
19%
Cost reduction
£1.75
Saved per unit
£52.5K
Programme savings
1
Consolidated factory
PROGRAMME / OVERVIEW
Client
UK mid-market womenswear label
Programme
Spring/Summer woven blouse collection
Market
UK retail — high street & online
Quantity
30,000 units / 8 styles
— CHALLENGE
The client was developing a S/S blouse collection in 100% viscose challis with intricate pin-tucks and contrast shell buttons — aesthetically strong but commercially unviable. Three factories quoted GBP 9.20–9.80 FOB; open-to-buy required landed cost no higher than GBP 7.80. The programme was GBP 2.00 short before any other costs were factored in.
— INTERVENTIONS
01
Proposed a viscose/polyester challis (70/30) from a Gujarat mill — near-identical drape at 28% lower fabric cost.
02
Simplified pin-tuck construction from 7 tucks to 4, reducing SMV by ~12 minutes per garment.
03
Sourced matching resin buttons direct from a Qingdao trim supplier, replacing the contrast shell specification.
04
Consolidated all 8 styles into a single specialist Ahmedabad factory, eliminating multi-vendor coordination costs.
05
Negotiated a fabric forward-buy across 3 repeat colourways, reducing per-metre cost by a further 6%.
— RESULTS & IMPACT
Original FOB
GBP 9.20–9.80 / unit
Final FOB
GBP 7.45 / unit
Saving / unit
GBP 1.75 (~19%)
Programme value
GBP 223,500
Total savings
GBP 52,500
Total savings
Full collection delivered within open-to-buy. Client repeated programme the following season.
Even after factoring in Amaltas’ sourcing fee, the client’s effective manufacturing cost remained substantially lower than the factory-direct scenario.
003
CASE
Denim
UK Export
Mid-2010s
Denim jeans programme — factory consolidation & wash cost reduction.
European casualwear brand — denim jeans range — 40,000 units
17%
Cost reduction
$1.60
Saved per unit
$64K
Programme savings
85%+
Marker efficiency
PROGRAMME / OVERVIEW
Client
European casualwear brand with UK distribution
Programme
Core denim jeans range — 3 fits, 4 washes
Market
UK & Western Europe, mid-market retail
Quantity
40,000 units / 12 SKUs
— CHALLENGE
Production was fragmented across four factories in two countries, each operating independent wash house arrangements. The result was inconsistent wash quality, wide cost variation across SKUs, and a per-unit FOB average of USD 9.40 progressively compressing margin. The brand had come to regard this as a given; Amaltas identified material avoidable cost at multiple points in the supply chain.
— INTERVENTIONS
01
Audited all four factories and consolidated production into two — specialist denim in Ahmedabad and a Bangladesh facility for core fits.
02
Renegotiated fabric pricing directly with a Surat denim mill, securing an 11% reduction on greige cost via 3-month forward commitment.
03
Standardised all wash recipes and moved wash production to a single specialist laundry, cutting wash cost per unit by 18%.
04
Reduced average fabric consumption per unit by 7% through marker re-engineering and consistent size ratio planning.
05
Introduced a standardised fit block across silhouettes, cutting sampling from 5 rounds to 2 and pre-production lead time by 4 weeks.
— RESULTS & IMPACT
Original FOB
USD 9.40 / unit
Final FOB
USD 7.80 / unit
Saving / unit
USD 1.60 (~17%)
Programme value
USD 312,000
Total savings
USD 64,000
Total savings
Consistent wash quality across all SKUs. Pre-production lead time reduced by 4 weeks.
Even after factoring in Amaltas’ sourcing fee, the client’s effective manufacturing cost remained substantially lower than the factory-direct scenario.
004
CASE
Childrenswear
UK Retail
Late 2000s
High-volume childrenswear range delivered under budget and on time.
UK childrenswear retailer — seasonal essentials range — 120,000 units
21%
Cost reduction
£0.85
Saved per unit
£102K
Programme savings
16 wks
End-to-end lead time
PROGRAMME / OVERVIEW
Client
UK mid-market childrenswear retailer
Programme
Seasonal essentials: jersey tees, leggings, sweat tops
Market
UK retail — own-brand stores & online
Quantity
120,000 units / 20 SKUs
— CHALLENGE
ollowing a supplier failure mid-season, the retailer needed 120,000 units across 20 SKUs in 16 weeks. Previous suppliers had been quoting GBP 4.05/unit on average for comparable jersey basics; the retailer’s margin model required GBP 3.50 landed. The combination of compressed timelines and cost pressure had led other sourcing partners to decline.
— INTERVENTIONS
01
Mobilised two pre-vetted Indian factories within 48 hours, eliminating a 3-week factory search and approval process.
02
Standardised all 20 SKUs onto two fabric qualities — 160 GSM and 200 GSM jersey — enabling bulk fabric commitment.
03
Introduced shared fit blocks across boys and girls ranges, cutting sampling from 20 fittings to 6 block fits.
04
Negotiated consolidated freight across both factories, reducing per-unit shipping cost by GBP 0.12.
05
Implemented inline QC protocols, reducing end-of-line rejection rate to below 1.2%.
— RESULTS & IMPACT
Original FOB
GBP 4.05 / unit
Final FOB
GBP 3.20 / unit
Saving / unit
GBP 0.85 (~21%)
Programme value
GBP 384,000
Total savings
GBP 102,000
Total savings
Full 120,000 units delivered in 16 weeks. Zero stockouts; below-budget landed cost.
Even after factoring in Amaltas’ sourcing fee, the client’s effective manufacturing cost remained substantially lower than the factory-direct scenario.
005
CASE
Outerwear
USA Export
Early 2010s
Technical jacket programme — fabric re-engineering & trim rationalisation.
US outdoor lifestyle brand — technical jacket collection — 18,000 units
15%
Cost reduction
$4.20
Saved per unit
$75.6K
Programme savings
3 / 11
Trims rationalised
PROGRAMME / OVERVIEW
Client
US outdoor lifestyle and travel brand
Programme
Technical jacket collection — shell & mid-layer styles
Market
USA — specialty outdoor retail & DTC
Quantity
18,000 units / 6 styles
— CHALLENGE
An ambitious spec: bonded shell fabric, YKK Aquaguard zips throughout, heat-transfer branding, and 11 trim components per garment. FOB quotes averaged USD 28.50; the brand’s price architecture required landed cost under USD 26.00. With USD 2.50 already bridged before duty and freight, the programme needed fundamental cost engineering — not just price negotiation.
— INTERVENTIONS
01
Identified a technically equivalent 3-layer bonded shell from a Taiwanese mill at 19% lower cost, with equivalent waterproof rating and handle.
02
Retained YKK Aquaguard on main closures only; substituted standard YKK coil on interior/pocket zips — cutting zip cost per garment by 31%.
03
Rationalised trim count from 11 to 3 core items, standardising cord, toggles and labels across all 6 styles.
04
Moved heat-transfer branding in-house at the factory, saving USD 0.40 per garment and one week of production time.
05
Negotiated a shell fabric commitment across all 6 styles simultaneously, securing volume pricing and eliminating per-style MOQ premiums.
— RESULTS & IMPACT
Original FOB
USD 28.50 / unit
Final FOB
USD 24.30 / unit
Saving / unit
USD 4.20 (~15%)
Programme value
USD 437,400
Total savings
USD 75,600
Total savings
Programme delivered within retail price architecture, preserving keystone margin across all 6 styles.
Even after factoring in Amaltas’ sourcing fee, the client’s effective manufacturing cost remained substantially lower than the factory-direct scenario.