Globally, the nature of competition is changing. Growing international prosperity, combined with the forces of globalisation, are creating a demand for greater product variety and quality. For producers this has meant the need to focus production on niche markets and to move from Fordist mass production to post-Fordist- flexible production systems that emphasise small batches of high quality customised products. Accompanying this shift is an increasing awareness within industry of the need to respond flexibly and rapidly to changing customer demands. In this increasingly cornpetitrve environment marketing and retailing arrangements are becoming critical to firm success. Close contact with customers has become increasingly important, promoting new forms of retailing arrangements, and a growing understanding of the role retail arrangements play' in satisfying consumer demand. At the same time, the growth in batch production for niche markets has created room for small enterprises to effectively compete with larger firms in producing for increasingly fragmented markets. Internationally, small firms have found that their competitive position can be strengthened through geographic clustering into what are sometimes called Industrial Districts. Clustered firms co-operate around a range of issues such as input purchasing, marketing and exporting. Finally , a shift to flexible production has been reflected in informalisation, the systematic shifting of production into the informal sector. These trends - the shifting basis of competition, the growth in flexible production, widening opportunities for small enterprises and growing informalisation - are particularly obvious in the clothing sector. They are especially relevant in South Africa where competition from low cost producers in Asia is forcing local clothing enterprises to concentrate production on high quality , high fashion garments for upper market segments in order to retain a share of the domestic market. This study attempts to determine to what extent the behaviour of a particular group of clothing enterprises - the small, mostly informal clothing enterprises operating at the Essenwood Craft Market - reflects these global trends. The activities of the Essenwood clothing enterprises were found to reflect the shift in the nature of competition, and particularly the growing importance of retailing and marketing arrangements for competitiveness. The enterprises were targeting niche markets , and emphasising product quality and design innovation. Retailing through the Craft Market allowed these small enterprises to benefit from an environment conducive to consumption, while facilitating close contact with customers. The firms were not, however, taking advantage of the clustering of retail arrangements to co-operate with one another on matters of mutual interest. The informal nature of these enterprises seemed to reflect a desire for economic independence, rather than the negative effects of economic restructuring, or a strategic shift of production from the formal to the informal sector. The study suggests that informal enterprises can be dynamic and growth-orientated, and questions whether the White Paper on Small Business recognises this. Useful support for dynamic, growth-orientated informal enterprises could include domestic and export marketing support, and the facilitation of co-operation between enterprises to encourage improved purchasing and lobbying power. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban,1998.

This research study examines the challenges facing CMTs in the Durban area. The researcher conducted a literature review on the evolution of the clothing industry, internationally and locally, the emergence of the CMT factory in Durban and the key aspects affecting CMTs in their current environment including yet not restricted to; imports, labour regulation, worker co-operation and CMT distributors. CMTs are the labour components in the clothing sector, providing jobs for woman and unskilled to semi-skilled individuals. Therefore, the poor performance of CMTs are cause for concern in South Africa, a country that is experiencing disturbing levels of unemployment. The evolution of the CMT factory highlights its reasons for coming into being i.e. short-run times and high productivity levels. When large manufacturers restructured to remain competitive, they shed the labour component of their operation. The reason for this move was to do away with labour issues. CMTs, in effect, became this labour component, without the benefits associated with that of a large manufacturing firm. However, the labour regulations that came into effect do not distinguish between a small business i.e. the CMT factory and a large manufacturer, as the same laws apply to both. The current CMT environment makes it difficult for employers to remain competitive, both locally and internationally, when factors such as low productivity hinder performance. The study provides vital information from the CMT employers' perspective and recommendations that have been made are practical and can be made use of with the help of the government. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

One of the most significant changes within capitalist nations during the late twentieth century is the transition of the capitalist mode of production from Fordism to Post-Fordism. Changes in macro-economic market conditions, production processes and labour processes are part of the transition. These changes are felt not only at the level of the aggregate economy, economic sectors, firms and labour markets. They have an impact on the employment relationship and the way workers make their livelihoods. This dissertation provides empirical evidence of labour market flexibility in the clothing manufacturing and the clothing retail sectors and demonstrates that the number of hours worked and wages earned have implications for the livelihoods of workers. The research was undertaken in a clothing manufacturer and clothing retailer situated outside of Durban. The clothing manufacturer is located within an industrial area in Tongaat and the clothing retailer is located within a regional shopping centre in Westville. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.